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Rodents around the home: mice, rats and yard rodents

Exclusion is the most successful and permanent form of house mouse control, and it's the foundation for rats too: remove food and shelter, close entry points, then trap whatever is left inside.[2][1]

The short answer

  • Droppings and gnaw marks are usually the first signs of rodents, often before anyone sees a mouse or rat. Holes, mounds and runways in the yard point to other rodents; the section below matches each sign to the animal and its guide.[6]
  • Rodents can carry many diseases, and you can't tell whether one is infected by looking at it. Keep them out of the house, and clean up after them without stirring up dust.[6]
  • Seal every gap larger than 1/4 inch for mice; rats can get under a door with a 1/2-inch gap. Use metal, concrete or hardware cloth, not lightweight chicken wire.[2][1]
  • Snap traps are the safest, most effective and most economical way to trap rats; for mice, set traps close together near signs, since they seldom travel more than 30 feet from the nest.[1][2]
  • Store pet food in rodent-proof containers and feed pets only what they'll eat at one time.[1]
  • Never sweep or vacuum droppings: ventilate, soak with disinfectant for 5 minutes, then wipe up with gloves.[3]

Which rodent is it?

House mouse on a rug, small and gray-brown with large ears House Mouse Mus musculus The house mouse is a small, adaptable rodent that lives close to people in homes, schools and food businesses, eating and contaminating food, gnawing wiring and carrying disease. Norway rats, stocky brown rats, at the edge of water Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus The Norway rat, also called the brown or sewer rat, is a large, burrowing rat found throughout the contiguous United States wherever people live. Roof rat climbing a branch Roof Rat Rattus rattus The roof rat, also called the black or ship rat, is a sleek, agile climber that nests above ground in trees, ivy, attics and wall voids. Deer mouse showing its white belly and feet Deer Mouse Peromyscus species (shown: P. maniculatus) The deer mouse is a wild mouse with a white belly and a furred, two-toned tail that sometimes moves into cabins, sheds and homes. In the United States it spreads the most common hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe and potentially deadly lung disease, so the droppings and nests it leaves need careful cleanup. Eastern gray squirrel sitting upright on a lawn with a green nut held in its mouth and its bushy tail curled behind it Tree squirrels (eastern gray and fox squirrels) Sciurus species (shown: eastern gray squirrel, S. carolinensis) Tree squirrels such as the eastern gray squirrel and fox squirrel are bushy-tailed, daytime rodents. Around homes they raid fruit, nuts and bird feeders, dig up lawns and gardens, and chew their way into attics. Southern flying squirrel clinging head-up to a tree trunk at night, showing its gray-brown back, white belly, large dark eyes and flat tail Southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans The southern flying squirrel is a small, night-active squirrel that glides between trees on folds of skin. Most complaints come from homeowners with flying squirrels living in the house, where they get in through small holes around dormers, ridge vents, eaves and attic vents. Meadow vole, a stocky dark brown rodent with small eyes and short ears, at a burrow opening in sandy soil Voles (meadow mice) Microtus species (shown: meadow vole, M. pennsylvanicus) Voles, often called meadow mice, are small burrowing rodents that live in dense grass and ground cover. Their clearest sign is a maze of narrow surface runways, and they damage lawns, garden plants and the bark of young trees. Botta's pocket gopher, a tan, short-furred rodent with small eyes and ears, emerging from its burrow beside a fresh dirt mound Pocket gophers Thomomys and Geomys species (shown: Botta's pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae, listed by iNaturalist as Megascapheus bottae) Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents named for the fur-lined cheek pouches they use to carry food. They rarely come above ground, but a single gopher can ruin a garden quickly by eating roots and pulling plants into its tunnels. Eastern chipmunk perched on a moss-covered rock, showing the dark and pale stripes along its back and face and its reddish rump Eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus The eastern chipmunk is a small, striped ground squirrel that lives in woodland edges and around homes. Most problems are a nuisance, but many chipmunks burrowing near a house can undermine patios, stairs, retaining walls and foundations. Groundhog with grizzled gray-brown fur and a chunky body, sitting upright and facing the camera beside a rock Groundhog (woodchuck) Marmota monax The groundhog, or woodchuck, is a burrowing member of the squirrel family found across eastern and central North America. It feeds on garden vegetables and clover by day and digs extensive burrows that can undermine foundations, sidewalks and pools.

Which rodent is it? Start with the signs

CDC names droppings and gnaw marks as the two main signs of rodents indoors. Droppings are pointed at one end, often contain hair, and turn up in cabinets, drawers and other spots out of plain sight. To tell whether rodents are still active, clean the area safely and check whether new droppings appear.[6]

  • Droppings, gnawing or nests in the kitchen, pantry or walls: house mice or rats. Our mice or rats guide compares droppings, gnaw marks and size, and the mice and rats guides below give a full plan for each.[6][2][1]
  • Scurrying or gnawing in the attic: rats or squirrels. Roof rats can live in attics, and Penn State says flying squirrels are prone to nesting in attics because they are small. Penn State adds that eastern gray and flying squirrels are usually the culprits when squirrels damage a home, getting in through loose siding or vent screens. See how to get rid of squirrels in the attic.[1][14]
  • Runways through the grass linking open burrow holes about 1-1/2 to 2 inches across, with clipped grass and small droppings: voles. See how to get rid of voles.[8]
  • Fan-shaped or half-circle mounds of loose soil with the hole plugged off to one side: pocket gophers. See how to get rid of gophers.[9][10]
  • A hole about 2 inches across, often hidden by a stump, woodpile, basement or garage, with no dirt pile around it: chipmunks, which carry the soil away in their cheek pouches. See how to get rid of chipmunks.[11]
  • A burrow entrance 10 to 12 inches across with a large mound of dirt, along a fence row or stone wall, or by a foundation or tree base: a groundhog (woodchuck). See how to get rid of groundhogs.[16][15]
  • Chewed wires under the hood or a nest in the engine bay: rats commonly gnaw the insulation on engine wires. Our guide to keeping mice and rats out of cars and garages covers prevention and safe nest cleanup.[1]

Health risks: what the CDC says

Rats, mice and chipmunks are among the rodents CDC says carry many diseases. People can be infected by handling rodents, by touching their droppings, urine or saliva, by bites, or by breathing air or eating food contaminated with rodent waste. Rodents also carry ticks, mites and fleas that spread disease.[6]

CDC says rodent infestations in and around the home are the main reason these diseases spread to people, and the best prevention is to remove the food, water and shelter that draw them in.[6]

  • In the United States, the hantavirus that most often causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is spread by the deer mouse. Symptoms usually start 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent. Our hantavirus safety guide covers the CDC cleanup method in detail.[7]
  • Rodent diseases on CDC's list include leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, tularemia, hantavirus and lymphocytic choriomeningitis.[6]

Rodenticides and bait stations

  • All rodent baits are toxic to dogs and cats, and dead or dying rodents can poison pets and wildlife that eat them.[1]
  • Tamper-resistant bait stations are required where children, pets or other animals could reach bait.[1]
  • Trapping lets you see results and dispose of rodents, avoiding the odors of rodents that die inside walls after poisoning.[2]
  • Our snap trap guide covers bait, placement and how many traps to set. UC IPM notes that adult rodents often detect and avoid glue boards, and that glue boards shouldn't be used where children, pets or desirable wildlife can touch them; our glue trap page goes into the welfare questions.[2]
  • If you do use bait, our bait station guide covers the placement rules and how to keep it away from children and pets.[1][2]

Outside the house

  • Thin dense plantings, leaving at least 2 feet between shrubs and between shrubs and buildings, and trim tree limbs away from the roof.[1][4]
  • Look for burrows under compost piles, garbage cans and garden plants, and droppings around pet dishes.[1]
  • Ultrasonic and other electronic repellers aren't effective.[2][5]

Squirrels, groundhogs and chipmunks: check state rules first

Yard and attic rodents are often regulated wildlife, not just pests. Rules differ by state, so check your state's regulations before trapping or killing one.[13][15][12]

  • Fox and gray squirrels are usually classified as game animals. ICWDM notes it typically is not legal to kill tassel-eared squirrels and flying squirrels.[13][14]
  • Woodchucks are game animals or unprotected animals in most states. In Pennsylvania they are game animals, but game protection is removed when they damage personal property.[15][16]
  • Some states, such as Georgia and Arkansas, require a permit to kill non-game animals like chipmunks.[12]
  • Timing matters as well. Woodchucks breed in March and April, and the young are weaned by late June or early July. Woodchucks hibernate from about the end of October or early November until late February and March.[16]

Photo credits

Sources

  1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Rats (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/rats/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “House Mouse (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/house-mouse/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “How to Clean Up After Rodents.” www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/clean-up.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
  4. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Rats, Publication 74106 (revised June 2024).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnrats.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  5. Iowa State University Extension, “Ultrasonic Pest Control - Buyer Beware (reprints FTC release of May 3, 2001).” yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/article/2001/8-24-2001/ultrasonic.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Controlling Wild Rodent Infestations.” www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/index.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Hantavirus.” www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
  8. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Voles (Meadow Mice).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/voles/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
  9. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Pocket Gophers.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pocket-gophers/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
  10. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, “Pocket Gophers.” icwdm.org/species/rodents/pocket-gophers/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
  11. Penn State Extension, “Chipmunks.” extension.psu.edu/chipmunks (accessed 2026-11-10)
  12. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, “Chipmunks.” icwdm.org/species/rodents/chipmunks/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
  13. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, “Tree Squirrels.” icwdm.org/species/rodents/tree-squirrels/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
  14. Penn State Extension, “Tree Squirrels.” extension.psu.edu/tree-squirrels (accessed 2026-11-10)
  15. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, “Woodchucks.” icwdm.org/species/rodents/woodchucks/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
  16. Penn State Extension, “Woodchucks.” extension.psu.edu/woodchucks (accessed 2026-11-10)

Updated 2026-11-10. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.