As a homeowner, you already know that rodents carry diseases that can harm you and the ones you love, whether it’s a mice infestation or a rat infestation.

If you find rodent infestation signs in your house, the first question you ask yourself is, “Do I have rats in my house?”

If you’re unsure, short of seeing the rodents yourself, what the signs of rodent infestation in a home are, we’ll give you a few of them in the article below. 

Odd Behavior from Pets

Pets can see, hear, and smell things we can’t, so if your dog or cat starts scratching at the walls and barking or meowing erratically in that direction, you might need to schedule a building and pest inspection with a reputable pest control company. 

Keep track of where your pet’s erratic behavior is aimed towards, as it’ll be a great help to the pest control professional when they get there, to help them pinpoint the area of concern. 

You See Droppings

The easiest and most common sign of rats in your house is seeing their droppings in front of walls and on countertops. Small, dark brown, and pointed, droppings are easy to distinguish from any other things you might find. Make sure that you always use gloves when picking up rat droppings and that you wash your hands very well afterward. 

You See Chew Marks

Rats and mice love to chew. So, if you have a rat or mice infestation, you’ll start to see chew marks on food packaging and even holes in your walls.

The size of the marks will also help you figure out whether you have mice or rats, as rats’ teeth are larger, so they leave bigger chew marks behind. 

There’s a Foul Smell

If you walk into a room and notice a foul smell you can’t account for, it could be because you have rodents in the walls of your home. This is because of the strong urine odor that rats and mice leave behind.

You may begin to notice strong-smelling urine or a stale ammonia smell coming from some regions of your home if you have a large infestation as well. 

These chew marks darken as they age, so if you see chew marks that are light in color, you probably have a fresh infestation and need to call in the professionals to exterminate. The smell will be sharp, intense, and almost impossible to get rid of. 

You Hear Scratching

If you’re lying in your bed at night, just about to drift off to sleep, and hear scratching coming from your walls, it’s probably not a ghost trying to get your attention.

In fact, it’s probably the sound of little mice’s feet scampering through the walls in search of food or a place to build their nest. 

So, instead of calling Ghostbusters, it’s time to call pest control professionals.

Do You Have the Signs of Rodent Infestation? 

These are just a few of the signs of rodent infestation you need to know about. If you feel that you have mice or rats living in your home, it’s best to call in the professionals right away.

If you enjoyed this blog on rodents, check out our website for home improvement articles and more. 

Jane