Updated: Dec 26, 2022

Rodents are common home invaders in our world. Most rodents invade homes to look for food and shelter. Furthermore, they cause significant destruction to your property and are capable of transmitting diseases to occupants. To keep these stubborn creatures off, you need to ensure your house is adequately insulated and clean. In this article, we have outlined different types of rodents and more information about them.

Vole Rodents

Vole rodents are similar to field mice but have shorter tails, small eyes, and compact heavy bodies. Vole rodents have partially hidden ears. Furthermore, voles get 5 to 8 inches long with orange teeth prominent for gnawing stems and roots from plants. Voles are sometimes called meadow mice.

Voles dig circular tunnels with entrances of about 1 to 1.5 inches. They dig tunnels on driveways or around perimeter structures. On the ground, they chew through the grass to dig their tunnels. The damage they cause is easily visible. Soil containing vole tunnels is usually spongy upon stepping.

Voles are similar to mice but with longer snouts and are rarely spotted in the environment. Voles feed on plant stems and roots. Voles have a life expectancy of around six months. They can reproduce within the first 3 to 4 weeks. They give birth to a litter of about 3 to 6, but most born voles don’t make it past the first week.

To reduce vole infestation, first, you need to keep vegetation around your area short. Once voles start increasing in your home, the damage is extensive as they destroy trees and other plants. Voles are categorized into different groups. There are tundra voles, water voles, meadow voles, prairie voles, and voles found in only specific states.

Mole rodents

Mole rodents are commonly known as mole rats. Common types of mole rodents are blind mole rat, Damaraland mole-rat, and naked mole-rat. Mole rodents are known for their burrowing.

These rodents are generally small and grey. They grow 5 to 10 cm long, and most have long and tapering snouts. Most mole rodents lack ears, and their eyes are not that visible. They have broad and shovel-like protruding front teeth for digging.

Some of these rodents are social creatures, just like ants and bees. Mole colonies are complex since one female is crowned the queen. The rest of the members are workers in the territory. Workers have different characteristics, but most are adapted to tunneling while others are soldiers. Mole rodents have a sporadic social structure.

Gophers

Gophers are active creatures throughout the year. They feed on plants, grasses, small trees and shrubs, and vegetables like carrots and onions. Although they are active throughout the whole year, they prefer digging tunnels when the soil has good moisture content for digging.

Gophers’ tunnels have three sections; mounds, feeding tunnels, and the main tunnel. The mound is made of dirt from excess soil coming from the tunnel construction. Their lips close behind their front teeth to avoid swallowing dirt when digging. Gophers get water from the food they eat.

They use pouches in their cheeks to carry food to their caves which are used to store food. A typical gopher consumes around 60% of its body weight.

To control gophers, you need to use different methods of rodent control. Most of their damage goes undetected because it is mostly underground. Once you get signs of these rodents, take action immediately. Some methods you could use include traps, repellants, and chemicals.

Desert rodents

Hopping mice, kangaroo rats, and jerboa are adapted to similar desert environments. Their hind legs are developed for the desert. All these dig deep burrows and go drink water rarely. Most desert rodents get water from the food they eat.

Hopping mice are brown. The color fades downwards to white. These rodents have long tails. Jumping mice are an endangered species.

Jerboas are found in stony and sandy deserts. They avoid the heat by sheltering in their burrows. These rodents have temporary and permanent burrows. Permanent burrows have different entry points and are camouflaged.

Kangaroo rats are common in arid and semi-arid locations. They consume leaves, seeds, buds, stems, insects, and fruits. Kangaroo rats store excess food in their burrows and have bigger cheek pockets to store food. When the cheeks are emptied, special muscles return them to their standard size.

Final Words

Keeping your home safe from rodents is important. However, to effectively control these pests, you need to familiarize yourself with them to know the methods you can use to get rid of them.