Rodents
Gophers
Gophers don't typically infest homes or buildings, but they are a difficult pest to control in yards and landscape settings. They usually live for 2-3 years and reside in burrows by themselves. They are excellent excavators but cannot climb. Since they don't live in people's homes, they aren't a major health threat. They can carry fleas and ticks, which can be spread to pets that may cross paths with them in your yard. Gophers do not hibernate, but they are less active during periods of extreme heat or cold. Signs of a gopher infestation include damage to plants and garden crops, as well as burrows and mounds throughout your yard. The holes they create have led to nasty falls and broken ankles.
Groundhogs
Groundhogs (also commonly referred to as woodchucks) are a nuisance pest. They can spread rabies, and as a host for ticks and fleas, also present the risk of Lyme disease and plague. They can cause property damage to a building's foundation or by chewing on underground electrical wiring and water pipes. Groundhogs are most reviled for the frustration caused to homeowners after finding holes and burrows in their yard, as well as the destruction of gardens, farm crops and orchards. Groundhogs hibernate from about October to February and somehow know when to wake up for the perfect time for reproduction. There is a 10-day window in early March that affords them the best chance of survival. If the young are born too early, the mothers won't have enough food to feed them, and if they are born too late, their lack of bodyweight won't carry them through the winter.
Mice
There are many different kinds of mice, but the house mouse, Mus Musculus, is the one most commonly found in people's homes. Mice tend to live in groups, so if you see one mouse, you can be sure there are many more nearby. They can spread dozens of diseases to humans, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM), salmonella, and even the plague. Mice are prolific breeders, having between 2-20 babies per litter and delivering a litter approximately every eight weeks. They can enter your home through extremely small openings such as gaps under the garage door or around your dryer vent. Their teeth never stop growing, so they chew or constantly gnaw on almost anything they can find, causing extensive property damage.
Rats
Roof and Norway Rats are commensal pests, meaning they survive and thrive alongside humans. They eat various foods, including grains, meats, nuts, and fruit, but they especially love dog food and can eat up to half a pound in a single week. They will contaminate even more than that with their waste, as well as damaging furniture, stored items, and insulation with their constant gnawing. They are quite athletic and can climb, jump, and swim. Rats are primarily nocturnal, so you may not see one, but you'll know they're there from the signs that are left behind, such as chewed-up materials, droppings, greasy smudge marks along the pathways they travel, and the sounds they make scurrying around at night. They are extremely intelligent and have learned to avoid DIY trapping methods.
Squirrels
Even though squirrels are rodents like all the other pests described here, for some reason, their bushy tails and acrobatic behavior have endeared them to many people. Perhaps it is their ability to survive jumps up to 20 feet long or their impressive running speeds reaching approximately 20 mph. Squirrels are territorial and tend to live in groups. They are most active during the dawn and dusk hours and eat about a pound of food each week. Scratching noises coming from your attic is not a good sign, as they are known to cause extensive damage to insulation and beams. Their notoriety for chewing electrical equipment is such that the American Public Power Association has a "squirrel index."
Voles
Voles are small rodents, similar in size to mice, although they tend to prefer living outdoors in yards and trees rather than infesting people's homes. Colder weather will make them run for the indoors. Human contact is unlikely, but they can still be a nuisance because of the damage to landscaping and crops. Although they rarely live for more than a few years, they reproduce quickly and often. An average female may have 5-10 litters in a year, with about 3-5 offspring each time. They are active both day and night throughout the year and do not hibernate. Voles eat grass, roots, and the bark of shrubs and small trees; they are also attracted to bird feeders. They are preyed upon by snakes, hawks, owls, and foxes and will bring other nuisance wildlife to the area because if that. Without proper exclusion, it is very difficult to keep these pests from going where they want. Exclusion is the process of finding all the entry points where animals are getting in and sealing them up. The animals caught inside are then removed. When combined with habitat modification, wildlife control is extremely successful.