Rats

Rats can be found anywhere there is shelter and food. Shelter includes: kitchens, sheds, under concrete, garbage areas, roofs, farms and open fields. They like to explore their environments and they have good memories and will remember locations of food, water and shelter. Initially they may avoid anything new in their areas which includes traps and baits.

Rats have poor eyesight and are colour blind, which means that other senses they have heightened including smell and taste. Rats cause problems year-round but can be more problematic during winter as they seek warm places to live. They build nests in hidden warm areas and reproduce at rapid rates, wreaking havoc and causing damage to property and belongings.

Rats can cause serious problems as they not only pose a threat to our health due to the transmission of disease and parasites, but increase the risk of fires and damage to property. Regular pest control and a management solution from a pest control professional will assist in eliminating these pests form your property for good.

How do you know you have rats?
– Damaged items: rats will leave teeth marks in giproc, wood, plastic or paper. They will chew thru electrical cables (this can cause risk of fires). They will rip through packaged food to get what is inside.
– Droppings: around food sources, near where they have been sheltering or even along pathways.
– Noise: Rats are most active at night and can be heard making gnawing, fighting, climbing or scratching noises in walls, roofs, under floors.
– Smell: similar to droppings, rats will urinate everywhere. It gives a strong ammonia like smell which they use to follow their paths home. Urine will glow under ultraviolet light and is therefore easily detected.
– Nests: will be built in warm hidden places.
– Burros: these maybe built under decks, sheds, in gardens or fields.
– Wall markings: rats will rub along walls leaving low down marks.

How can rats be controlled?
– Use of baits in multiple locations for a though approach.
– Ensuring entry points get blocked; Blocking crevices; Tight screens on windows; Pet doors are secured.
– Food is stored away in sealed containers including removal of uneaten pet food.
– Mechanical traps.
– Regular inspections.

Mice

A house mouse prefers life indoors, preferring the secluded comfort of niches between walls and behind cabinets and appliances.

Mice are a high breeder and will have up to 8 litters each year, and start reproducing as early as 2 months old. Mice have a wide diet and like to eat grains, seeds, nuts and do not need water as long as the food they find is moist. Mice will also gnaw on wood, paper, cloth, books, insulation and wiring, which makes them a dangerous problem and can be costly to clean up their damage.

Mice carry a wide range of diseases that are transmittable to humans which can be a large concern if they are within reach of a food storage or preparation area. Speak with a pest control expert to work on a management plan to help eradicate your mice infestation today.