Which Rodent Do I Have? A Colorado Springs Field Guide
The Pikes Peak region has more kinds of rodent trouble than most cities. Part of town is high plains grassland, part is pine forest, and part is rocky foothills, and each one brings its own animals. Knowing which one you have makes the call faster and the fix more likely to work.
This guide sorts them by what you'll actually find.
In the kitchen, walls or basement
Small droppings about the size of a grain of rice, chewed food bags, light scratching at night: that's mice. If the house is near open land, the pines or the foothills, some of them may be deer mice, which Utah State Extension describes as brown to gray with a white belly and a furry tail. Treat droppings carefully. See mouse removal and deer mouse control.
In the shed, garage or engine
A pile of sticks, pine needles and shiny junk with a strong smell nearby points to a pack rat. CPW says woodrats collect objects and like shiny ones. If it's just droppings and chewed bags in the garage, it's probably mice. See pack rat removal and mice and pack rats in vehicles.
Under the shed, the slab or the compost
Burrows along a foundation, bigger droppings and gnawed trash cans suggest Norway rats. CSU Extension's experts call them common in Colorado. See rat control.
In the lawn and garden
Runways and open holes are voles. Plugged dirt mounds are pocket gophers. Bark chewed low on shrubs is usually voles. The voles vs. pocket gophers guide goes into detail.
Still not sure
Take photos of droppings next to a coin, the nest, the holes or the damage, and describe where you found them when you call. The provider will sort it out on the visit.
- Where you found the signs
- How big the droppings are
- Whether there's a nest, and what it's made of
- How long it's been going on
Questions people ask
Do you handle squirrels, prairie dogs or raccoons?
No. This line handles mice, rats, pack rats, voles and pocket gophers. For other wildlife, call a wildlife company.