Rodents and other pests are undoubtedly a nuisance whether you live in a small flat or a full size house. Luckily, there are ways of controlling and preventing rodent infestations. In this article, we will briefly discuss some things you can try, as well as offer you some advice for how to deal with one of Europe’s most notorious pests: rats.
Hire a pest control expert. One of the most obvious courses of action is, of course, to hire a pest control expert. They are trained in how to best handle any issues with rodents you might be experiencing, whether it’s just a few rats or mice sneaking into your garage at night or a full force infestation in your attic. They’ll be able to assess your needs and respond accordingly. That being said, make sure to hire only a reputable pest control service; hiring an amateur with no true pest control experience will be waste of both money and time (and leave you still struggling with a rodent problem). Additionally, you might want to consider contacting your local government; some towns provide pest control services for a small fee.
Handle the problem yourself. If you want to save yourself the time and trouble of hiring a pest control service, you can instead opt to deal with your rodent problem on your own. That being said, there are rules and regulations in place that you need to keep in mind when handling a pest infestation yourself. First of all, you can only use permitted methods for dealing with pests (typically your options will be poisons or traps of some variety). Furthermore, you MUST follow the directions that come with your traps and poisons, and make sure that they are specifically for the type of pest you’re dealing with. Also, there are some methods that are expressly forbidden; you cannot, for example, use explosives of any kind for the purposes of pest control; it is also illegal to use a crossbow for pest elimination and self-locking snares are likewise forbidden. Additionally, there are certain species of rodents (such as squirrels) that are illegal to release back into the wild if you catch them; should you capture one alive, it is your responsibility to end its life in a humane manner (with minimal suffering and harm).
Tips For Handling Rats
Not only can rats cause tremendous amounts of damage to your home, they can also carry harmful diseases. And with an estimated population of about 70 million in the UK, there’s no denying that rat infestations are a serious problem.
Luckily, there are steps you can take to deal with rats.
The most obvious solution is to use rat poisons. Be careful if you choose this option, though; make sure that no children or pets ingest the poison, as it is highly toxic to all animals (not just rats)and can cause serious illness or potentially even death. Additionally, you might not see results from your poison traps right away; rat are naturally suspicious of new things, and it might take a few days for them to approach the trap.
You can also try to get rid of rats by removing any food or water supply they might have in your home; rats in particular require a consistent source of water in order to live in any given location, so if you take away their water supply they will be forced to relocate.
You can also try getting a cat or a small dog such as a terrier; they can help with running down and eliminating rats since hunting down small vermin is something that they have been trained to do for generations.