What is a rodent?
Rodents are considered one of the largest and most successful order groups of mammals making up nearly 40% of all mammal species. They are characterised by a single pair of continuously growing incisors both their upper and lower jaws.
Forming the order Rodentia, they include but are not limited to: mice, rats, squirrels, hamsters.
Rabbits and hares used to be classified within this group of mammals but because they have two extra incisors in their upper jaw, they are now classified into a separate order.
There are 17 types of rodents in the UK, some are protected species, others are regarded to be vermin.
Mice
- Hazel dormouse,
- Edible dormouse,
- Harvest mouse
- Wood mouse
- Yellow-necked mouse
- House mouse
Mice are a part of British wildlife – but when they take up residence with you, they can be a cause for concern. Mice often get into your house to seek shelter from outdoor conditions and gain a supply of food. Although they are not typically dangerous, mice spread nasty diseases – such as Salmonella and Listeria – to humans through their urine, droppings and bedding.
Mice have a need to mark their territory with their urine and due to their sporadic eating habits, build nests near food sources. This puts anyone with an infestation at risk of food poisoning. As they scurry around, they carry dirt and bacteria with them, transferring it to your counter tops, cabinets, pantry and anywhere else they travel.
These nibbling nuisances can also cause a lot of property damage, due to their compulsive need to gnaw to maintain their teeth at a constant length. Electric cables, water and gas pipes, packaging and woodwork may all be seriously damaged by mice – many instances of electrical fires and floods have been attributed to them.
It is common for mice to have litters only 25 days apart with up to 14 pups, a single nest will be home for 12 to 24 mice before some are pushed out to find their own home.
Rats
- Brown rat
- Black r
at
Both Species are in the UK, the most common is the Brown rat, the Black or ship rat is now rarely found. The British rat population boomed by 25% in 2020, bringing the total to 150m. And owing to the speed with which rats breed, a minor incursion that is not dealt with fast can soon become a major infestation.
One pair can have between five and eight litters per year with the female giving birth to a litter of between three and 14 young (the average is about six to eight).
Many people own and enjoy pet rats. However, pet rats, even when they look clean and healthy, can carry germs that can make people sick, infections that can transmit to humans include leptospirosis, hantavirus, rat bite fever and a type of meningitis caused by a virus called lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV).
Rats are nocturnal with most activity taking place between approximately one half hour after sunset to about one half hour before sunrise but they are increasingly becoming bolder, often with sightings during the day.
Voles
- Bank vole,
- Skomer vole,
- Field vole,
- Common vole,
- Guernsey vole,
- Orkney vole,
- Water vole
Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters and not regarded to be vermin.
Squirrels
- Red squirrel,
- Grey squirrel
The ever-popular red squirrel has been in decline since the early 20th century and has dwindled to an estimated population of only 140,000. This compares to the 2.5 million strong North American grey squirrel pushing it out of most areas since its introduction to the UK.
Grey squirrels are an invasive species of pest rodents in the UK. According to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to release a grey squirrel in the wild once it is caught.
The most common problem associated with grey squirrels is their ability to take up residence in people’s homes. They associate holes in eaves, soffits and roofs with a tree cavity, their natural nests, and move right in. Once inside, they consider it theirs, and they can be very difficult to get rid of and cause structural damage.
Beavers
- Eurasian beaver
The Eurasian beaver is native to Britain and used to be widespread in England, Wales and Scotland, but was never known from Ireland. They became extinct in the 16th century, mainly because of hunting for their fur, meat and ‘castoreum’, a secretion used in perfumes, food and medicine.
The UK was comparatively slower to reintroduce beavers, with the first official reintroduction taking place in Kent in 2002. Since then, many approved animals have been released into enclosures across the country, but there have also been unlicensed releases into the wild dating back at least 20 years.
Beavers are to be given legal protection in England, meaning it will be illegal to kill or harm them as they are formally recognised as native wildlife.