You see the brown fur scamper under the kitchen counter, you scream and grab the nearest broom. After chasing your uninvited guest around the house you call a pest control expert to come in and rid you of your new rodent roomies.

Problem solved right??

The most common mouse to invade the home is the house mouse. This 3-4 in. rodent can be light gray to light brown and anything in between. The tail is usually as long as its body, it has large ear,s and a pointy nose. These features can help distinguish a mouse from a immature rat, which has small ears and a blunt nose.

The word rodent is from a Latin word for gnawing. This is something that all rodents do, in fact their classification in the animal kingdom is based on gnawing. With their chisel-like teeth, they can cut through bark, nutshells, the walls of your house, and even cinder blocks (although only by certain rats). All rodents are similar in design but different in size and abilities. For example, some mice can get through a hole as small as a dime and some rats can swim up through the water trap in a toilet.