How Long Do Rats & Mice Live?

Rats and mice can cause a variety of problems in a home, especially if they're uninvited guests and not kept as pets. This has led many people to wonder how long do rats and mice live for respectively? The answer to these questions can vary significantly depending on what you do to get rid of them, as well as several other factors.

There are a variety of ways that the pests can enter your home, such as through a chimney or any cracks in your walls. This is also true of any small holes that you may have; you could be surprised at how little wiggle room rats and mice will need to get into your house. Once they're in, they can then start causing problems relatively quickly.

This often leads to people asking how old mice can get, especially before they start causing issues, with the same question being extended to rats. As much of this can depend on whether you have a mouse or rat problem, it's worth looking at each individually.

There are also several ways to get rid of rodents, which is something that many of us will want to consider. 

Rats

How old rats can get can be a question that many homeowners consider, as they'll often think the pests will die out before they need to get rid of them. What many fail to recognize is that rats can reproduce at a rapid pace, with this often being much faster than how quickly they die.

When considering how old rats can get, it's worth noting that much of this can depend on the species of the rodent, as well as its overall condition. In the majority of cases, the pests will live for between one and two years, although it's not uncommon for them to live up to four years old.

The average lifespan of a rat is difficult to pinpoint, although this varies somewhat from state to state and species to species. Most notable, the brown rat averages about a 2 year lifespan, while the black rat lives to about a year. This is also affected significantly by its living conditions. If your home offers a high standard of living for the pests, then they could live for several more years, although it's relatively rare for many of them to live past three.

This is especially true if they have a large amount of access to food and water, which can continue extending their lifespan. This often results in many people wondering how long do rats live without access to food and water. Much of this can depend on their condition and a few other factors.

While there hasn't been conclusive data highlighting the exact amount of time they can live without finding food and water, many studies have suggested that this shouldn't be longer than two weeks. This doesn't mean that you can starve them out, however.

Rats can behave similarly to squirrels in many ways, with much of this being seen in the fact that they're known to store food. As a result, if you aim to tackle the issue this way, then you may see yourself making the problem worse, as they'll continue to reproduce while trying to find more food.

The pests have been known to last much longer without water, so this also isn't a great way to try to take care of the problem. As a result, you'll need to tackle the issue head-on if you want to quickly and effectively get rid of your rat problem. 

Mice

How long do mice live is a question that can depend drastically on their living conditions, much like rats. This means that how old mice can get in a house can be much longer than they would in the wild. In their ideal conditions, mice can live for up to two years in a home, which is longer than many people may have thought.

In the wild, the average lifespan is five to six months, which highlights the difference that a home can make in their longevity. Many people will also ask how long do mice live without food or water, although the answer may not be as appealing as you might want.

This is because mice can live for months without water, as they'll often get what they need through condensation on pipes in your walls. Without food, however, they can live as much as a week, or possibly two.

Because they have such a short average lifespan, mice typically reach maturity at quite a young age. This means that they'll begin reproducing quite quickly. As a result, you could end up seeing an infestation grow much faster than they'll die out.

They've also been known to reproduce year-round, which means that you'll see the mouse infestation grow regardless of the season. It should be noted, however, that this typically slows down in the winter months, although not by too much. This means that you should tackle the issue quickly.

With how quickly both rats and mice can reproduce, it's vital that you get rid of them quickly. In many cases, one or two rats can quickly become a large infestation, which could do a significant amount of damage to your home.

In many areas, the pests are known to chew through wiring, wood, and a variety of other areas. While this may start small, it can quickly build up to a large amount of damage. This means that you could end up needing to pay an extensive amount of money to have your home repaired.

Alongside this is the various health issues that have often been associated with the pests. This is driven by the viruses and other bacteria that they may carry. These make it even more crucial for you to get rid of the infestation as quickly as possible.

There are a variety of preventative measures that you'll be able to take to avoid an infestation. The most common of these is to ensure that your home is clean, which will reduce the number of rodents that are attracted to it. This also extends to your trash, which you should take out regularly.

In many cases, however, this may not completely avoid the problem, and you could still have a mouse or rat problem. While an exterminator may be an obvious choice to eliminate the problem, many people may not be able to afford such a professional.

This leads to many people considering the use of rodenticides to help solve their rodent issues. However, there is a price to pay when not using them discriminately and in turn, it can pose a threat for other species through secondary poisoning. 

One way that you could do so is with the use of the A24 Rat and Mouse Trap, which provides a variety of benefits. Not only is it a humane way of dispatching rodents, but it doesn't need to be reset or replaced constantly, as one CO2 canister can be used for up to 24 strikes.

The product can also work as a preventative measure, as it can be placed in each of the areas where rats or mice are likely to enter your home. This means that you shouldn't need to worry about an infestation starting, nevermind needing to get rid of one. Should you already have a pest problem, then it will kill them quickly, easily, and humanely.

As a result, you'll be able to rest assured knowing that your rodent problem is taken care of. What's stopping you from getting rid of your pest problem today? With the A24 Rat and Mouse Trap, the rodents shouldn't infest your home for long.