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The post Rodent Prevention appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

Our team at Quest for Pest were recently called to a property in the Northern Gold Coast suburb of Ormeau Hills. The family had seen what they thought was a mouse. We conducted a thorough inspection including roof void and yard. We confirmed the presence of roof rats. The juvenile roof rat is sometimes mistaken for a mouse due to their size.

It is important to identify the rodent species prior to baiting as rats and mice have very different feeding habits.

Rodents are mostly hidden pests, if you have seen 1 or 2, there is always a much higher hidden population. They don’t like being out in the open so you will usually hear them before you see them.

The main issues with rodents are:

• Health risks, they carry harmful diseases and parasite
• Property damage, they love sharpening their teeth on your precious wiring. Approximately 30% of house fires are caused by rodents chewing wiring in the property
• Food waste, if they have eaten some of your food, they have had to crawl over that food so the whole kitchen could be contaminated.

Rodents are prolific breeders, being sexually mature at 2 months for rats and one month for mice. They each have numerous litters per year and given a favourable environment, they will multiply rapidly.

To ensure you don’t have a re-colonisation a comprehensive control strategy is required otherwise you could expect re-infestation in 2 – 4 months.

Some of the things you are looking for are small holes along with a dirty rub mark. Small droppings similar to gecko droppings without the white point.

• You can reduce your risk by cutting grass and foliage around the house. Spraying for weeds if necessary.
• Removing rotting vegetables from vegie patches
• Emptying bins regularly
• Keeping up maintenance of the building, eliminating access points
• If you have a compost bin, make sure it is rodent proof

If you think you have rodents or would like to reduce your risk, please give us a call for an assessment and treatment.

The post Rodents appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

Reduce your encounters with rats and mice by ensuring your property has a very low risk and non-inviting environment for them.

• Some properties are invaded in autumn every year as rats and mice seek shelter in cooler weather. Others may be invaded when nearby areas are developed. If you are aware of a potential influx, contact your Pest Manager to introduce a program before the event.
• Pet food is a major attraction for rodents. Ensure that all pet food is never left outside overnight and by storing in metal containers.
• Your home should be inspected for potential entry points, concentrating on gaps in the wall, such as weep holes, doors and windows and penetrations for plumbing and electrical services.
• Trim all tree branches away from the house. Remove ivy and trellises from walls.
• Do not store timber or debris up against your home.
• Repair leaky taps and remove other water and moisture sources.
• Rodents develop territories and have a social hierarchy. Not all will have equal access to baits. The most dominant and aggressive individuals tend to be the oldest and largest male members of the colony. Treatment programs must be designed to control the colony, rather than a few individuals.

An adult house mouse produces 50 to 100 droppings and up to 3,000 micro-droplets of urine per day, a rat about 40 to 50 droppings per day or 15,000 droppings and 15 litres of urine per year. Not a visitor you want anywhere near your home!

Rodents may die in inaccessible places such as wall cavities. Odours from dead mice are seldom a problem but rats, because of their larger body weight may cause a problem. We may be able to find, access and remove the carcass or apply odour absorbing products to offer relief but as always, prevention is better than cure! Contact us about our baits, traps and treatment packages.

The post Rats and mice appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.