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The 3 most common rodents in residential/commercial properties are the house mouse (Mus domesticus/muculus), Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), and roof rat (Rattus rattus). They are commensal rodents - "commensal" meaning to "share the table." Rats and Mice look for warmth, cover from predators, food, and nesting materials which we create for them. Those habitats include houses, gardens, food stores, garbage dump, etc...
The word rodent comes from the word "to gnaw." They have a very powerful front incisor teeth that gnaw on a wide range of items and objects. The front teeth are harder than iron a are seen to chew through wood, aluminum sheathing, sheet rock, soft cement, asphalt, and soft metals such as lead and copper. Rats and Mice gnaw into tree trunks to nest and chew through roots to get food and water. Their front teeth are constantly growing and they are constantly gnawing which can cause significant damage in structures. They can chew wires, pipes, gas lines that can cause serious damage relative to fires and explosions. Rats and Mice also are burrowers which can damage structures directly or indirectly from building tunnels under/below streets, sidewalks, basement foundations, retaining wall, and the like.
The excrement of Rats & Mice contain allergens that can trigger asthma and allergic rhinitis. Rats and Mice urinate and poop constantly and can result literally in thousands of spots where people may be in contact with. They also carry bacteria that may cause many diseases like breast cancer, food-bourne illness, salmonellosis, hantavirus, rabies and even the plague that are transmitted to fleas.
Rats and mice can fit through small holes and gaps so you want to make sure the whole building is sealed properly and constantly inspect. Rats and mice multiply in population in a rapid rate. Norway Rats and Roof Rats have litter sizes of 6-12 young and are capable of breeding all year around. In a study of house mice, one group of 24 mice multiplied to 2,000 mice after only 8 months. If you notice signs of a rat of mice infestation in your property in Los Angeles, contact Jacob Termite & Pest Control today.