Washoe County, Reno Rat Control Situation:
Which is easier to trap- mice or rats?
These are very confusing animals. They look the same and the only major distinction is that one is big while the other is very small. They are enemies; one will hunt down the other and destroy it.
How do you tell you are dealing with a mouse or a rat?
Rats are medium-sized rodents that are classified to be having a long and thin tail while a mouse is a small sized (sparrow-sized) rodent that also has a long but thin tail. Rats are different from the mice in several areas. They have genetic differences, morphological differences, growth differences, and anatomical differences. All this will help us know the real rodent and the ease of catching them.
Genetic differences
It is proven that the rats have 22 chromosomes but the house mice have 20 chromosomes. The genes of a rat have some counterparts while that of a rat has a genome.
Morphological differences
In general the rats are much stronger, larger and heavier than the house mice. The body parts of the rats are much developed than those of the mice.
Growth differences
The mice will generally take a shorter period of growth than the rats. Rats will generally take longer to develop than the mice. Rats' gestation takes an average of 24 days while the mice take 20 day.
Anatomical differences
Rats have six nipples while the mice only have a pair of five.
Which are easier to trap?
Without knowing what you are dealing with, it might be difficult to hold/capture the rodent. Now that we have looked the differences, we can now determine which is hard to trap.
Rats are very hard to trap believe it or not. This comes because of the fact that the mice are very curious to know about new things while the rats are cautious of the new things they find their way.
Therefore, the rats will tend to avoid the new things and therefore not be trapped easily. Mice go for it and get caught in the process.
Therefore, you need to unset the traps in the paths of the rats and place them in unusual places. For mice, you can just set the trap in the path and they will get caught. Therefore, rats are very hard to trap due to their curiousness.
Finally
Before embarking in any trapping, you need to first of all understand the kind of rodent you are dealing with. Then afterwards decide on the method of trapping to use.
Reno Rat Control Tip of The Week
Non-lethal Ways To Get Rid Of Rats
If you are the type that considers rats as small cute-looking creatures, you might feel bad for wanting to kill them because they are causing a nuisance in your home. The fact is, your feelings do count. But at the same time, you can't afford to continue watching as these little creatures destroy your home and put your life at the risk of contracting diseases.
We understand how you feel, which is why we will be sharing non-lethal ways to get rid of the rats in your home. With this, you will be able to get rid of the rats without actually killing them.
1. Get A Cat
Cats and rats are natural enemies. If you have a cat in your home, rats will try as much as possible to do all they can to avoid your home. The sound and smell of the cat alone will trigger the sense of the rats and will make them stay as far away as they can. With this method, you will be able to get rid of the rats in your home without even having direct contact with them.
2. Trap And Release
This is another way to get rid of the rats in your home, the only issue with the use of this method is that cannot be used in a home where there are many rats. This is mainly because rats are smart and will end up figuring out that it's a trap after they see it capture one or two other rats. To trap and release a rat, all you need is a live trap and bait.
Also, you need to understand the fact that when you capture a rat and release it into another environment, its chances of survival are very slim.
3. Use Natural Rat Repellent
Just like other animals, rats are sensitive to some smells and they will do all they can to stay away from those areas. You can take advantage of this as well and use it to get rid of the rats in your home. A mixture of cayenne pepper and peppermint will help you get this done.