Rat vs Mouse - Every time you leave your house, you lose your cheese and everything is just messed up. It is not a ghost, but it can be a mouse. Meanwhile, when you check your backyard, you see a big hamster-like animal, but it is actually a rat. What are actually the differences between rat and mouse? Many people talk about rat vs mouse.
You may notice that both of them are not different. Well, they are actually in the same species, but they have a different world. Now, we are going to talk about rat vs mouse and how to get rid of these disgusting animals from your house.
Contents
The Definition of Mouse and Rat
1. Mouse
Mice (Mus musculus) are small members of the Muridae (rat-mouse). Mice are easy to find in homes and are known as bullies because of their habit of biting furniture and other small items, and nesting in the corners of cabinets. This animal is thought to be the second most populous mammal in the world, after humans.
Mice are very easily adapted to changes made by humans, even the number of mice that live wildly in the forest is probably less than those that are currently living in urban areas. Mice may have a length of 12-20 cm if measured from the snout to the tip of the tail with a weight of 12-30 gram.
Their color can be gray, dark brown, white, light brown, and along with a long mustache. Adult mice have a longer and thinner ear shape with a feathered tail. Mice can live up to 6 years in captivity even though they naturally live less than 1 year.
2. Rat
In addition to white mice (Mus musculus), rats also become the most populous animal on earth whose scientific name is called Rattus rattus or Rattus norvegicus. These rats still have a family connection to the house mice and the big mice or big rats.
The size can be as big as guinea pigs. But, the common rat farmed are generally white, so it looks cleaner and not scary. Rat has a size larger than a mouse, like a rat with a long tail and hairy scales. The length of a rat can reach up to 40 cm or even more.
Of course, a rat is also heavier than a house mouse. Both of mice and rats do not have significant color difference. Mice and rats have some colors including gray, white, dark brown, light brown, dark black, color combination. Rat has a more blunt muzzle than a mouse. In a glimpse, you cannot distinguish between rat vs mouse. Once you get close to these animals, you will know what makes it different.
Why Do Mice and Rats Live in Our House?
Most houses in the world are inhabited by mice. They suddenly appear in your house and spend your food. We have no idea where these mice come from. Even when you have just build your new house, the mice are ready to live with you. Although you clean the house regularly, these mice will always come, but they hide smartly. Meanwhile, you can find some rats in your gutter and they look so dirty and smell bad. Why do mice and rats love to live in our house?
A mouse or a rat is a rodent, it eats everything. Mice also eat electrical wires, when they don’t find some food to eat. Mice can come home from dirty places, wood piles, or from neighboring homes that were first inhabited by mice. When there is an entrance despite it is a small hole, it can enter our house. Rats and mice come home to find food to live.
Mice also breed in the house they live in. This makes the house dirty due to its dirt and it has a bad smell. Meanwhile, rats can come from the drain holes. The rats find any holes to get inside our house because they want to steal some food. For example, these rats may come and get inside through a drain pipe. If you do not cover the drain pipe, then the rats will sneak into the holes.
Mice can also come through the roof of the house. They move swiftly to find a hole that they can enter. Of course, to prevent it, it would be better if you install the ceiling under the roof of the house. Mice can also enter from doors made of wood. He will eat wood and cut it. If possible, you can use a metal door to prevent it from coming.
Some Diseases Caused by Mice or Rats
The emergence of rat vs mouse gives no benefit to human beings.They destroy our home furniture, food, and other belongings. They even can cause some dangerous diseases that put the people to death. It is not just a disease, but this disease is also contagious. So, it is really important to get rid of mice or rats when you see them. What kinds of disease can mice or rats bring to human? Here are some diseases that may be caused by rats or mice.
1. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
HPS was first discovered in 1993, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This disease is spread by some kinds of rats that we can find in many areas. This disease is contagious when you inhale particles from the urine, dirt or saliva of the rats in the air. You can also get infected if you touch or eat something that has been exposed to this kind of rat.
2. Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
HFRS is a fever that occurs together with bleeding (hemorrhagic) and accompanied by kidney syndrome (HFRS). HFRS includes diseases such as dengue fever, epidemic fever, and epidemic nephropathy. This disease caused by mice is similar to hantavirus.
This disease usually develops in the body from 2-8 weeks after exposure. The initial symptoms can be characterized by ongoing headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea and blurred vision.
3. Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis
LCM is a disease from rats or mice caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), derived from the Arenaviridae virus. LCM can be carried by mice that are usually in homes. In addition, this virus can also be spread by rodent pets such as hamsters.
If you are bitten or exposed to animal saliva and urine, then you are at high risk of developing this infection. This disease will initially not cause certain symptoms. New symptoms occur after 8-13 days when the virus attacks. you will feel a variety of symptoms such as fever, lack of appetite, muscle aches, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
4. Rat Bite Fever
RBF is a disease caused by rat bites. These bites can cause infection by minus Spirillum bacteria or Streptobacillus moniliformis. This disease is quite common in Asia and North America. This disease through mice can also be transmitted through food and drinks that have been eaten or exposed to rat saliva. If left untreated, RBF can be a serious or even fatal disease.
Tips for Getting Rid of Mice and Rats
Mice vs Rats are actually not too significantly different and they can cause some dangerous disease. That’s why there is no reason for not killing mice or rats in your house for your health. Somehow, you really need some tips to get rid of those mice or rats. Perhaps, you can read these following tips for the best way to get rid of mice or rats.
1. Using Camphor
Camphor is very effective at repelling mice. Camphor is also easy to find in groceries or supermarkets. Simply, you just place some camphor in a place that is often visited by mice, avoid touching camphor with empty hands.
2. Using Ammonia
You can try to mix two spoons of detergent, a quarter cup of water and two cups of ammonia. Place this liquid in a place where the mice live. The stinging ammonia smell will make the mice or rats go away from your home.
3. Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil can be used to get rid of rats or mice because they cannot stand the strong odor. All you have to do is dip a few cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them in a mouse-prone area. You can also use lemongrass or castor oil.
4. Owl feathers or snake toy
Owl feathers will scare mice and force them to leave. Try placing some feathers of owls in the rat hole. Or, if you can’t find one, then you can put some snake toys in your garden to get rid of mice in the yard.
5. Pepper
The pungent smell of pepper can not only make the human nose itchy, but it is also effective in driving away mice. Just sprinkle a little pepper around the corners and holes where they live. You will see the results.
6. Bay leaves
The mouse likes to eat anything, including bay leaves. But when they eat it, it really kills them. Just put a few bay leaves in the rat area. Continue to repeat this process until all the mice leave.
7. Onions
Onions are very effective for removing mice naturally. The smell of onions is considered to be very disgusting for mice. All you need to do is cut the onions and store them in or near their holes.
8. Make a mice trap
Making a trap is one of the best ways to get rid of mice quickly. You can use peanut butter and cheese to attract mice so they will enter the trap. Once they enter the trap, they will die within a second.
9. Eggshell
The eggshell is also another alternative to get rid of rats or mice from home. Simply, you can collect some egg shells and blend them into powder. Once you blend it, you can put the eggshell powder around the mice area. This eggshell can also be used to get rid of other bugs (Palmetto Bug) such as baby cockroaches and ants.
10. Garlic
In addition to onion, garlic also becomes the most effective herb to get rid of mice. Simply, you can chop some garlic and then wrap the slices using a soft cloth. Then, you just simply put this garlic around the mice or rats area.
11. Baby Powder
You may not believe that baby powder can also get rid of mice from home. Why do they have it? Of course, mice will never like the good smell of baby powder. It is also easy to apply this baby powder to make them go away. Simply, you just sprinkle some baby powder on the mice area, and they will never come again.
12. Coffee Powder
You must have coffee powder at home. The fact is that a mouse has a sharp sense of smell. A mouse always uses its smell to track the traces they have left behind. So, you can use this coffee powder to make them unable to track their traces again.
13. White Vinegar
This ingredient can certainly be easily found in the kitchen. Mice really do not like the smell of white vinegar. If you want to use this method, you must prepare White vinegar, a Container, a Cotton ball, and Rubber gloves. Simply, you can just put the cotton ball on the white vinegar and put it into mice holes.
14. Keep a Cat
What is the enemy of a mouse? A cat is the biggest enemy of a mouse as you watch Tom and Jerry. So, you can keep a car at home because cats really like eat mice. You can keep some cats so that no more rats or mice live at home.
In conclusion, that’s all about rat vs mouse that you may need to know and how to get rid of them.
Indeed, rats and mice may not look significantly different, but they have different size. Somehow, when you see mice or rats at home, you must get rid of them because they can cause some dangerous diseases.