About Rodents

Rodent problems form a substantial degree of our work throughout the year. We provide a rapid response to any rodent problem, they are significant threat to public health because of the harmful diseases they can transmit, and many customers have a horrifying fear when learning they have rodents at home.
We are here to help.

Health Risks
When rodents gain entry into your home they can spread diseases such as Salmonellosis and Weils disease (also known as Leptospirosis), and they carry microbial infections. It is thought about 30% of rats carry this disease. Once they gain entry into your home they can cause considerable damage and contamination to stored products, both food and non food, the fabrication of the building and the fixtures and fittings (which can be damaged as a result of their propensity to gnaw). They constantly wee, and leave a trail of urine wherever they go, be it behind your kitchen cupboard, under the floors, in the attic, or on your kitchen work top. Having established themselves, both rats and mice will readily breed creating significant populations in relatively short periods of time. Rodents quite simply require food, water and shelter to survive. Where an infestation has been established, trapping or a rodenticide will be required to control the infestation. After an indoor rodent treatment we can assist with remedial actions to proof the building and offer recommendations to prevent future infestations. Whatever the cause or entry point of the current problem we may also suggest other hygiene considerations as methods of deterrent, see below for examples…
  • Keep all household rubbish in suitable bins with close fitting lids, kept closed
  • Consider dense foliage or ivy contacting the building, do not let your garden become overgrown and therefore provide rodent harbourage
  • Keep harbourage sites such as piled up rubbish to a minimum
  • Consider building maintenance, openings or cracks around pipes etc
  • Repair broken or damaged drains
  • Bird feeders - keep the area beneath a bird feeder free from excess food at all times
  • Ensure pet food is kept in sealed suitable container and minimise excess food at all times
  • Consider harbourage sites under outbuildings
DO NOT leave a rat infestation to develop otherwise you will soon become overrun and the damage could be VERY considerable.
SPECIES INFORMATION
Rats
The common species of rat found in towns, cities and the countryside is the Brown Rat, less common is the Ship Rat, only found around ports in this country.
Brown Rat
  • Generally brownish-grey in colour with paler underside
  • Although it appears long, their tail is shorter than their body and is nearly always darker on top
  • Their snout is blunt and their ears are small and furry
  • They are large, robustly built animals with an average weight of 340g
  • More heavily reliant on a good water source than a mouse
  • Rats breed rapidly and become sexually mature at 3 months. Each female may produce from 3 to 12 litters of between six and eight young in a year. The life expectancy of a wild rat is approximately 10-14 months. Breeding can occur all year round and it is possible for a breeding pair to have up to 800 young
  • The brown rat is a burrowing creature and will live outdoors or indoors in rural or urban environments
  • They are excellent climbers and swimmers
  • All brown rats are neophobic (show caution to new objects)
  • They are omnivores but prefer cereals and have a high dependence on water
Mice
There are two types of mice in Britain which can become pests - the house mouse and the field mouse.
The House Mouse
  • The house mouse (Musculus domesticus) is a very common pest of buildings
  • The house mouse is usually brown on its back with a grey underneath, it weighs about 30 grams (1 ounce), and is about 90 mm long (3 1/2 inches) excluding its tail. Its ears are fairly large in relation to its body and its feet are small. The tail is the same length as the head and body
  • Sexual maturity is reached in 6-8 weeks and they can have up to 5-8 litters per year. The litter size is between 4-16 young
  • The house mouse rarely burrows, it has good climbing skills
  • Like the brown rat they can be found both indoors and outdoors and in rural or urban environments
  • They are omnivores with a preference for cereals. Their behaviour can be quite erratic
The Long-Tailed Field Mouse
The long-tailed field mouse is more common on agricultural land; unless it takes up residence indoors it is not generally considered a pest
IMPORTANT - WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU USE A PROFESSIONAL RATHER THAN SELF-TREATING AS OFTEN THIS ENDS IN INADEQUATE OR FAILED TREATMENTS.
WE ARE TRAINED SO AS NOT TO POISON ANY NON-TARGET SPECIES. INSECTICIDES AND PESTICIDES ARE DANGEROUS AND MUST BE SUITABLY HANDLED AND STORED AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND ANIMALS.