When do rats and mice become active?

If you know you live in an area where the likelihood of a rat or mouse infestation is high, then it’s worth regularly checking your home for signs of rodent activity. Perhaps you’ve spotted something unusual and you’re unsure whether this could be a sign you’ve had rats or mice move in. Using a torch, check dark places where rats or mice may hide. Look behind pipes and appliances and inside cupboards and closets; ideal places where rodents may eat or nest. As both rats and mice are nocturnal creatures, they only come out at night to feed. While it’s unlikely that you’ll spot live rodents running around your home, it’s not impossible. You may also find dead bodies which could indicate you’ve either had an infestation in the past or currently have one. Finding droppings will help you control the infestation. These will show whether the infestation is old or current. Old droppings will be dried out and will crumble whereas fresh droppings will be dark and moist.

There are several key indicators to look out for that show you’ve got a rodent problem.

    • Rodent droppings

Finding droppings will help you control the infestation. These will show whether the infestation is old or current. Old droppings will be dried out and will crumble whereas fresh droppings will be dark and moist. Droppings also help indicate the size of the infestation- more droppings mean more rodents.

    • Urine

Using a UV light will help spot urine trails where rodents run, highlighting the starch and vitamin B found in urine. Following the trails can help you find access points where the rodents are gaining entry. In the case of large infestations, the strong, musky smell of urine can sometimes be the first giveaway that rodents are present.

    • Gnaw marks and scratches

Both rats and mice love to chew whatever they can sink their teeth into to help keep them filed down. As the teeth of mice are smaller, the holes they chew will be smaller and more clean-cut. Those created by rats are larger and will be rough around the edges.

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