Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing.

Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents other than Antarctica. Common rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, porcupines, beavers, chipmunks, guinea pigs, and voles. Rodents have sharp incisors that they use to gnaw wood, break into food, and bite predators.

Most eat seeds or plants, though some have more varied diets. Some species have historically been pests, eating seeds stored by people and spreading disease.

The name comes from the Latin word rodens, “gnawing one” Many rodents are small; the tiny African pygmy mouse can be as little as 6 cm (2.4 in) in length and 7 g (0.25 oz) in weight at maturity, and the Baluchistan Pygmy Jerboa is of roughly similar or slightly smaller dimensions. On the other hand, the capybara can weigh up to 80 kg (180 lb), and the largest known rodent, the extinct Josephoartigasia monesi, is estimated to have weighed about 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), and possibly up to 1,534 kg (3,380 lb) or 2,586 kg (5,700 lb).

Rodents have two incisors in the upper as well as in the lower jaw which grow continuously and must be kept worn down by gnawing; this is the origin of the name, from the Latin rodere, to gnaw. These teeth are used for cutting wood, biting through the skin of fruit, or for defense. The teeth have enamel on the outside and exposed dentine on the inside, so they self-sharpen during gnawing. Rodents lack canines, and have a space (diastema) between their incisors and premolars. Nearly all rodents feed on plants, seeds in particular, but there are a few exceptions which eat insects or fish. Some squirrels are known to eat passerine birds like cardinals and blue jays.

Rodents are important in many ecosystems because they reproduce rapidly, and can function as food sources for predators, mechanisms forseed dispersal, and as disease vectors. Humans use rodents as a source of fur, as pets, as model organisms in animal testing, for food, and even for detecting landmines.
Members of non-rodent orders such as Chiroptera (bats), Scandentia (treeshrews), Soricomorpha (shrews and moles), Lagomorpha (hares,rabbits and pikas) and mustelid carnivores such as weasels and mink are sometimes confused
with rodents.

Types of treatments : 3 types of treatment

There are six species of moles in North America, and three of these may occur in your yard (Eastern Mole, Hairy-tailed Mole, and Star-nosed Mole). Moles are about the size of chipmunks (6-8 inches in length) and can weigh three to six ounces. Each year a mole can have one litter of two to six young, depending on the health of the female. Gestation lasts about five to six weeks, which means that you can expect litters anywhere from mid-April through May.

Moles are insectivores (they eat insects), and they may control some insect outbreaks. However, mole activity can also cause considerable damage to lawns. This damage is usually in the form of tunnels and/or mounds in lawn that can be unsightly, disturb root systems, and provide cover or travel lanes for other small mammals.

Moles can quickly colonize and spread through adjacent residential properties if not handled properly. Because they need a well-established tunnel network to survive, control will be more difficult the longer they are allowed to tunnel and become habituated.

On large properties mole activity may move from one part of the lawn to another. This movement is affected by climate and ground moisture. Moles will respond to changes in food supply as different insects become available in different places and at different times throughout the year. If disturbed, moles may temporarily leave an area but will usually return when you least expect it. Even without disturbance mole activity may last only a week or two in a particular area.