Rodents
Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents other than Antarctica, on most islands, and in all habitats except oceans. Common rodents include rats, mice, squirrels, porcupines, beavers, voles, guinea pigs, and chipmunks. Rodents have sharp incisors that they use to gnaw wood, to chew food, and to bite predators. Most rodents eat seeds or plants, though some have more varied diets. Some species have historically been pests, eating foods stored by people and spreading disease.
Rats have the ability to cause electrical fires in buildings by gnawing through electrical boxes. Rats constantly gnaw on solid objects to keep short/sharpen their constantly growing incisor teeth.
In addition, rats live in the extremely unsanitary places, and carry many diseases that are health risks to humans, which mainly originate from their droppings and constant incontinence (rats often times use urine trails to find their way in the dark).
Rats and mice often become a serious problem in cold winter months when they seek food and warmth inside houses and other building structures. They can suddenly appear in large numbers when excavation work disturbs their in-ground nest, or their food source is changed. For example, rats feeding in schools might enter closeby properties during the school holidays when schools are closed.
Rats are often a problem where structures are located near waterways, creeks and canals or other places where ready water supply is available.
Mice
A mouse (plural: mice) is a small mammal, the best know of which is the common house mouse. Mice are often eaten by large birds, including eagles and hawks. They are known to invade homes for many reasons, the biggest of which are food and shelter.
Mice can at times be harmful rodents, eating crops, causing structural damage to buildings and spreading diseases through their parasitic feces
Roof Rat
An adult roof rat can squeeze into your home through a hole as small as the size of a quarter and can live for up to 18 months, but generally will die before they are one year old.
Roof rats can dig three feet straight into the ground and have extremelystrong teeth that allow them to chew through hard objects such as glass, cinderblock, aluminum and lead.
Roof Rats are excellent climbers and get their name because they usually live high above the ground on tops of buildings, on roofs or in attics. They also live in sheds, garages, under floors, in wood stacks and thick grass.
They have very poor vision and are color blind, but they have extremely strong senses of hearing, smell, touch and taste. Rats have around 5 litters each year and each litter has 6 to 12 young in it. Roof rats can start reproducing when they are three months old.
Roof Rats prefer eating fruits, berries, vegetables, cereal, pet food, nuts, grain, slugs, snails and especially rotten food.
Norway Rat
The Norway Rat (also know as the brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat) is one of the best known and most common rats. They inhabit areas wherever humans live, especially in urban areas.
The Norway rat is generally active at night and is a ver good swimmer, both on the surface and underwater. However,unlike the related Black Rat, they are not good climbers. Norway rats have a excellent ability to dig, and often excavate rather extensive burrowing systems
Muskrat
The muskrat is a medium-sized rodent native to North America.. The muskrat is usually found in wetlands and can thrive in a wide range of climates and habitats. Muskrats play an important role in nature and are a resource for humans in the way of food and fur.
The muskrat is the largest species in the subfamily Arvicolinae, which includes 142 other species of rodents, mostly voles and lemmings. Muskrats are referred to as "rats" in a general sense because they are medium-sized rodents with an extremely adaptable lifestyle, as well as an omnivorous diet. They are not, however, so-called "true rats” (meaning they are not members of the genus Rattus).
