Most Common Rodents in Utah County
By April • Sep 7th 2023
Rodents, as a whole, reproduce very quickly. This makes it even more crucial to get a professional pest control company like Thorn to tackle the problem before it gets out of control. It’s important to be on the lookout for what common rodents you could see in Utah County. Here are a few you may spot on your property:
Squirrels
Squirrels can be cute, and your dog may love to chase them, but they can wreak havoc on your attic. You would probably recognize the American Red Squirrel by its fluffy tail. However, another common squirrel in Utah County is the Uinta ground squirrel, also known as the potgut. These chubby rodents have small, thin tails and are found in northern Utah County. Their coloring ranges from brown to reddish color. They can bite and carry diseases such as typhus and ringworm.
Mice
Tapping in the ceiling and scratching noises in your walls? Unfortunately, it’s not Santa Claus. The creature you hear stirring is probably a mouse. If you see one mouse, it’s likely not alone. There could be dozens more eating through your home, making nests and having lots and lots of babies.
A few types of mice can be found in Utah County. Mice are eager to eat through your walls, insulation, and food supply. They’re sneaky and hard to spot because they typically hide during the day and feast during the night. You might only see them darting out of the corner of your eye or find their droppings along your baseboards
Mice are destructive to your home and can be dangerous to your family’s health. They carry a multitude of diseases. Just coming into contact with things like urine, droppings or nesting material can result in infection.
The most common mice in Utah County are deer mice, field mice and house mice. Deer mice are small and round. Field mice are large and have hairless tails, which means they can be mistaken for rats. House mice, meanwhile, have hairless tails and rounded ears. They are highly adaptable and feed more than 20 times a day.
There’s no need to try and get close enough to measure a mouse and catalog its features. Call Thorn instead. Our team of pest control experts will be able to identify the type of mouse behind your infestation and use science-backed methods to stop it.
Rats
There are three types of rats you can find in Utah County. The first, pack rats, are a bit like the ravens of the rodent world. They’ll take your shiny objects and leave a pebble in its place. This is why they’re also called trade rats. They then take those treasures and use them to decorate their nests. While this sounds like a fable, it’s not. Not only will these rats damage the structure of your house — they could make off with precious family heirlooms!
Another rat you may spot in your home is a Norway rat. These rats are an invasive species in North America. Also known as the brown rat, the house barn rat, the sewer rat, the gray rat and the wharf rat, they weigh about a pound and have coarse brown fur. The last type of rat you may spot is a roof rat, which has large, hairless ears.
Like mice, rats also carry diseases. You don’t want to get close to them. In addition to the danger of coming into contact with droppings or nests, the size of rats and their teeth and claws could create a potentially dangerous situation if you try to confront them yourself.
Voles
Voles are sometimes referred to as meadow mice. These critters have short tails and small ears. They can easily be mistaken for a gopher when they’re bigger. These burrowers won’t target your house, but they will tear up your lawn and garden. Although you might not see them because they’re underground, female voles can produce up to 50 offspring a year, multiplying your problems.
Don’t Let Rodents Become a Bigger Problem
When you spot a rodent in your home, you already have an infestation. Rodents in Utah County don’t like being in the open daylight. If you’ve seen one, many more are probably lurking around.
Mice, rats and other rodents will tear through your home and can spread dangerous diseases to your family.
They’re nefarious for multiplying quickly, which means swift action is crucial. At Thorn, our team of experts can identify which rodent is in your home, find how they’re getting in, locate the nest and draft a plan to eliminate the infestation effectively. You don’t have to anxiously wonder when you’re going to see one slipping around a corner or investigating your cupboards.
The best plan is always prevention. After the rodents are eliminated, Thorn in Utah County will work with you to ensure they won’t return. Contact us today to get started on your custom strategy for a rodent-free home!
About Thorn
Thorn is a Utah local pest management company. We are a QualityPro certified company which is a prestigious accreditation awarded too less than 3% of the pest management companies in the US.
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About Thorn
Thorn is a Utah local pest management company. We are a QualityPro certified company which is a prestigious accreditation awarded too less than 3% of the pest management companies in the US.