During the autumn and winter months rats are looking for shelter, food and warmth. This is the time that they move into homes and buildings to find more cover and a better sources of food.
Rats pose a big health risk to you, your family, staff and customers since they carry many diseases that can spread to humans. Diseases such as salmonella, listeria and leptospirosis are normally transferred from rats or their urine coming into contact with food preparation areas.
Damage to homes and business can arise due to rats. Their sharp teeth have the capability of chewing through concrete, brick and even ½-inch thick sheet metal which can cause a lot of damage to properties, including structural damage, floods from gnawed pipes and electrical fires from chewed wires.
Business owners also have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises free from rodents, or, if rodents pose a threat to property or health, to report infestations to the local authority. A rat problem can significantly impact a company's reputation, is not good for business and professional rat pest control will be required.
Rats can gain entry to a property through just a 15mm gap. Check for low level gaps in particular such as around pipes or under sheds, as well higher level entry ways such windows or vents and ensure these are sealed properly.
Keeping outdoor areas clean and tidy can keep rats at a greater distance from your property and potentially prevent the need for rat pest control. Cut back overgrown areas and remove piles of wood or rubbish in order to remove potential rat nesting sites. Ensure that drain covers are in good condition and that any unused pies are sealed off. Compost heaps in particular can be attractive as a nesting site also, particluarly if food is left there, so keep it fenced in, sealed and covered to prevent rats from digging into it.
Cover any household waste where rats can access, keep bins washed to remove any food residue and their lids closed. If you feed birds in your garden, don't leave out too much food, use a bird table or feeder basket if possible to catch any dropped seeds.
Rats are highly mobile, adaptable and breed quickly which can mean that taking on rat pest control yourself can be a real struggle for an untrained individual. Rat pest control is ideally carried out by a professional like AJ Pest Control since we are fully trained to identify the type of pests, use appropriate professional tools and techniques that may not be available to the public as well as prevent future infestations and issues.
Fully qualified by the NPTA (the National Pest Technicians Association), the industry's leading authority on pest control training and techniques, our technicians are trained, qualified and hold all the correct insurances to carry out any rat pest control in your home or business. Our solutions are ecologically sound, with careful consideration paid to public acceptance, customer needs and the humane treatment of animals during any rat pest control job.
