The only mouse that we like is Mickey Mouse; all others are not welcome in our environment.

There are three rodents that are commonly found in and around the home: the house mouse, the Norway and roof/black rats. These rodents are not only a nuisance, they damage or destroy materials by gnawing, they eat and contaminate stored food; they are also of human health importance as disease carriers or vectors of disease.

Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)

However, the lifestyles of rodents are such that they are constantly associated with unsanitary habitats, such as sewers, which makes them a prime candidate for spreading disease. Diseases such as murine typhus, salmonella (food poisoning), rat-bite fever and the plague "Black Death," are still transmitted by rodents and have accounted for the death of more than 20 million people.

Economic losses related to food and structural damage, by in large, make up the primary losses resulting from rodent damage today. It is estimated that rodents eat or contaminate enough food every year to feed 200 million people. They gnaw or chew on wiring and utility pipes resulting in damage from fire, flooding and power outages that can affect today's high-tech oriented society. A rodent that finds its way into your house or your computer can result in a damage costing literally hundreds of dollars.