Why we list our sources
Rodent information online is full of numbers nobody can trace and advice written for a different climate. We'd rather point you to the agencies and universities that study this for a living. Every health fact, species detail and legal note on this site comes from one of the sources below, and you're welcome to read them yourself.
These links go to outside websites that we don't control. They may change or move over time. If one stops working, the agency's main site is usually the easiest place to search.
Health & disease
For anything about illness, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the first stop. Their pages are the basis for our hantavirus in Texas guide and the disease section of our species page.
Hantaviruses
How people are exposed, risky activities like cleaning sheds and hunting blinds, symptoms and timing.
Texas DSHSFlea-borne typhus
The flea-spread illness tied to rats, opossums and other small mammals in Texas.
Texas DSHSLeptospirosis
The bacterial illness spread through water and soil contaminated by animal urine.
Texas DSHSHantavirus
Which US rodents carry hantaviruses, the "seal up, trap up, clean up" approach and cleanup steps.
CDC
Pest control licensing
In Texas, structural pest control, which includes rodent work in and around buildings, is licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Control Service. TDA says a license is required for anyone in the pest control business, including one-person companies.
Current license reports
Published lists of current structural pest control licenses, useful for checking a company.
Texas Department of AgricultureConsumer information
Who needs a license, how TDA handles complaints and how to report pesticide misuse.
Texas Department of Agriculture
Ask any provider for their TDA license number and proof of insurance, then check the license yourself. It takes a few minutes and is the simplest way to protect your home.
Wildlife & research
For identifying rodents, their range in Texas and how they behave, we use university sources. They're also the background for our Texas rodent species guide.
The Mammals of Texas
Species accounts with Texas range, habitat, size and breeding seasons for rats, mice and squirrels.
Texas Tech UniversityWildlife Damage Management
Practical identification and damage notes for Norway rats, roof rats, mice and squirrels.
ICWDMRodents and rodent control course
Training material on rodent biology and control used in Texas public health licensing.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Local contacts
Some animal problems aren't rodent jobs at all. The City of Huntsville's Animal Control page explains what the city handles.
Huntsville Animal Control
Part of the Huntsville Police Department. Handles animal bites, including wildlife bites, stray animals, dead animals on roads and public property, and rabies control. The page refers nuisance wildlife trapping to professional pest control.
City of Huntsville
If you were bitten or scratched by any animal, wildlife included, report it to Animal Control and talk to a doctor. For rodents inside your home, attic or crawl space, a licensed pest control provider is the right call; see our rodent control process for what that involves.
Renters & landlords
Texas law sets out when a landlord must repair conditions in a rental. Rodent problems can fall under it depending on how serious they are and what the lease says.
Texas Property Code, Chapter 92
Section 92.052 requires a landlord to make a diligent effort to repair a condition that materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant, after notice and while rent is current.
Texas Legislature
This is general information, not legal advice. If you're in a dispute, a lawyer or legal aid office can tell you how the law applies to your lease.
Our data commitment: no invented statistics
A lot of pest websites quote figures like "rats cause X fires a year" or "one in Y homes has mice" with no source. We don't do that. Here's the standard we hold this site to:
- Health facts come from Texas DSHS or the CDC, and we say which.
- Species details come from university or extension sources such as Texas Tech and ICWDM.
- Local facts about Huntsville and Walker County come from public sources, and we leave out anything we can't confirm.
- We don't publish made-up numbers, percentages or "studies show" claims.
- We don't list prices, because every house is different and only an inspection can show the real scope.
- When something is a rule of thumb rather than a measured fact, we say so.
If something here ever disagrees with one of these sources, trust the source. For everyday rat and mouse control in Huntsville, the guides on this site are written to match these sources.
Have rodents now?
Talk to a local Huntsville pro.
Resources FAQ
Who regulates pest control companies in Texas?
The Texas Department of Agriculture, through its Structural Pest Control Service. It licenses companies and technicians, inspects licensed businesses and investigates complaints, including unlicensed pest control.
Does Huntsville Animal Control remove rats or mice?
The city's Animal Control page lists bites, strays, dead animals on public property and rabies control as its work, and it directs nuisance wildlife trapping to professional pest control. Rodents inside a home are generally a private pest control matter.
Where can I report pesticide misuse?
TDA's Structural Pest Control Service takes reports of pesticide exposure or misuse and complaints about pest control work. Its consumer information page, linked above, explains how to reach the agency.
Why don't you cite more statistics?
Because good local rodent statistics are hard to find, and made-up ones are easy to repeat. We'd rather give you a fact we can trace to DSHS, the CDC or a university than a dramatic number with no source behind it.