Rats and mice are on the move in the cooler months, and often take up refuge our homes, most often in the roof and between walls. There’s nothing pleasant about discovering these in your home, and since rats and mice can successfully co-habit with humans finding out that they are living under the same roof as you and crawling around your home in the early hours can feel particularly violating.
Bennetts Pest Control can look after rodent control measures from your Brisbane home or business and we explain a little bit more about the behaviours of rodents and what can be done to get rid of them.
Biology of Common Household Rodents
The three major species of rodents found in homes here in Australia are the Norway Rat, the Roof Rat and the House Mouse. They become more common in homes during the winter as they move indoors for extra shelter and food. In commercial premises however rodents can be a year round problem. For those living in rural areas, mice can easily reach plague proportions.
They make their nests by collecting shredded material including paper, fabrics and nest close to areas where there is food and water. Because females can give birth to up to 4-6 litters per year which each mature quickly, within a year the offspring single pair of rodents can reach significant numbers making it a priority to treat the problem promptly.
What Steps Can I Take to Eradicate Rodents?
An integrated pest management approach is required to eradicate rodents effectively and your professional pest controller will provide you with the advice and techniques that you yourself can implement. Some of the major steps to eradicate rodents include:
1. Good Sanitation Measures
Cleaning surfaces in the home can stop new rodents being attracted into the space. This includes covering compost heaps, keeping chicken coops clean (or considering not having them at all)
– Food storage in sealed containers, keep pet food outside
– Keep cupboard doors closed and keep floors and other surfaces wipes and clean.
2. Rodent Proofing the Home
Pest control professionals will also look at the home for opportunities to rodent proof certain areas that may be not obvious or accessible to the homeowner. Some measures to rodent proof a home include:
– Inspection of areas where rodents could be gaining entry including downpipes, repairing breakages to wall lining and roofing
– Adding weather proofing to gaps in doors or windows
– Checking areas around the home are not harbouring rats or mice including garden sheds, retaining walls,
You can reduce the likelihood or rodents on the move in your neighbourhood by keeping grass short and the yard tidy and picking up fallen fruit and nuts from the ground. Covering compost areas and compost only biodegradeable organic material is also recommended.
3. Poisons and Baits
Sometimes the best treatment to combat existing populations of rats and mice is with chemical treatments. Your pest controller has access to the best rodenticides and can safely use these around your home to eradicate rats. Lockable stations and traps are another approach that can be used in homes with pets.
If you have noticed rats or mice in your Brisbane home, the time to act is now, before the problem gets worse, they start to cause damage to wiring and cause unpleasant hygiene conditions in the home.
Don’t wait call Bennetts Pest Control on 1300 661 008 for a comprehensive integrated solution to rid rats and mice from your home for good.
