When we think of household pests, normally what comes to mind are all those exasperating, swattable bugs—ants, termites, flies, gnats, fleas, and so on.
But there are other kinds of pests, ones that will go out of their way to avoid you but can still bring disease and destruction to your home. In this guide, we will run through these kinds of pests, the problems they cause, and the telltale signs of their presence.
Seven Common Household Pests
Rats
Rats are very good at avoiding humans, which is what makes an infestation even more insidious. In keeping with their avoidant nature, they typically take up residence in areas of homes that are not frequented by humans, such as attics and basements.
Signs of Rats
- Droppings. Fresh rat droppings are dark and shiny, so you have an active infestation. Old rat poop is grey and dusty. Rats typically defecate close to where they live.
- Nests. Rat nests are chaotic things, bunches of wood, wires, bits of fabric. Sometimes they are vaguely ball-shaped.
- Odors. A rat infestation will almost certainly generate a smell—and it’s not a good one. It has been variously described as pungent, musky, or simply foul. Notes of ammonia are expected, due to the urine.
Danagers of a Rat Infestation
Disease. Rats bring many diseases, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, rat bite fever, and salmonellosis. These are pathogens that can infect humans through various routes, including direct contact, bites, or contact with feces, urine, or saliva. Additionally, rats that live in human structures and in higher densities actually carry more pathogens than rats that live in natural habitats with more biodiversity. Due to their propensity to spread disease, it is prudent to call a wildlife professional to resolve a rodent issue.
Damage. Rats have two continuously growing teeth up front, called incisors. To keep these incisors from growing too long, they must constantly gnaw on things. And unfortunately for us, rats find our homes very gnawable. They often destroy personal items in attics, and gnaw on electrical wires, which can increase the risk of fire.
Mice
The house mouse is the most common type of mouse in populated areas. They are small, slender rodents with large ears, sensitive noses, and small eyes.
Their fur is typically dusty brown or dull gray on top, with lighter shades along the chin and stomach. Rodents have hairless tails that are long and scaly, and their feet are well-equipped for grasping, burrowing, and climbing.
Signs of Mice
- Droppings. Mouse droppings resemble brown grains of rice about 1/8-1/4 inch in length.
- Gnaw marks. Tiny gnaw marks on household items or food containers is a big giveaway that you might have mice.
- Rub marks. Mice leave dirty, oily marks along walls where they might travel.
- Odors. Areas infested with mice will also contain no small amount of mouse urine, which smells of ammonia. Some people consider house mouse urine to smell a bit like popcorn.
Dangers of Mouse Infestation
While mice clearly aren’t a direct threat to humans, they nonetheless pose numerous risks. For one, they constantly gnaw on things to keep the growth of their incisors in check, and often they will opt to gnaw on electrical wires, which can increase the likelihood of a house fire. Furthermore, mice carry many diseases, several of which are transmittable to humans and pets. These include hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, and typhus. They can also bring ticks, and fleas into your home.
Raccoons
These intelligent masked mammals are cute and compelling—but also a suburban menace. They are the largest nuisance animal, with some males weighing in at over 60 pounds. Their size alone makes them more capable of destruction than many other pests. Raccoons are fond of attics, as they are warm, rarely visited by humans, and contain no shortage of nesting materials in the form of personal possessions. They also use uncapped chimneys make an adequate substitute for tree hollows.
Signs of Raccoon Infestation
- Loud noises. The raccoon’s size means that they are inherently louder than smaller animals, such as rats or mice. You might hear loud banging or thumping noises as they move around, or you might hear purring or chittering noises.
- Exterior Damage- Raccoons can do considerable damage in their efforts to gain access to a home. The most common damages that raccoons exact on human structures are peeling apart siding and soffits, breaking vents and chimney caps, breaking and bending gutters, and causing shingles to slide and fall off.
- Garbage Distribution- Raccoons will eat almost anything, and are infamous for raiding garbage cans, leaving homeowners the unhappy task of picking it all up the next day.
Problems Caused by Raccoons
Damage. Their size and dexterity mean that raccoons are capable of significant damage. In addition to prying open vents, they are known for tearing off shingles or fascia boards to gain access to homes.
Disease. Raccoons can spread a variety of diseases, including rabies, canine distemper, raccoon parvoviral enteritis, and raccoon roundworm.
Squirrels
Squirrels are one of the most common nuisance animals, using their superior climbing skills to scale trees and access houses from the roof. They frequently raise their young in attics, as they are warm, rarely visited by humans, and replete with nesting materials.
Signs of Squirrels
- Noises. Squirrels are pretty sizeable animals, so you will often be able to hear them. They commonly make rolling or dragging noises as they move nuts and other food items to storage areas.
- Foul odors. Squirrel urine has a very pungent smell, and this smell often makes its way through air ducts and vents, pervading the entire home. Squirrels may also get stuck in A/C vents and die, resulting in an extremely unpleasant smell being spread throughout the house.
- Nests. In human homes, squirrels usually build their nests near openings, such as an unscreened vent or loose or rotten trim boards. They are typically surrounded by droppings.
Problems Caused by Squirrels
Damage. Like rats and mice, squirrels also have to regularly gnaw on things to grind down their ever-growing teeth. Sometimes they choose to gnaw on things like electrical wires; the damage this might cause can increase the risk of a house fire.
Disease. Squirrels carry many diseases, but few are dangerous to humans. These include tularemia, typhus, and plague. Of more concern to humans is the parasites that squirrels can introduce to the household. Very often, when squirrels infiltrate human homes, they also bring ticks, fleas, and mites, which can in turn bring diseases to humans and pets alike.
Opossums
Like raccoons, opossums have adapted remarkably well to humans, and are frequently found in urban and suburban areas. Opossums don’t build their nests, preferring instead to seek out existing shelter, which often ends up being garages, porches, attics, and crawlspaces.
Signs of Opossum Infestation
- Footprints. Opossums have distinct footprints owing to their opposable thumbs. These fingers face away from the others at a right angle or more.
- Toppled garbage cans. Like raccoons, opossums cannot resist a low-effort meal, and garbage doesn’t put up much of a fight.
- Noises. When moving around, opossums make scuttling and scratching noises. The sounds they generate are similar to those of rats or mice, but markedly louder.
- Vocalizations. Adult opossums make hissing, growling and clicking noises to communicate and to ward off predators. During mating season, they make loud clicking sounds in an effort to attract a mate.
- Unpleasant smells. A distinct sign of an opossum infestation is a pervasive bad smell. Opossums defecate more frequently than other animals, and their droppings can be as large as a house cat’s. This results in a distinctly unpleasant odor, one that can be hard to eradicate.
Problems Caused by Opossums
Damage. As one of the larger pests, opossums can cause significant damage to your roof when attempting to access your attic. Once they get in, they will often expand their entry hole and create new points of entry.
Disease. Opossums carry numerous diseases, including leptospirosis, coccidiosis, salmonella, tularemia, and rabies. It is important to never try to handle an opossum directly, as an opossum that feels threatened will bite.
Skunks
While they rarely cause significant damage to homes, skunks are undesirable critters to invade your space for a different reason.
Signs of Skunk Infestation
- Smell. Skunk smell is pungent, incredibly powerful, and known to everyone. If you’re smelling this in your house, there’s a good chance a skunk might’ve taken up residence under your house—or your teenager has found a new pastime.
- Holes around the house. Skunks dig for grubs and other insects, often leaving holes about 2-3 inches in diameter. These holes are shallow and cone-shaped, and, unlike other digging animals, rather neat in appearance.
- Tracks. Skunks may leave tracks in soft and muddy parts of your property. Skunk tracks are 1.5-2 inches long, with five toes on the front and back feet, and long claws visible on the front tracks.
- Scratching noises at night. Skunks are nocturnal, so any noise they generate will likely be at night. Listen for scratching or rustling noises under your porch or in your crawl space, and be attentive to any smells you may notice at this time.
Problems Caused by Skunks
Spraying. If you try to approach a skunk directly, there is a chance you will get sprayed. In addition to imparting one with a truly heinous smell that can last for several weeks, a direct hit from a skunk can cause eye irritation and even temporary blindness.
Disease. Like many of the animals on this list, skunks can also carry diseases. In fact, skunks are one of the most common carriers of rabies, a deadly virus spread by the saliva of infected animals. They can also carry leptospirosis, listeriosis, canine distemper, canine hepatitis, and tularemia.
Snakes
Snakes can be attracted to human homes for many reasons. Maybe your house provides adequate warmth in winter, or coolness in the summer. Maybe you have a rodent problem, and the snake wants to help you resolve it. Whatever their motivation, when they do enter homes, they almost always opt for dark, damp areas such as basements or garages.
Signs of Snakes
- A strange smell. Snakes make an unpleasant smell which is said to smell different to different people. It is commonly described as a mix of carrion and garlic.
- Snake skins. The presence of snake skins in your house is indisputable proof that you either have snakes or have had them.
- Tracks. Snakes leave tracks that resemble the imprint of a hose being dragged through sand. Of course, the tracks will only be visible if the area is dusty, dirty, or sandy.
Problems Caused by Snake Infestation
Bites. Depending on the species of snake, bites can be anything from a mere annoyance to a life-threatening emergency. When trying to determine if a snake is venomous or not, remember that venomous snakes have a few distinct attributes: broad, “blocky” heads, thicker bodies, and eyes like a cat’s, whereas nonvenomous snakes have narrow heads, are slimmer, and have circular pupils.
Diseases. Snakes carry relatively few diseases that pose a danger to humans, the main one being salmonella, which is commonly found in all types of reptiles.
Pest Control from the Wildlife Experts
If you are experiencing pest problems from rats, mice, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks or snakes, call Trutech to get the wildlife out.
Most homeowners don’t consider the problems nuisance wildlife cost until the infestation is happening! Animal pest control requires trapping, removal, exclusions, and remediation. Don’t call your local exterminator. Trust your local wildlife experts at Trutech.
