No one likes the idea of rodents invading their home let alone coming into a room to see a rat or mouse running across the floor or the noise of them scratching the roof or wall spaces. Rats and mice are usually more active in the winter months, as the weather cools and their external food sources become rare, they enter your home, looking for warmth and food.
This in itself is problematic due to fact that rodents carry disease and cause structural damage to your home or place of business.
Rats
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- Cause significant damage to wiring.
- Have even been known to chew through floor joists and walls
- Cause damage to your home’s insulation.
- Undermine hillsides, retaining walls and other similar structures through their burrowing activity.
Mice
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- Unsanitary as their droppings have been implicated as potential asthma triggers in children.
- Multiply quickly.
- Cause significant damage to your home and furniture.
- Contaminate food and other materials.
- Implicated in causing house fires after chewing through electrical cables.
DANGER SIGNS
Rats
- Scratching noises in walls or under the floor as rats scurry around.
- Droppings – rats leave dark, tapered droppings about 3/8″ – 9/16″ long. Visit our website for dropping identification
- Distinctive smell – rats leave an ammonia-like smell that will be particularly strong in enclosed areas such as under cupboards.
- Damage – rats have teeth that grow continuously and gnaw on wood and plastic to keep them trim. Rats can even cause fires by chewing through cables.
- Ripped food packaging – rats will tear open food which may leave teeth marks.
- Nests – rats build nests in warm, hidden places using shredded material such as newspaper and fabrics. Nests will often contain young rats.
- Burrows – In gardens, rats will dig burrows especially in compost heaps or under sheds. They will also build nests under garden decking.
Mice
- Scratching noises in the walls or ceilings as mice scurry around.
- Droppings – mice leave small, dark droppings particularly along walls, in cupboards or under sinks. .Visit our website for dropping identification
- Distinctive smell – mice leave an ammonia-like smell that will be particularly strong in more enclosed areas such as under cupboards.
- Damage – mice have teeth that grow continuously and will gnaw on wood, plastic, cables and other hard materials to keep their teeth shorter.
- Nests – mice build nests with shredded material such as newspaper and fabrics. These will tend to be in hidden places such as behind fridges. Nests will often contain young mice.
This year as the weather has started to cool we have been inundated with frantic phone calls about rats that are cunning enough to come directly into your home during the night or day!
Unfortunate for those in Sydney it appears it has been a cracker breeding season for rodents!
I have been unfortunate to come across a rat at my local shopping centre! I had walked outside near one if the entrances, talking on the phone and I looked across and saw a massive rat run from near the bushes, into the bin and run back out (towards me!) with food!!!!
I had never seen such a large rat in all my life! And this brings me to my next point, people are reporting MASSIVE rat sizes!
The issue is not just in residential premises but also commercial properties!
For our commercial customers, you don’t want to be closed down during the colder months, business often slows during this time and the last thing you need to be known for or reported for is rodent activity!
If you don’t want to share your home with rats and mice, give us a call!
Mention this blog and get $10 off your rodent treatment!
For handy hints, advice or for a copy of our rodent fact sheet email us on info@pestcontrolsydney.com.au
Do not delay your home, your family will thank you!
