Rodent Identification

All rodents are mammals, and all have teeth that continuously grow throughout their life. Rodents live in nature in large numbers, and many have adapted to living near people, taking advantage of the food, water, and shelter our properties offer them.

Three of the most common rodents that invade Utah properties are the:

1. Mice: Mice have oval-shaped bodies covered in gray, brown, or black fur; the fur on their belly is lighter in color. A mouse’s ears stand up off their head, and a soft layer of hair covers the tail and ears. 

2. Voles: These small rodents have short, stocky bodies covered in chestnut-brown fur. They have short legs and a short tail. 

3. Gophers: Gophers are large, powerful rodents with stout bodies and short necks. Their bodies are covered in tannish or brown fur. Gopher’s have short front legs and large claws that help them tunnel through the soil.

It is important to keep rodents away from our families and properties because they are both destructive and dangerous. Below is a list of their most common dangers.

• When mice get into our homes, they chew on and cause damage to things like wires, pipes, and cables. They can also damage flooring, furniture, boxes, and clothing.
• Mice contaminate food and surfaces with their urine and excrement. 
• Mice spread bacteria and disease-causing pathogens that can make people ill. 
• Rodents carry parasitic fleas and ticks on their bodies that they introduce into our yards and homes.
• Some rodents, like gophers, will tunnel under foundations, their tunnels eventually causing structural damage.
• Gophers can damage underground wires, pipes, and cables as they tunnel through the soil in your yard.
• As voles travel, they make unsightly “runways” through the grass. 
• Small trees and shrubs are very susceptible to being damaged by the gnawing teeth of rodents.

Rodents are pests that are active year-round. Properties near open spaces like fields, golf courses, parks, and farmland are most susceptible to rodents like gophers and voles. Yards that are healthy and have loose, moist soil allow plants and insects that they feed on to thrive.

Mice are a problem for homeowners because they want to live with us. They know that our homes and yards will provide them with their basic needs. Our kitchen and gardens provide food, leaky pipes provide water, and our homes offer safe, temperature-controlled shelter.

Gophers and voles live outdoors and rarely become a problem in our homes. Our yards tend to be prime real estate for these rodents.

Voles live in areas of tall grass, dense ground cover, and lots of landscaping. Voles are active year-round, and during the winter months, when there is snow, they will tunnel under it. Also, instead of feeding on grass and other plants, they feed on tree bark in the winter.

Gophers like to live in wide-open spaces that provide plenty of soil to tunnel through. Their burrowing systems may contain hundreds of tunnels at varying depths. Though active throughout the year, they are most active when food sources are most plentiful in the spring and summer.

Mice will live outside in our yards, taking cover and nesting in gardens, tall grass, shrubbery, woodpiles, and other yard debris. Mice also regularly find their way into our homes to forage for food and nesting sites. Common indoor nesting sites include wall voids, attics, crawl spaces, and spaces behind cabinets or appliances.

Get rid of rodents with the help of the local experts at Bug Wranglers. To ensure we provide you with the right service, we tailor all our rodent control plans in Springville to meet our customers’ unique needs. Protect your property against rodents with Bug Wranglers and our eco-friendly and kid-friendly pest control solutions. We will ensure that the rodent control services in Springville we provide are the right fit for your home and family. Learn more about ridding your Utah County home of rodents by reaching out to us today!

Prevent rodents from taking over your property with the help of the experts at Bug Wranglers and our most helpful rodent prevention tips.

• Mice have flexible skeletons and squeeze their bodies through the tiniest of openings; use caulk or another material to seal any space small or large in your home’s exterior that could provide an entrance for mice and other rodents.
• Keep from attracting rodents to your home by storing trash cans away from your house and always keeping lids on them.
• Regularly harvest fruits and vegetables from gardens and fruit trees.
• Pick up leftover pet food each evening to stop rodents from feasting on it. 
• Reduce the clutter inside your home and outside in your yard that provides rodents with a place to hide. 
• Keep your home’s kitchen clean and practice proper food storage.
• Repair leaky pipes, spigots, and air conditioners that offer rodents a water source.