Bayer Monitoring System Rodent Reference Guide

Alec Senese Bayer Digital Pest Management [email protected] 1-800-331-2867

INTERNAL Species ( musculus) Deer mouse White-footed mouse Norway ( Roof rat (Rattus rattus) aka Hispid cotton rat (Peromyscus (Peromyscus norvegicus) aka Black/Ship rat (Sigmodon species) maniculatus) leocopus) Brown/House/Wharf/Sewer rat Commonly • Worldwide distribution • Rural areas, structures • Rural areas, structures • Worldwide distribution • Worldwide distribution • Southeast and southwest found next to woodland next to woodland • More common than Norway rat in USA, also into Kansas, (sheds, outbuildings, • Eastern USA to subtropical/tropical areas Missouri, Virginia LAST SLIDEetc.) Montana/Colorado & • In USA, more common in coastal Arizona states, seaports, and the south Identification • Droppings 3-6mm long, rod shaped with pointed ends • Tail and body sharply • Tail bicolored, but less • Adult body 7-9.5 inches long • Color is grey/brown on top, white • Greyish fur mixed with • Color is dusty grey above and cream on bottom bicolored distinct than deer mouse • Adult tail 6-8 inches long underbelly black • Tail is uniformly dark • Body is brown/grey on • Body is grey on top and • Brown top, underside cream • Ears are large and can be pulled over • Ears easily concealed by top, white on bottom, with white belly and feet • Blunt muzzle, ears do not reach eyes long, coarse fur deer colored • Large, white hind feet eyes • Pointed muzzle • Smaller feet than white- • Droppings ¾’’ long with blunt • Droppings ½’’ long with pointed ends footed mouse ends • Cannot see clearly beyond 6’’ • Surge of reproduction in • Important source of • Poor vision, but hearing, smell, • Poor vision, but hearing, smell, touch, • Inhabit tall grass, sedges, • Can jump 1 foot high the spring hantavirus (wear respirator touch, and highly and taste senses highly developed and weeds • Call fall from a height of 8 ft without injury • Primary source of / gloves / PPE when developed • Excellent climbers, jumpers, runners, • Prefer moist areas • Can survive and thrive at 14’F hantavirus (wear around white-footed • Cannot get sufficient water from but reluctant swimmers • Feed on green vegetation • Water can be obtained from respirator / gloves / PPE mouse feces and food, need free water • Water can be obtained from food • Feed on crops (tomatoes, • Seeds, cereals, and insects preferred food when around deer carcasses) • Excellent climbers, jumpers, melons, sweet potato, • If food and shelter is available, may not travel more than 4-5 mouse feces and swimmers, runners sugar cane, cotton, alfalfa, feet away from nest carcasses) grain) • Excellent climbers, can run up brick and other rough walls • Can carry hantavirus Behavior • Curious animals, will explore anything new • Nocturnal • Nocturnal • Nocturnal • Usually nest in or under dense • Nest on the surface or in • Two main feeding periods, at dusk and just before dawn • Excellent climbers • Nests in any concealed • Large bites in food vegetation. Also nests high, in trees shallow burrows • Nocturnal • Nest in wood hollows location, commonly uses • Burrows in dirt, in earthen and the upper parts of structures. • Extensive burrow system, • Areas marked by previous mice are attractive (fence posts, wood piles, abandoned nests and banks, under concrete slabs, • Travel along fences, overhead power many surface openings • Preferred///////////nesting sites are dark, secluded, and not disturbed tree cavities, etc.) burrows of birds and small under walls, piles of rubbish. lines, stacked merchandise • Nibble, not bite on food • Two feeding periods (squirrels, , Consistently follows same path • Prefer fruits and vegetables (dawn and dusk) etc.) • Cautious of new objects • Nocturnal • 30 foot range inside • In late fall, winter, • Prefer ground, lower levels, • Cautious of new objects structure frequently enter homes, sewers • Typically feeds at dusk and dawn • Enter homes in late fall, garages, and sheds • Prefer meat, fish, and cereal • Cluster together in high places winter, • Tend to follow same familiar routes Control • Focus areas with mouse droppings; where mice are feeding • Exclusion • Exclusion • Bait traps but do not set to get • Glue boards wired to pipes and rafters • Short mowing and • Raw material storage areas provide shelter and food • Sanitation • Sanitation Norway rat accustomed to are effective eliminating grass and • Can enter structures through equipment, supplies, raw material • Harborage elimination • Harborage elimination feeding on device (“Pre-baiting”) • Minimize disturbance when deploying weed cover can reduce shipments • Do not store seeds and • Do not store seeds and • Use high moisture baits in traps traps infestation • Adults can jump over glue-traps so use multiple traps in addition in woodland pet foods in woodland (tomato, cucumber, etc.) • Tie bait to snap traps with dental floss • Sanitation to multi-catch traps shed shed • Use high-carb fruits, vegetables, and • Exclusion • Entrances marked by mice (urine, feces, sebum, etc.) are • See house mouse • See house mouse control cereals as bait attractive to mice control • Nesting material is attractive (cotton, straw, floss, paper, insulation, packing peanuts, fabric) • Traps and bait stations more effective if placed in corners • Use sweetened water baits during hot weather (cherry Kool-Aid, pineapple juice, prune juice) INTERNAL Mice

Uniformly dark House Deer White-footed tail mouse mouse mouse

Deer-like coloration (brown) Tail bi-colored but less distinct than deer mouse

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Smaller legs than white-footed mouse

Distinct bi-color Tail is sharply bi- with white colored (light on Longer white underbelly bottom) hind feet

INTERNAL Rats

Norway rat Roof rat Hispid cotton rat

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Long, coarse fur extends over ear

Brown in color, large head Darker in color, almost black

INTERNAL