1. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING
Prepared by: Jack Launius

3. RODENTS ARE A DIVERSE TYPE OF ANIMAL AND MANY
TYPES OF RODENTS ARE CONSIDERED PEST SPECIES. THE
MOST PARTICULAR OF THESE RODENT SPECIES ARE RATS
AND MICE. WHILE GOPHERS AND OTHER NON-
COMMENSAL RODENTS CAN BE INVASIVE AND OF LARGE
CONCERN, SOME OF THE MOST PROBLEMATIC
STRUCTURAL PESTS INCLUDE RATS AND MICE. SEVERAL
SPECIES OF RATS AND MICE ARE CONSIDERED
COMMENSAL PESTS BECAUSE OF THEIR DEPENDENCE AND
LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH HUMANS.

4. RODENT BIOLOGY, HEALTH AND DISEASE
PART 1. TYPES OF COMMENSAL RODENTS
• RODENTS ARE A DIVERSE TYPE OF ANIMAL AND MANY TYPES OF RODENTS
ARE CONSIDERED PEST SPECIES. THE MOST PARTICULAR OF THESE RODENT
SPECIES ARE RATS AND MICE. WHILE GOPHERS AND OTHER NON-COMMENSAL
RODENTS CAN BE INVASIVE AND OF LARGE CONCERN, SOME OF THE MOST
PROBLEMATIC STRUCTURAL PESTS INCLUDE RATS AND MICE. SEVERAL SPECIES
OF RATS AND MICE ARE CONSIDERED COMMENSAL PESTS BECAUSE OF THEIR
DEPENDENCE AND LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH HUMANS.

5. PART 1. TYPES OF COMMENSAL RODENTS continued
•BETWEEN RATS AND MICE, RATS ARE THE LARGER OF THE TWO
SPECIES. OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES CAN BE NOTED BETWEEN THEM
WITH REGARDS TO THEIR APPEARANCE AS WELL. A RAT PUP CAN BE
ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS AN ADULT MOUSE, MAKING
IDENTIFICATION DIFFICULT, BUT MICE HAVE MUCH SMALLER EARS
IN RELATION TO THEIR HEADS.

6. PART 1. TYPES OF COMMENSAL RODENTS (continued)
This could help to identify a caught rodent, but if there is still doubt
identification can be made by looking at the tail. Rats have a tail that
is longer than their bodies, especially in the young, but mice have a
tail that is almost always equal in length to their bodies.

8. • THE MORE COMMON SPECIES OF MOUSE ENCOUNTERED
IN HOMES IS THE HOUSE MOUSE (MUS DOMESTICS). WHILE
MICE USUALLY DON’T STRAY MORE THAN 10 – 30 FEET
FROM THE NEST ON AVERAGE, THEY CAN IN SOME CASES
GO AS FAR AS 50 FEET FOR FOOD. 50 FEET IS NOT
HOWEVER TYPICAL, AND WHEN MICE ARE ENTERING A
STRUCTURE IT CAN USUALLY BE TRACED BACK WITH THE
ENTRY POINT VERY CLOSE TO THE AREAS OF ACTIVITY.

9. • MICE LIVING WITHIN A STRUCTURE ARE MORE
COMPLICATED HOWEVER, AND CAREFUL DISTINCTIONS
SHOULD BE MADE AS TO THE CURRENT LEVEL, AND TYPE OF
ACTIVITY. MICE, UNLIKE RATS, DO NOT REQUIRE A WATER
SOURCE. MICE RECEIVE WATER FROM THE FOOD THEY EAT
AND ARE SUSTAINED EVEN FROM THE DRIEST FOODS. THIS
IS WHY LIQUID RODENT BAITS FOR MICE ARE ILL-ADVISED
SOLUTIONS.

10. • RATS ON THE OTHER HAND REQUIRE
WATER CONSTANTLY AND LIQUID
BAITS CAN BE A BENEFICIAL TOOL FOR
THEIR CONTROL. INTERIOR
TREATMENTS FOR THE HOUSE MOUSE
SHOULD FOCUS ON TRAPPING THE
MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION,
REMOVING FOOD SOURCES, AND
EXCLUDING AREAS OF ENTRY INTO
THE STRUCTURE.

12. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

14. •IN THE CASE OF MICE LIVING INSIDE OF A STRUCTURE
THE MOST REASONABLE AND LEAST INTRUSIVE
METHOD FOR CONTROL IS TRAPPING. PROPERLY
PLACED TRAPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH AND
ELIMINATE THE ENTIRE POPULATION. ONLY IN RARE
CASES IS FUMIGATION EVER REQUIRED. FUMIGATIONS
SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR THOSE RARE CASES THAT IT
IS APPROPRIATE, AND NECESSARY.

15. There are two types of rats common in Southern California
and they typically tend to be the most common in the
world. Norway rats are relatively large blunt nosed rodents
that most often make burrows outside, with food and
harborage close by. Roof rats on the other hand are slightly
smaller, forage much larger areas, and have pointed noses.
The forage area for Norway rats is roughly 100 – 300 feet
from their nest with roof rats foraging up to 450 ft.

16. •NORWAY RATS ARE OFTEN SEEN OR FOUND
CLOSER TO THE GROUND WHERE THEY MAKE
THEIR BURROWS BUT ROOF RATS CAN BE SEEN IN
ALL AREAS FROM THE GROUND TO THE ROOFLINE,
AND IN TREES. BAIT STATION AND TRAP
PLACEMENT MAY DIFFER SUCH AS IS THE CASE
WHEN BAIT STATIONS ARE PLACED CLOSE TO
NORWAY RAT BURROWS.

17. BAIT STATIONS ARE MOST
EFFECTIVE WHEN PLACED
BETWEEN FOOD AND
HARBORAGE. THEREFORE,
PLACEMENT SHOULD BE MADE
ONLY AFTER A THOROUGH
ASSESSMENT OF THE
PROPERTY IS MADE

18. While bait stations can be effective alone for Norway rats,
baiting the individual burrows is sometimes helpful. The
burrows are essentially where the rats live, and filling their
burrows with tracking powder eliminates them at their source.
The product works very simplistically. As rats lick the product
off of themselves, they ingest it, and it contains a poison. They
can’t avoid it because it’s in their burrow.

19. NORWAY RATS HAVE MUCH LARGER LITTERS THAN ROOF
RATS AND HOUSE MICE. THEIR LITTERS ARE ON AVERAGE
8-12 PUPS, BUT HOUSE MICE AVERAGE 4-7 AND ROOF
RATS AVERAGE 4-8. RATS IN GENERAL HAVE 4-7 LITTERS
PER YEAR FOR ROOF RATS AND 4-8 LITTERS PER YEAR FOR
NORWAY RATS. TREATING THE BURROWS HELPS WITH
THE YOUNGER RATS SINCE THEY TEND TO STAY WITH THE
MOTHER UNTIL THEY REACH MATURITY.

20. 2. RODENT
SPECIFIC
BIOLOGY.
•ALL 3 SPECIES OF COMMENSAL
RODENTS ARE THIGMOTACTIC.
THIGMOTAXIS IS WHEN AN
ORGANISM USES TOUCH TO IDENTIFY
ITS PATH OR DIRECTION. AS A RESULT
OF RODENTS BEING THIGMOTACTIC
THEY CAN BE FOUND MOVING ALONG
VERTICAL SURFACES SUCH AS WALLS.

21. TRAPS SHOULD THEREFORE MOST OFTEN BE
PLACED ALONG THESE VERTICAL SURFACES
INSIDE, AND BAIT STATIONS CAN BE PLACED
ALONG EXTERIOR WALLS AND FENCES FOR
ENHANCED LEVELS OF CONTROL.
RODENTS CAN BE FOUND MOVING ALONG VERTICAL SURFACES SUCH AS WALLS

23. RATS RARELY FORAGE AWAY FROM THE AREAS NEAR
WALLS AND OTHER AREAS THEY PROVIDE THE TOUCH
STIMULUS. WHEN THEY DO FORAGE AWAY FROM
WALLS AND OTHER AREAS WHERE THEY CAN TOUCH,
IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A FAMILIARITY
WITH THE AREA.
IN THIS CASE HOWEVER SETTING TRAPS IN AN AREA AWAY FROM VERTICAL SURFACES
SUCH AS THE CENTER OF A ROOM IS STILL ILL-ADVISED. THOSE TRAPS PLACED OPENLY
IN THE CENTER OF AN OPEN AREA ARE LESS LIKELY TO CATCH ANYTHING.

24. Rats and mice can squeeze through
seemingly unbelievable spaces. Many
believe this is the result of bendable
bones. (Not true) Mice have cartilage
in place of bones
Rats actually have normal bones that
don't flex or bend

25. • RATS AND MICE INSTEAD USE THEIR
WHISKERS TO IDENTIFY WHICH HOLES THEIR
BODY CAN FIT THROUGH. IN GENERAL, IF
THEIR HEADS FIT, THEIR BODIES FIT.
RATS CAN GENERALLY GET THROUGH A HOLE
AS SMALL AS ½ INCH.
MICE HOLES AS SMALL AS ¼ INCH.

26. If rats and mice can fit their nose into
a hole and gnaw or chew at that hole
they will do so until their entire head
fits. With their entire head through
and whiskers free they know that the
rest of their body can fit.
In rare cases rats can get stuck
however. This is the result of a larger
than normal body that occurs as a
result of over eating.

27. RATS ALSO CHEW REGULARLY ON ITEMS OF LITTLE
CONSEQUENCE TO THEM SUCH AS ELECTRICAL WIRES,
AND PREFER FOOD THAT IS CRUNCHY SUCH AS DOG
AND CAT FOOD. THIS CREATES AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM
FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS WITH PETS, BUT LIKEWISE AN
OBVIOUS IPM MINDED CONTROL SOLUTION.
CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTROL THE ACCESS THAT RODENTS MAY
HAVE TO ANY KIND OF ANIMAL FEED.

28. THIS IS OFTEN ACCOMPLISHED BY EMPTYING AND
PUTTING AWAY ANIMAL FEEDING BOWLS, AND
STORING THE INVENTORY IN RAT PROOF
CONTAINERS.
•CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTROL THE ACCESS THAT RODENTS
MAY HAVE TO ANY KIND OF ANIMAL FEED.

29. DOG AND CAT FOOD USUALLY COMES IN PAPER BAGS THAT
RODENTS CAN EASILY EAT THEIR WAY INTO, THEREFORE
STORAGE INSIDE OF A METAL CABINET OR TRANSFERRING
THE FOOD TO A METAL TRASH CAN WITH A LID IS HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED.
•RODENTS ARE FORCED TO SHARPEN AND FILE DOWN THEIR TEETH
AS THEIR TEETH CONTINUE TO GROW THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE
CYCLE. THIS MAKES CRUNCHY ITEMS SUCH AS DOG AND CAT FOOD
HIGHLY DESIRABLE TO RODENTS.

30. PART 3. HEALTH CONCERNS
•RODENTS ALSO POSE SEVERE HEALTH CONCERNS.
THE FIRST OF WHICH INVOLVES ALLERGENS. SOME
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE URINE OF MICE
CAN CAUSE ASTHMA AND OTHER SIMILAR
CONDITIONS.

31. SIMILAR THEORIES EXIST IN REGARDS TO RODENT
DROPPINGS, AND HAIRS. NO SPECIFIC STUDY IS CITED
HERE HOWEVER IN REGARDS TO HAIRS AND
DROPPINGS. MANY PEOPLE HOWEVER DO HAVE
ALLERGIES TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANIMAL HAIRS
INCLUDING DOG, CAT, RABBIT, AND OTHERS.
IT SEEMS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THEN THAT ALLERGIES TO HAIRS
FOUND ON RODENTS, AND LEFT BEHIND MAY CAUSE SOME TYPE OF
ALLERGY IN SOME PEOPLE.

32. CLEANING, AND SANITATION IS CONSIDERED THE MOST VIABLE
SOLUTION IN CASES OF BELIEVED ALLERGEN PRESENCE IN
ADDITION TO REMOVING THE RODENT PROBLEM.
RODENTS CAN ALSO CARRY MANY TYPES OF DISEASES,
BACTERIA, AND VIRUSES. THE FIRST OF WHICH IS HANTAVIRUS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL HANTAVIRUS STRAINS, BUT THE ONE OF
MOST IMPORTANCE IS REFERRED TO AS HPS, HANTAVIRUS
PULMONARY SYNDROME.

33. HPS HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE INSTANCES,
SUCH AS A STRING OF CASES IN 1993 NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS
STATES WHERE IT WAS REFERRED TO AS THE "SIN NOMBRE" VIRUS,
OR IN 2012 WHERE A CAMPSITE AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK SAW
SEVERAL CAMPERS BECOME ILL AS A RESULT OF THE VIRUS
• BEFORE THE INCIDENT IN 1993 HANTAVIRUS HADN'T BEEN FOUND IN THE UNITED
STATES, BUT UPON FURTHER REVIEW IT WAS DETERMINED THAT EARLIER CASES DID
EXIST, BUT WERE SIMPLY UNIDENTIFIED OR MISIDENTIFIED. HANTAVIRUS STRAINS
HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY FOUND IN EUROPE, BUT THE AMERICAN STRAINS AFFECT
THE LUNGS, AND THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM WHILE EUROPEAN STRAINS CAUSE
HEMORRHAGIC FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME (HFRS).

34. HANTAVIRUS IS ZOONOTIC, WHICH MEANS THAT IT
IS A PATHOGEN SPREAD FROM ANIMALS TO PEOPLE.
IT HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN CAPABLE OF
TRANSFERRING FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN, AND THE
HIPS CAUSING STRAIN IS VERY LIMITED IN WHICH
SPECIES OF RODENTS CAN BE CARRIERS.
THE PRIMARY HOST OF THE HIPS PATHOGEN IS THE DEER MOUSE
WHILE OTHER SPECIES HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED, BUT EITHER CARRIED
DIFFERENT STRAINS, OR WERE UNCONFIRMED CARRIERS.

35. THE COMMENSAL RODENT SPECIES SUCH AS THE
HOUSE MOUSE, ROOF RAT, AND NORWAY RAT
HAVE NOT BEEN SHOWN TO CARRY THE STRAIN
THAT CAUSES HPS, BUT THE NORWAY RAT HAS
BEEN SHOWN TO CARRY OTHER STRAINS THAT
CAN CAUSE HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS AND RENAL
FAILURE. THEREFORE, LIMITING EXPOSURE OF
THESE COMMENSAL RODENTS IS IMPORTANT.

36. EXPOSURE TO RODENT FECES, URINE, BLOOD
AND SALIVA ARE THE MOST COMMON MEANS
OF TRANSFER FROM RODENT TO HUMAN FOR
HANTAVIRUS. THE BEST METHOD OF
CONTROLLING EXPOSURE THEREFORE COMES
FROM CONTROLLING THE RODENT PROBLEM
AND DECONTAMINATING SUSPECTED AREAS.

37. PEOPLE AND ANIMALS SHOULD STAY AWAY
FROM SUSPECTED AREAS OF INFESTATION UNTIL CURRENT
ACTIVITY CAN BE RULED OUT AND THE ENTIRE AREA
PROPERLY SANITIZED. HANTAVIRUS GENERALLY DIES
OUTSIDE OF THE BODY OF RODENTS WITHIN 48 HOURS,
THEREFORE REMOVING ACTIVE RODENT
POPULATIONS BECOMES IMPORTANT, AND
SUSTAINED SANITATION ADDS A SECOND LEVEL OF
CONTROL IN THE CASE OF UNKNOWN
RECURRING INFESTATIONS.

39. LEPTOSPIROSIS IS ANOTHER CONDITION
THAT IS CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO A
SPECIFIC PATHOGEN. IN THIS CASE,
BACTERIA FROM THE GENUS
LEPTOSPIRA ARE WHAT CAUSE THE
ILLNESS. LEPTOSPIROSIS HAS BEEN
SHOWN TO CAUSE MENINGITIS WHICH
IS A TYPE OF SWELLING AROUND THE
BRAIN STEM. IT CAN ALSO CAUSE LIVER
FAILURE, KIDNEY DAMAGE, AND
RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.
THESE
CONDITIONS
ARE ALL
SERIOUS AND
CAN LEAD TO
DEATH.

40. “
”
THE BACTERIA IS USUALLY SPREAD BY
CONTACT WITH RODENT URINE, BUT IF THE
CONTAMINATION SPREADS TO PETS, OR
LIVESTOCK INFECTION CAN OCCUR AS A
RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO THE URINE OF
OTHERWISE DOMESTICATED ANIMALS.
SOME PETS CAN BE VACCINATED, AND IN CASES WHERE THIS IS APPROPRIATE IT IS RECOMMENDED.
REMOVAL OF RODENTS, AND RODENT EVIDENCE IS SUGGESTED, BUT CARE
SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH WATER SUPPLIES THAT MAY BE CONTAMINATED, AND
SURFACES THAT CAN HAVE RODENT URINE ON THEM

41. •WATER SOURCES HOWEVER DO BECOME CONTAMINATED, AS WELL
AS FOOD PREPARATION SURFACES, AND DINNERWARE AS A RESULT
OF RODENTS CROSSING THEM. THIS MEANS THAT INFECTION IS
ALSO COMMON FROM INGESTION.

42. PROPER DISINFECTION TECHNIQUES INCLUDE THE USE OF SANITIZERS,
AND MAY REQUIRE A LOT OF SCRUBBING AND ‘ELBOW GREASE'.
CONTAMINATED WATER AND FOOD OR FEED SHOULD BE DISCARDED
AND NOT USED.
• LARGER WATER SOURCES SUCH AS LAKES, RIVERS AND PONDS ARE BEYOND THE
SCOPE OF PEST CONTROL TECHNICIANS AND NOT MENTIONED HERE.

43. RAT BITE FEVER IS ANOTHER CONDITION ASSOCIATED
WITH RODENT INFESTATIONS. IN SPITE OF THE NAME
IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE RESULT OF A BITE FROM A
RODENT. IT CAN ALSO OCCUR AS A RESULT OF
CONSUMING CONTAMINATED FOOD AND WATER.

44. STREPTOBACILLI
RBF IS ONE OF THE
TWO TYPES OF RAT
BITE FEVER AND
HAS AN ONSET AT
ABOUT 3-10 DAYS,
BUT IN SOME
CASES WON’T
SHOW FOR UP TO 3
WEEKS.
• THIS MAKES A DIAGNOSIS MORE
DIFFICULT, SINCE THE ORIGINAL
EXPOSURE MAY NOT BE
REMEMBERED. STREPTOBACILLARY
RBF IS THE TYPE MOST ASSOCIATED
WITH ACHES AND PAINS.

45. THE SECOND TYPE IS SPIRILLARY RBF WHICH HAS
SYMPTOMS APPEARING WITHIN 7-21 DAYS.
• SPIRILLARY RBF IS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH SWELLING AROUND THE BITE OR
WOUND, ULCERS IN THE INFECTED AREA, AND A FEVER THAT MAY COME AND
GO.
Rat bite fever however is not a major medical concern
and is rarely diagnosed in the United States.

46. PART 4. INSECT DISEASE VECTORS AND OTHER
SECONDARY PESTS
•WHILE MANY INSECTS ARE CONSIDERED VECTORS OF DISEASE,
FLEAS ARE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE WITH REGARDS TO RATS.
RATS, AND SEVERAL OTHER URBAN ANIMAL SPECIES ARE KNOWN
CARRIERS OF THE BACTERIA THAT CAUSES ENDEMIC TYPHUS,
SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS MURINE TYPHUS (RICKETTSIA
TYPHUS).

47. AS RATS ENTER A STRUCTURE OR SOMETIMES NEST
CLOSE TO IT, THEY BRING FLEAS WITH THEM.
•THE FLEAS THEN ENTER THE STRUCTURE, OR GET ONTO THOSE
THAT COME OUTSIDE. THESE FLEAS THAT GET ONTO UNSUSPECTING
PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN CONTRACTED THE TYPHUS CAUSING BACTERIA
AND CAN SPREAD IT TO THOSE UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE.

48. THE INFECTION GENERALLY OCCURS WHEN FECAL
MATTER FROM FLEAS GETS INTO A FLEA BITE, OR
THROUGH THE SKIN IN SOME OTHER WAY.
•MANY PEOPLE SCRATCHING THE BITES DON'T REALIZE THEY ARE
INFECTING THEMSELVES BY FORCING THE FECAL MATTER INTO
THESE AREAS. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE HEADACHES, FEVERS, MUSCLE
PAIN, JOINT PAIN, NAUSEA AND VOMITING. SOME PEOPLE WILL
DEVELOP RASHES AND NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS SUCH AS CONFUSION.
THESE SYMPTOMS CAN CAUSE A MISDIAGNOSIS SINCE THEY
RESEMBLE OTHER SIMILAR, AND DISSIMILAR CONDITIONS.

49. PLAGUE IS ANOTHER BACTERIAL CONDITION OFTEN
CONTRACTED FROM FLEAS THAT ARE BROUGHT ONTO A
PROPERTY OR INTO A STRUCTURE BY INFECTED
ANIMALS SUCH AS RATS. THIS CAN HOWEVER BE MORE
TROUBLESOME BECAUSE IF PNEUMONIA DEVELOPS IN A
HUMAN HOST THE CONDITION CAN THEN BE SPREAD
FROM PERSON TO PERSON.

52. In many cases rodents continue to bring more of these
insects, and a less than complete rodent control plan may
provide for an ongoing infestation of secondary pests.
Therefore, thorough exclusion is recommended, removal
of all nesting material, and at least one application of a
proper miticide.
If mite infestations continue it is more likely that an
exclusion plan has failed, or nesting material was left
behind. The application of the miticide is to give clients
immediate relief, and is not a complete solution by itself.

53. • You have completed the course.
• You are ready to take the quiz and receive your credit.