In some cases, the fact that you have a rodent infestation is very obvious. Food packages are torn to shreds, rodent droppings or urine, actually seeing the animals in question. But you won't always see them, so here are some subtler signs that you may be missing.

Grease Marks/Rub Marks

Rats and mice are greasy animals. That's not meant metaphorically, they are mammals and mammals have oils in their skin and fur. Rats and mice will also collect dust and dirt in their fur because they live in dusty and dirty areas. The resulting mixture of dirt and oil can leave dark grease marks where they frequently travel. They have a tendency to run along walls and that will turn into a kind of trail. These marks look a lot like the marks you sometimes get on walls around light switch plates. They tend to be a kind of translucent black, although they get darker the more traffic there is along with those rub marks.

Strange Noises

It's something of a horror movie trope, dismissing an odd noise as rodent issue, but in fact, if you're hearing odd rustling, grinding, or scraping noises in your walls that could very well be a rodent issue. They are pretty light on their feet, so you probably won't hear their passage, but mice and rats have to constantly chew in order to keep their teeth sharp, and that does make noise. They also will shred paper and cardboard and fabric in order to build nests, and you may end up hearing that, as well.

Odd Pet Behavior

Some cats and dogs may actually attack and kill rodents, but they don't always do so. While you can't always rely on them for pest control, you can rely on them to have a natural interest in the small animals you can't detect. There are some patterns you will be able to detect. Pets may be alert when there's no reason to be, possibly even pacing back and forth. They may stare at one spot. Dogs may whine at the spot, and particularly excitable dogs may even bark. They may also paw or dig at a spot where they hear or smell rodents being active.

Allergies

If you have had an issue with pet dander in the past, there's a better-than-zero chance that you are also allergic to rodent dander. If you begin having consistent problems with your allergies, and you can't really track it to one of your known triggers, it's time to look for other signs that you may have a rodent infestation. If you're particularly sensitive to allergens, you may start having a reaction before other signs have become obvious, so you may have to look carefully.

To learn more information about rodent control, reach out to a pest control company near you.