Pest Control - Do you smell a rat?

There are many possible reasons for the increase in numbers, these include milder winters, cutbacks in pest control expenditure and the increase of rubbish and the careless disposal of it. Water privatisation has also been a high contributor with less sewer baiting.

There are two species of wild rats in Britain. The black rat, infamous for it’s role in spreading the bubonic plague during the Black Death, and the brown rat, which is the cause of today’s major problems.

Commonly associated with rubbish tips and dirty streets, the most alarming fact is that this is no longer the case. Rats have no social consciousness and even Royal residences have not been immune from infestation! They can be found anywhere that there is a supply of food and have even been found living in freezers where they have developed with much more fur, even covering their hands, to insulate against the cold. At the other end of the climate, they have also been discovered in bakers’ ovens where they have developed no fur at all.

Rats have reportedly become a big problem in apartments because of the large supply of food being kept in close proximity. They are very active and therefore can inhabit areas by chewing through walls and climbing – you are not even safe in the penthouse!

The presence of rats in a building can be catastrophic to both reputation and building fabric. They often turn their destructive instincts to pipe work, electrical cables and actual buildings, causing fires floods and expensive repair bills. Since the increase in rat numbers many insurance companies will no longer insure against rodent damage.

Mike Bavington, of CCS Pest Control had a call to an apartment recently where a couple had newly purchased a sofa from a well-known furniture store. However, shortly after it was delivered the wife started to hear noises in the sofa whilst she was sitting on it. She told her husband but he did not think it was anything that warranted looking inside the sofa as it was expensive. After two weeks the wife called in CCS and asked them to inspect the sofa discretely as she did not want her husband to find out as they had been having arguments about the suspected rats. Mike and his colleague cut into the material and a family of six rats that had been living there jumped out.

Rats are also vectors of disease and carry tuberculosis, salmonella gastro-enteritis, rat bite fever, and most dangerously leptospirosis (wiels disease), which can cause death. Their droppings and fur will contaminate food preparation surfaces and food.

If you can associate with these signs and you think you may have rats in your apartment you should call in pest control experts immediately or inform your property manager who will use whatever measures necessary to eradicate the problem.
There are ways to prevent rats from inhabiting in your area:

•Dispose of waste properly, especially food by using covered containers.
•Vacuum your floors right up to the skirting.
•Keep kitchens work surfaces and cupboards clean
•Store food in containers with lids.
•Do not leave any internal doors open as more recently pest control officers have been to properties where rats have walked in through open doors even when people are around.

What Signs to look for

There are four main signs to look for if you think rats may be in your apartment.

•Noises, rats are especially active at night and this is when most people hear scratching sounds where the creatures are leaving nest to hunt around for food. Another common noise is that of gnawing, where the rats are chewing items such as electrical cable of skirting boards. The agile beasts can climb brickwork and guttering, swim along pipes, scamper up u-bends in toilets and into cavity walls.

•Disturbed food, you may notice that packets have been opened and have rough edges where the creatures have chewed into it. There may also be food discarded in cupboards or drawers.

•Droppings, this is one of the most reliable signs that you have a rodent problem. You may find droppings in places where you store your food.

•Smells, you will commonly notice an unusual musky odour when rats are present in a room.

If you have any comments or queries about pest control, please email editor@newsontheblock.com