DC County, Washington DC Rat Control Situation:
I am a double heart transplant/cancer patient and not in good health. I have discovered a huge hole on the outside of my home, which is allowing critters in my attic. I do not know what they are, but possibly roof rats. Their presence could very well kill me, since I have no immune system to help me fight bacteria. I would like to know the cost of removal & repair of the area which they have ruined on the side of my home. I am a senior citizen who can no longer work and have little disposable income to pay much, since my medical bills are so high. Is it possible to get an estimate for this & also a time frame from when it can be done? I spend a lot of time in the hospital and just finished a 3 month stay, which included another cancer surgery. I live in Washington DC. My phone does not ring in properly, in fact, gets poor reception, same as my Internet service, but they blame it on my area. So please use my email when possible. I would appreciate a reply ASAP. Thank you very much. J Hill
My response: The presence of rats won't kill you.
Washington DC Rat Control Tip of The Week
Can Rats Kill Mice?
Before providing an answer to this question, first of all, you need to be able to differentiate between a rat and mouse. As you must already know, they are both rodents and are quite identical. Without precisely knowing the differences between these two rodents, it will be quite difficult to know how they relate with each other and if rats do kill mice or it's just another myth.
To help you understand this in the best possible way, we will be taking a look at some of the qualities possessed by both rodents. After which we will address the main topic which is whether rats are capable of killing mice or not.
Rats
Rats are medium sized rodents with sizes bigger than that of mice. They have long tails and are very active compared to mice. The most common household rat is the black rat and this particular specie of rat is bigger than mice and also very active.
Mice
On the other hand, mice are smaller rodents with a pointed snout and small round eyes. These rodents have uniform traits; hence they often tend to look very identical. They are very docile when compared to their rat counterparts.
Having shared all these, by now you should categorically be able to differentiate between rats and mice. Coming back to the question above, the fact is rats are capable of killing mice. This habit is only exhibited when rats are faced with starvation and the only option left is to kill and feed on them.
Also, a change in environmental conditions can trigger their hunting senses and make them kill mice. Apart from any of these conditions, rats killing mice doesn't usually occur. You might have rats and mice in your home at the same time causing a nuisance.