Pest Control for Rats & Mice Increases In Winter

The Gold Coast is rapidly approaching the colder Winter period and we often get many more pest control requests for rats & mice during winter. As the cooler months arrive rats and mice are often attracted to enter houses to escape the winter cold. They frequently nest in the warmer areas of the house, especially the roof cavity which retains heat during the night.

Although rats and mice are very good climbers and are capable of quickly climbing walls and trees to get access to the roof, the householder can minimise the risk of this happening by ensuring that the branches of trees and shrubs are kept well clear of the house. Rats especially use these as superhighways into the roof with a live and nest and out again with a gather food and seek water.

However, once rodents have gained entry to the house it is important to have them quickly treated as they are vectors of disease and can also do significant damage to electrical wiring and other building materials through their constant gnawing. The teeth of rodents never stopped growing and they must gnaw to keep them at an appropriate size.

Mice can be controlled by trapping although this is time-consuming, however rats are more intelligent than mice and if they escape a trap or aware of another rat who has been caught in a trap, they are cunning enough to avoid them for the rest of their lives. Baiting is therefore the preferred option and modern rodent baits are very suitable for eradicating this problem. They are designed to kill the rat several days after the bait has been consumed to avoid bait shyness that occurred with rat baiting many years ago. As there is a time lag between the eating of the bait and the death of the rat immediate control is generally not achieved and noises in the roof can persist for up to 14 days after treatment.

Rodents can also carry parasites such as fleas which can then find their way onto your pets or even to humans living in the house. For the reasons above it’s important to be vigilant in taking whatever steps are necessary to discourage rats and mice from making your house their home but also in contacting your local pest control technician to arrange suitable treatment once they have arrived. All Care Pest Control is highly experienced at rodent control and can provide more information by phoning 0412 142 340 or alternatively send us an email.