Rodent Control
Rodent control is important for many reasons. Primarily health and safety however, economic loss due to stock damage. The word “rodent” comes from the Latin word “rodere” which means to gnaw (or chew).
Damage to electrical wiring, poly pipe, ductwork and stored items will be the likely outcome if rodent populations are not kept in check. I know… I’ve seen it.
“The fire brigade reported the cause of the house fire was due to an electrical fault” Chewed wiring the probable cause.
Rodents are also known spreaders of disease, their inability to control bladder and bowel motions make them ideal pathogen spreaders. They will most often nest in warmer areas which is usually the roof space, burrowing into roof insulation to make their homes. That stain on your plaster ceiling may not be the result of an old roof leak – might just be urine-soaked nesting material… YUK.
“I lie awake warm in my bed
Slowly but surely filling with dread
A scratch and a scurry a bump overhead
The rats are at play and I want them dead”
There are plenty of preventative measures that can be adopted to reduce your exposure to rodent issues within the home or workplace. We all know how hard it is to keep track of young kids on the move, the rickety and off-balance walk of toddlers, (Vegemite toast in hand and all over face) is a scene all too familiar to most.
It’s the Vegemite toast that gets mashed down the side of the couch that then becomes the issue, be sure to have a look under couches and benches for dropped food articles that have been inadvertently kicked into hiding.
Remember:
“We burley for fish…not for rodents”
Here are a few more valuable tips to help you out.
→ Remove available food sources - only feed pets what they can eat in one sitting, excess food in pet bowls will be feeding more than your pets.
→ Reduce access - prune back foliage from trees that overhang the roofline, install weep hole protectors if you have them and install weather strips on the bottom of externals doors where the gap may be large enough to allow rodents access (particularly if you have an internal door leading to the garage).
→ Remove harbourage - if you need a machete to cut a path around your house then it’s likely that the long grass and overgrowing weeds are offering protection to rodents that make their life easier. It provides them with undetected passage around the property and keeps them safe from predators.
