Wildlife Services

Wildlife Facts

    • Rodents have to chew four to five hours each day just to keep their teeth gnawed down to the point that they are able to eat. If their teeth grow too long they will die of starvation.

 

    • A University of Georgia study found that rodents, particularly rats, will follow fecal and urine trails for up to five years. This means that after initial entry you can count on future infestation.

 

    • Rodents shed approximately one million hairs per year. The dander causes allergies which are frequently blamed on winter until infestation is discovered.

 

    • Rodents have a sixth sense – they can sense a change in air pressure between 800 to 1,000 feet away, so if you see them you definitely have a problem.

 

    • There is a high sodium content in electrical and cable wiring. This not only makes the wires taste good to the rodents, but can lead to wire failure and is a fire hazard. Most home-owner’s insurance policies do not cover fire if it is a result of rodents chewing on wire.

 

    • Most rats that infest homes are roof rats. They spend 80-90% of their life in trees. Much like a squirrel, they come from the trees down into homes rather than from the ground up.

 

    • Flying squirrels can gain access to homes from trees that are not in direct contact with the house. For every foot high they climb, they can glide three feet, so they can gain access from nearby trees or even other homes.

 

    • Leptospirosis is an infectious disease carried by rats that can easily be passed to dogs through rat urine. If you find evidence of rats you need to make sure to feed pets indoors in a clean dish.

 

    • A house mouse can reproduce two months after they are born – they can have a litter every 30 days with 4-7 per litter.

 

    • Rodents can fit through a hole the size of their skull by compressing their bodies. Interestingly, a rodent only needs to get his/her nose into the hole to eventually get through because their mouth is on the bottom and they can gnaw the hole to a bigger size.

 

    • A mouse can get through the hole the size of your pinky. A roof rat; a hole the size of your middle finger. A grey squirrel; a hole the size of your thumb.

 

Critter ID