Rodents
Rodents
Mice
Mice are a big problem in Mississippi. The frequent storms we have, push the creatures inside buildings. They crawl through walls and attics and are known to tear up mattresses, furniture, cloth, and wood to use for their nests. They also spread Hantavirus
which can result in a horrible pulmonary syndrome. Mississippi State University
researchers say if you see signs of a mouse, like holes chewed in the walls or in cardboard boxes, but haven't actually seen a rodent, you may have as many as 100 on the premises. If you see a mouse occasionally scurrying across your floors or countertops at night, it's a sign there could be 100-500 in the area.
The difficulty in knowing how many mice are involved in the infestation makes it difficult for home and business owners to take care of the problem on their own. If just a few are left behind, the problem will only return in full force after a week or so.
Rats
There are two main types of rats in Mississippi: The Norway Rat and the Roof Rat. Norway Rats are very large and typically burrow underground. They are also called Sewer Rats, because they crawl through gutters, and even enter homes and businesses through toilets. Roof Rats are comparatively smaller and often sneak into attics or upper levels of floors. They enter your home in search of shelter, water, and food.
Both types of rats have front incisors that grow nonstop, and they chew on things in your homes like wood, wiring, and insulation to file the teeth down. Rats can become violent if their food supply is limited—their aggression not just towards people, but also toward each other. They are known to spread over 35 different diseases, which can be transmitted through bites and by coming in contact with feces, urine, and saliva. They breed quickly, with a single pair able to produce as many as 2,000 pups a year.
Squirrels
Mississippi is home to two main types of squirrels: Fox and Gray. Both are so overpopulated that the state encourages hunting them. Squirrels are known to sneak into attics, where their gnawing quickly creates a problem. They'll chew holes in wooden boards and supports, and nip at electrical wires, putting your home at risk of fire. If a mother is protecting her young in your home, she can be vicious if she feels her babies are threatened. The rodents can bite faster than a snake, plunge bacteria deep into your tissue which makes the wound challenging to clean. Infections develop quickly and can result in significant illnesses. If the bacteria enter the tissue near a bone, it can spread to the bone itself or cause septic arthritis, an infection of the joint. You can also get tetanus, rabies, plague, leptospirosis, and tularemia from squirrel bites.
Groundhogs
The groundhog population is on the rise in Oxford. Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks. They're one of 14 species of marmots and are part of the squirrel family. They spend their summers feasting and building up fat reserves and then hibernating through the winter in long, elaborate burrows. They've also been known to climb trees and can swim if needed. When they are in their fat-building season, they are bad news for gardeners and landscaping. Groundhogs
feast on grasses, plants, fruits, and tree bark, and can decimate entire fields if given a chance. What's more, their burrows can cause erosion and undermine buildings' stability by digging around their foundations. These creatures are difficult to catch. Their burrows can be 20 feet deep and more than 60 feet long, with many different tunnelways involved. If they're frightened, they'll simply run back inside. That may be the better option, though; if they feel threatened, they may lash out with a powerful bite.
General Rodents
There are 22 different varieties of rodents in Mississippi, ranging from the native chipmunk to the invasive nutria. Each of them is known as a significant disease carrier.
Rodents are crafty creatures and will eat anything nutritious they can find. You'll often see them rummaging around garbage bins and outside restaurants searching for scraps. During the coronavirus pandemic, things got so bad that the CDC
put out a statement warning that rodent activity increased as the animals came out searching for new food. Reports of "unusual or aggressive rodent behavior" went up. If rodents feel trapped, they'll lunge out with their gigantic teeth. Those teeth can be used for other damage, too. They are known to wreak havoc on crops and vegetable gardens; chew through electric wires; rip open food sacks, storage bins, and seed bags; and gnaw on wooden supports and insulation inside homes and businesses. A single rodent can do significant damage and the varmints reproduce quickly, pumping out multiple litters a year.
