Common rodent problems around the home and how to fix them

Rodent removal is probably the last thing you think of when you’re in the safety of your own home, but imagine a situation where you are busy washing the dishes in the kitchen sink and around the corner you have a pair of beady eyes peering at you! When you move towards the critter, he furtively darts away into the crawlspace below the kitchen counter. You decide to take immediate action and pop over to the nearest hardware store to get rat poison to be used with bait to take care of the pesky little creature.

While that may seem the solution (temporarily at least) it is more important to address the underlying issue of rodent removal. Getting rid of one or two rats is not the way to resolve the problem. Besides, the poison could have unintended serious ill-effects on family members and pets.

List of common rodents

While rodents will play havoc with rubbish, bushes and other areas of the garden, it is some of these warm-blooded critters that generally invade properties in the winter or even summer months that can cause the most damage. Some of the most common rodents that infest properties in the UK are:

Sewer rats: Also known as the Norway or Brown rat, these live in debris and basement areas. These are vicious chewers that will bite almost anything and are carriers of viruses and diseases. They are attracted to dark areas like basements and crawlspaces.

Field mouse: Aka white-footed or deer mouse carry viruses included the dreaded Hantavirus. Found in barns, garages and beneath homes, these are nocturnal creatures that pose a threat to humans and property.

House mouse: Live in dark areas like basements and attics and contaminate food. Carriers of a range of diseases like tapeworms, salmonella and other infections. Tend to chew electrical wiring and can cause electrical fires. Foliage and clutter attract them and enter through small cracks and holes into any home.

Dormouse: Although it hibernates for 6 months, it is very active at the other times of the year. It has greyish coloured fur and is around 4-8 inches in length with round ears.

Mole: Subterranean creatures that live up to a foot below the ground in multiple tunnels and cause immense damage to gardens, lawns and flower beds. With sharp-pointed claws, they dig through shrubs and the soil and are active both at night and in the day time. It is classified as an agricultural pest.

Vole: With a brown coat, short-tail and round body, these inhabit burrows in the garden areas and are a nuisance for homeowners and farmers. They can destroy flower beds, trees and grass.

Squirrel: Rats with fluffy tails? Squirrels are found throughout the world, often seen skipping around a gardens and bouncing from tree to tree. They cause major problems when they enter loft spaces and chew on water pipes and electrical cables

Some try at-home rodent treatments

While every type of rodent infestation will have its specific treatment to aid rodent removal, there are two ways by which you can deal with rats on your own. One is a to get a rat-trap that captures rats using bait and is placed in areas that are frequented by the creatures. However, this requires patience as rats are smart creatures and tend to be wary of these traps initially.

The second option is to use rat poison that is mixed with hard or soft bait to entice the creature to take a bite. Again, this may or may not work and there is the added risk of inadvertently poisoning family members or pets that come in contact with the rat-poison. Also, if they die in a difficult to reach area of the home, the stench that emanates can cause nausea and make you sick.

A few rodent preventative measures that home or business owners can adopt

While having professional rodent control teams to deal with rodent infestations and rodent removal, we always recommend a few basic measures that property owners can adopt as preventative measures against any types of rodents. Whilst, these are not 100% as there always is the risk of having your property infested by any kind of rodent, it does help to decrease the likelihood of having these creatures invade your home or business.

• The most effective way to deal with a rodent infestation is to trap them and seal all entry points
• Remove all dead branches, debris and foliage from the yard
• Trim any overhead branches from the roof of your home
• Any recycling bins or general waste bins must be fitted with rodent-proof lids
• Secure all openings and vents in your home with steel mesh or caulk
• Place all unused clothes and footwear within tightly sealed containers
• For rats, consider going in for electronic rat-traps

When to call in the rodent removal experts

Finding any kind of rodent on your property or home can be distressing because of the health risks they carry and the damage they can wreak on pipes, wood, wires etc. However, you need not get stressed about these infestations as we at Aim Environmental Services deal with these issues almost daily and specialise in rodent removal. When there is a rodent infestation discovered on your property the most effective solution is calling our professional technicians to get the job done right at the first instance.

Aim Environmental offers targeted rodent control and rodent removal treatments that include:

• Conduct a thorough survey that examines access points and extent of the infestation.
• Professional targeted treatments that are pest control approved.
• Proofing the property to as to prevent any infestations in the future.
• NPTA (National Pest Technicians Association) certified technicians.

When you detect any signs like chewed material, droppings or nesting materials or catch sight of any rodents in your home or on your property, contact Aim Environmental by email or call us on 01902 475175 without delay. Our specialised rodent treatments are the fastest, most-efficient and effective way to protect your property in the long term from any of these pesky creatures.

Also see

Rodent Control Wolverhampton

West Midlands Rodent Control