Rodents in the Winter Part I

Rodents in the Winter Part I

Pests that can damage your home and make a hole in your wallet
Rats, mice, moths, beetles, woodworm… they all mean big bills or more expensive insurance. Infestations of mice tend to rise when it gets cold, with rodents spreading disease as well as chewing through wiring, timber, pipes and brickwork.

Have you experienced strange rustlings in the night? An increasing number of people are waking to the unnerving sound of rats and mice scratching around their homes, according to pest control firm Rentokil. It says it experienced a 31% rise in call-outs for rodent infestations in October compared with September, and a 25% increase on October 2011, as the four-legged menaces rushed indoors to shelter from the wintery cold snap.

While such statistics are generated from the huge machine marked PR, pest infestations by rodents, moths and woodworm – the larvae of several different sorts of beetle, but most frequently the common furniture beetle – can blight the lives of families, prove costly to homeowners, and even render homes unsellable. Local authority pest controllers carried out 715,297 treatments for various infestations in 2010-2011.

At this time of year, when cold weather forces rats and mice indoors to nest and forage for food, infestations can rocket, with rodents spreading disease as well as causing damage by chewing through wiring, timber, pipes and brickwork. Rodents are not only unhygienic, but also dangerous, in some cases starting residential fires by chewing through wires. If you’re experiencing rodent problems in your home call a wildlife professional. To findout more about this problem see Rodents in the Winter Part II next week.