Most enquiries are for pest extermination – particularly pest control for rats and mice during the winter. Sometimes rodent infestations can be a recurring problem, with rats or mice finding their way into your home on a yearly or even more frequent basis. The chances of this happening can be increased by the surrounding environment.
For example, if your neighbours are feeding the birds this can draw rats in and the chances of them migrating into your garden from next door in fairly high. If you have rats in your garden, then it’s often only a matter of time before they find their way into your house, using the wall cavities to travel up into the loft. Once you have rats in your attic, they will start causing damage and can migrate around your home. Finding a rat in your kitchen cupboard can be very distressing but we get emergency calls like this a number of times every year.
Our priority is to always to get any existing rat or mouse infestation under control. Ideally, we will be able to do this within a couple of visits, however sometimes additional pest control visits may be needed depending on the level of infestation. When the mice or rats have been exterminated, it is always worth discussing any steps you can take to stop the rats or mice coming back.
Mouse prevention or proofing can be as simple as covering air vents with mouse mesh covers or fitting mouse proof door brushes to the underneath of doors. The key is to securely seal any gaps that mice might be using to get into your house. As mice can squeeze through a hole the same width as a pencil it can take some detective work, but the more mouse prevention you do the less chance of the mice returning. We offer mouse proofing as part of our pest control services, or if you prefer, we are always happy to advise so that you can carry out the work yourself.
Preventing repeated rat infestations can require a bit more investigation. Sometimes it is obvious how the rats are getting into your house and it’s simply a case of rat proofing vents and access holes. However, rats will also use drainage systems to travel. If an area of a drain has collapsed or eroded, rats will use this as an access point into nearby houses. Recurring rat infestations often require a thorough drain survey.
Once a broken section of drain has been identified a rat gate can be fitted which will seal off the rat’s entry point and should stop re-infestation. It is well worth paying for any necessary drain surveys and resulting work required, and usually saves you money in the long term. Rat prevention and proofing is so easy to overlook but an essential element to quality pest control services.
