Rodent control: Rats and Mice

Finding rats or mice in your home or business is very distressing and taking control of an infestation quickly is very important.

Suddenstrike Pest Control are here to help, we are your local, friendly, professional pest control providers, with British Pest Control Association (BPCA) certified technicians, ready to assist you, with a range of treatments available, including non-chemical measures and environmentally friendly solutions.

Why control rats and mice?

Disease

Rats and mice carry a range of bacteria, diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to humans including Salmonellosis, mites, fleas, tapeworms, ringworm and Leptospirosis (transmitted by rats) which can be fatal to humans causing serious organ damage.

Contamination of foodstuffs and property

Rodents will eat a wide range of foodstuffs and can damage and contaminate items from a box of breakfast cereal to tonnes of produce.

Property damage

Rats and mice belong to the the order Rodentia, which is from the Latin word rodere “to gnaw”. Rats and mice have a constant need to gnaw in order to control their front teeth which will constantly grow throughout a rodents lifetime. Their strong teeth can easily puncture wood, aluminium and even concrete, causing damage to property with the potential to start fires if electrical cables are attacked.

Reputation

The presence of rodents at a property or business may affect relationships and consumer confidence. Prosecutions and fines for pest-infested premises may also attract media attention to your business, further damaging your reputation.

Legal requirements

Businesses have requirements placed upon them under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to provide a safe working environment; the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006, to ensure adequate procedures are in place for pests.

Home owners may also be prosecuted for harbouring and failing to control pests under the Public Health Acts 1936 and 1961 and the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.

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Signs you have rats and mice

Rodent sightings on your property are the most obvious sign that you have rats or mice living in close proximity; however, if you haven’t had a sighting, it may not be obvious at first, but there are signs to look out for if you suspect that you have a problem with rats or mice at your property –

Droppings: Mouse droppings are typically black and approximately the same shape and size as a grain of rice. Rat droppings are dark and pellet shaped and look like large grains of rice, over 1cm in length.
Smell: Both rats and mice urinate frequently so a strong ammonia smell is often present where there is rat and/or mouse activity.
Smear marks: These are dark grey/brown marks left on surfaces by repeated contact with the grease and detritus in rat and mouse fur.
Nests: These can be found indoors for example in lofts, under floorboards or in airing cupboards, or outdoors in garages and sheds, or as holes in the ground.
Damaged items: damage to stored food, torn bags or gnaw marks on materials such as wood, carpets, paper, pipe, cables and furniture.
Footprints: Left in muddy or dusty environments.
Noise: You may also hear the rodents scratching, gnawing and scuttling around, especially at night time.

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Signs you have rats and mice

Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

• 23cm in length (without tail), the tail is generally the same length or shorter than its body. • Small eyes and small hair covered ears. • Brown in colour • Blunt snout. • Droppings are dark, pellet shaped and look like a large grain of rice. They tend to be clustered in certain areas and Rats can leave up to 40 droppings in one night! • Gnawing marks on electrical cables, woodwork, plastic, bricks and pipes, along with torn bags of foodstuffs and materials. • Footprints and tail marks in muddy or dusty areas. • Greasy residue along walls, left as they make their way along their trails to reach their nest or in search of food. • Noises in the night! You may also hear rats scratching, gnawing and scuttling around.

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Black Rat (Rattus rattus)

Black Rats are now rare in the UK, but are occasionally found in shipping ports and associated areas. • 15cm in length (without tail), the tail is generally longer than its body. • Large eyes and large, almost hairless ears. • Black in colour • Pointed snout and slender body. • Droppings are dark, pellet shaped and look like a large grain of rice. They tend to be clustered in certain areas and Rats can leave up to 40 droppings in one night! • Gnawing marks on electrical cables, woodwork, plastic, bricks and pipes, along with torn bags of foodstuffs and materials. • Footprints and tail marks in muddy or dusty areas. • Greasy residue along walls, left as they make their way along their trails to reach their nest or in search of food. • Noises in the night! You may also hear rats scratching, gnawing and scuttling around.

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House Mouse (Mus musculus domesticus)

• 6-9cm in length (without tail), the tail is generally the same length as its body. • Big eyes and large, thinly haired ears. • light brown and grey in colour. • Pointed snout. • Droppings are black, roughly the size and shape of a grain of rice. A single mouse can leave up to 80 droppings per day! • Strong ammonia smell as mice urinate frequently. • Gnaw marks on materials such as wood, carpets, paper, cables and furniture. • Damage to food. • Greasy residue along walls, left as they make their way along their trails to reach their nest or in search of food. • Noises in the night! You may also hear rats scratching, gnawing and scuttling around.

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Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

• 6-9cm in length (without tail), the tail is generally the same length as its body. • larger eyes than a house mouse and large, thinly haired ears. • Sandy brown with a lighter underside. • Pointed snout. • Droppings are black, roughly the size and shape of a grain of rice. • Strong ammonia smell as mice urinate frequently. • Gnaw marks on materials such as wood, carpets, paper, cables and furniture. • Damage to food. • Noises in the night! You may also hear rats scratching, gnawing and scuttling around. • Mainly lives outdoors.

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