5 Most Common Rodents that Infest Businesses

We’re not the only ones that cozy up indoors when cold weather looms. Rats and mice also shack up inside during the winter months. By the time spring flowers bloom, these speedy breeders may have already taken over your business.

Before you begin preparations for the fall and winter months, you need to know which pests might try to burrow into your business. To learn more about the risks rodents pose to your business, download our free Rodent Guide for Businesses.

How to Identify Rodents at Your Business

Here are the five most common rodents you’re likely to see scurrying out of sight in your commercial property:

House Mouse

Clocking record speeds of 12 feet per second, house mice are commonly found darting across the floors of our homes and businesses. They also nest in in dark, secluded areas indoors. House mice will eat just about anything, and you can distinguish them from other rodents by their moderately large, rounded ears, pointed snout and tails as long as their bodies and heads – combined.

Norway Rat

This rodent usually keeps out of sight and lurks near the sewer. If a Norway rat decides to show its face during the day, you (and your customers) won’t miss it. Also called the “King Rat,” these brown rats with light undersides often measure over 15 inches in length with tails shorter than their bodies.

Roof Rat

No place is safe from rodents. While Norway rats reign supreme underground, agile roof rats make their home in high places, like attics, rafters and trees. Unlike Norway rats, these large rats have long tails to help them balance. Roof rats also typically have dark brown to black fur with large ears and a pointed nose.

Deer Mouse

Rodents aren’t contained to just the city. Deer mice actually prefer rural areas, and they help us out by eating pests like spongy moths and cut worms. Don’t be fooled, though. These tiny mice are known to transmit dangerous diseases like Hantavirus. You can identify these mice by their large, black eyes, brown to gray fur and bicolored tail that is usually longer than their body.

Field Mouse

These mice are often scooped up by predatory birds, but they make up for it by producing as many as 17 litters per year. You can tell field mice apart from other rodents by their brown to reddish-brown fur, small, stocky bodies and short tails.

No matter your business or location, there’s a rodent waiting to gnaw into your bottom line. And the damage they can cause isn’t worth the risk. Shut the door on these dirty vermin with our free guide to rodents and rodent control. Call an Orkin Pro to learn more about our commercial rodent control services.