Mice

Description: Small rodent with grey/brown fur usually less than 90mm in total length and weighing less than 20 grams. Colour is generally uniformed with the belly being slightly lighter and the tail typically about 75% of the
length of the body.

Biology: Mice are omnivorous and are good at adapting to local environments but generally in rural environments eat cereals, seeds etc, where they consume an average of 2-3 grams of food per day. Whilst they will drink free water they can in many cases survive without it, obtaining sufficient moisture from their food. Mice will typically live up to 1 year, reach sexual maturity in 6 weeks and can have as many as 8 litters per annum with the average litter size being about 5.

BYE BYE Mice
If you hear noises at night from the loft area or in the wall cavity's it is a good chance it could be mice. It can sometimes be misleading when it is all quiet at night, people say to us that it sounds like a heard of elephants when in fact it is mice. Mice are mainly nocturnal but are seen sometimes in the day. They can burrow into the loft insulation and urine patches can be seen with an ultra violet light, mice can enter in the smallest of gaps it is said that if you can put your little finger through a gap then a mouse can enter, the most common way into a building is either through a air brick or vent which has a defect or wide enough gap for them to squeeze into or they can climb up foliage. When mice are inside a building its very advisable to cover up any food stuffs and remove any pet food left out over night as this could be a potential food source, this is also important because mice carry the bacterium salmonellois and even urinate and cross contaminate on work surfaces etc, if you suspect this then you must wash before use and destroy any food stuff. Also mice are constantly gnawing on things in actual fact the word rodent means to gnaw in latin and mice certainly live up to that.

When first treating for mice indoors we check the attic, kitchen areas, under kickboards, behind fridge etc, we try to bait as many places as possible as mice like to take pieces of bait from many bait points they are sporadic feeders we use traps or poison but are preferred method is poison. Traps will only get a certain amount but poison baiting is the quickest and we find has a better success rate. We use mainly anticouagulant rodenticides and acute rodenticides like alpha chloralose. Before we use any poison or traps we carry out a risk assessment normally if poison is put in downstairs areas we use lockable bait boxes we then arrange to call back approx 7 days later. We can not guarantee any mouse infestations that you may get once our treatment has been completed.

For more information on mice, please call or email.

Rats

Description: Large rodent which can measure up to 40cm in length (including the tail). Fur colour can vary but is generally dull grey in colour.

Biology: Rats are omnivorous and whilst they generally feed on cereals and grains, if hungry they can take small chicks and eggs. One of the main characteristics of Rats is that they are Neophobic - very wary of anything new and they can take 4-5 days before they except a new object into their environment. They prefer small-enclosed spaces and get around by smell & touch. They like to be up against something as they travel like a wall or pipe. Contrary to popular beliefs regarding rats being dirty they are in fact very clean animals and spend up to 20% of their time grooming.

They are however carriers of a number of diseases, the most publicised of which is Weils Disease which can be fatal to humans. Rats take between 2-3 months to reach sexual maturity and can have up to 7 litters per year with the average litter size being about 8. The other UK rat is the Ship Rat or Black Rat which is now very rare and restricted to a few localised port sites.

BYE BYE Rats
Most rat infestations are outdoors, however we do treat for infestations indoors, as well as in loft areas, wall cavity's, inside garages etc. When treating for rats we look for three things that could start a rat infestation and that is food, water and harbourage. Food source is likely to be due to overfeeding of birds, compost bins or where there is livestock, ie: chickens, pet rabbits or guinea pigs as rats could feed on scraps that have come out of the cages or hutches. A good water source could be a pond near by or water feature, harbourage is most commonly found under garden sheds, greenhouses, under decking, or inside buildings. Rats are nocturnal but can be seen in daylight hours, before we carry out any treatment we would do a risk assessment and would normally put poison inside lockable bait boxes which would prevent any non target animals getting into it. When the poison is all in place it may take a few days to go as rats are very neophobic, the poisons we use are mostly anticoagulants these are considered to be a relatively humane group of rodenticides with no obvious signs that a rodent is under stress as it dies.

After having baited according with an approved bait an advising the customer of the situation and giving any relevant recommendations we would return in approximately one week to assess the situation or remove poison. We would also leave a job card to advise where the poison has been located and details of what work has been carried out etc.

On rare occasions it has been known for a rat to die in a place that we can't get to, ie: in walls this is very unfortunate but we cannot accept responsibility. However if any dead rodents are found during treatment they would have to be burnt or buried and shouldn't be handled without protection. Please be advised that as explained the three things that are most needed to start any rat infestation is food, water and harbourage and unless an attempt has been made to address these problems there is always a danger of rats returning. But our technicians will advise you on what to do and will advise on how to get entry points fixed, in some circumstances you may need a builder to carry out the repair.

For more information on rats, please call or email.

Squirrels

Description: Although now a familiar sight across much of the UK, the grey squirrel is non-native, having been first introduced from America in the late nineteenth century. It is largely blamed for the decline in populations of our native red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) although in truth, this also has as much to do with the disappearance of the red squirrels natural woodland habitat, as it does with competition. The introduced species is larger than the red squirrel, with largely grey/brown fur, and a white belly.

Biology: Grey squirrels are active during the day and are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, nuts, insects, bird eggs and increasingly adapting to match many of the foods that man may discard. Squirrels are well-known for their habit of hoarding food in autumn to see them through the harsh winter months.

Breeding takes place in December to February, and again in March to May. The gestation period is typically between 6 to 7 weeks and on average two litters are produced each year, consisting of 1-8 young^The average life span is 8-9 years.

BYE BYE Grey Squirrels
The grey squirrel is a serious pest in Britain. It is a threat to forestry land where it has a habit of removing tree bark and is extremely damaging in towns and cities causing considerable damage to structures and electrics in lofts. The squirrel normally will chew through the fascia board or enter under a roof tile. Once in the loft they make a lot of noise and can nest or just shelter.

There are two ways in which we can deal with squirrels, is trapping or with the use of poison. The poison we use is 0.02% w/w warfarin Please note that if we do use traps in the loft area of the property it is a legal requirement that traps are checked at least once a day but preferably twice a day and we will only use this method if you can check them and once anything is caught you must ring our office immediately.

The other method we use is poison this is a ready to use bait that we put in trays and put in loft areas or roof spaces we would advise after treatment is complete that all entry points are blocked/repaired, it is important not to block any entry points while the treatment is being carried out as this is likely to cause more problems. A minimum of 2/3 visits is required, please contact us for further details.

For more information on squirrels, please call or email.

Rodent Proofing

Proofing is the first and best line of defence, its more environmentally friendly and more humane to prevent rodents entering into buildings rather than using poison to kill them, that is why we carry a range of proofing material that allow many proofing tasks to be carried out.

We carry the following;
• Brush strips that will stop rodents entering under doors.
• Mouse-stop that will block any holes and cracks.
• Weldmesh galvanised steel 6.5mm x 6.55mm this can be fitted   on to vents and air bricks to   stop rodents entering the building.
• Roofing comb, this protects entry of birds, vermin and debris. The teeth adjust to suit any profile   of roof tile.
Please call our office to discuss proofing in more detail and our great prices. Alternatively send us an email here.