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Common Signs of Rodent Infestation
Remember that not all types of rodents
carry hantavirus. Neither common house mice nor common rats have
been associated with HPS in humans, for example. Yet because it
can be tough to tell just what kind of rodents you have, play it
safe -- clean up the infestation and rodent-proof your home or workplace.
Here are some common signs that you may have a rodent
problem.
Rodent Droppings
 This
is one of the most reliable signs that you have a rodent problem.
You may find droppings in places where you store your food or your
pet/animal food, such as in cupboards and drawers or in bins. Because
mice like to run in places that offer them some protection from
predators, you may find droppings in cupboards or under the sink,
along walls, or on top of wall studs or beams. Mice will leave droppings
near their nests as well (see below). Storage rooms, sheds, barns,
or cabins loaded with boxes, bags, old furniture, and other objects
make an ideal home for rodents, so you may find droppings there,
even inside boxes and other containers.
Workplaces can also make good rodent homes. Warehouses, restaurants,
and the like are obvious places to look because food may be plentiful
there. However, rodents can infest office buildings, too. Once again,
look for droppings in protected places, such as closets, storage
rooms, or inside boxes.
Signs of Rodent Nests
Rodents tend to build their nests from materials that are soft,
fuzzy, or warm. Among common rodent nest materials are shredded
paper, bunches of dry grass or small twigs, fabric, and furniture
stuffing. Rodents will nest wherever safety from enemies can be
found close enough to food and water, and they prefer places that
are relatively quiet. Inside buildings, here are some places to
look:
- inside cabinets
- under or inside dressers
- in and among boxes
- behind and inside machinery and appliances (kitchen
appliances such as stoves or refrigerator drip pans; water
coolers;and electric motor cases or computer cases)
- inside upholstered furniture
- inside double walls or the space between floors and
ceilings.
Food Boxes, Containers, or Food Itself That Appears To
Be Nibbled
Look for droppings nearby. Rodents can chew through
plastic, so plastic bags do not make safe food storage containers.
Signs of Rodent "Feeding Stations"
These are semi-hidden spots where rodents eat food they have collected.
At these stations, rodents may leave larger-than-normal amounts
of droppings/urine, plus remnants of a variety of foods (such as
nut shells), bits of plastic or paper, and cockroach carcasses.
You Find Evidence of Gnawing
To get to food, rodents will gnaw on almost anything that Thursday, August 5, 2004cludes such things
as wood, paper board, cloth sacks, and materials even harder than
these. Because rodents' teeth grow continuously, they must
gnaw to keep them short. That may help to explain why chair
legs or similar surfaces show gnawed spots or tooth marks in rodent-infested
places.
You Notice an Odd, Stale Smell
In closed-up rooms infested by rodents, you will commonly
smell an unusual, musky odor.
You See a Mouse in Your House
Rodents are normally active at night, and generally avoid
humans. If you have rodents, unless the infestation is large, you
may never see one.
For more information on HPS prevention, visit the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Spotlight: Seal Up! Trap Up! Clean Up! |
National
Center for Infectious Diseases
