It’s that time of year again, although you could argue it’s always that time year. Whether we like to admit it or not mouse and rat infestations are a serious possibility that we all have to face. So allow us to present to you a quick guide to identify signs of mice or rats in your home, to help prevent these pesky little buggers from crossing the threshold of your home and if they do how to deal with them. First things first, let’s chat about identifying if you do have a rodent problem.
Signs of Mice and Rats
You might find it hard to notice signs of mice or rats at home, because these pesky visitors are nocturnal (they only come out at night! like that one song), who knew!?
BUT, there are some clear and some subtle signs to keep an eye out for if you suspect that there maybe an unwanted tenants in your home.
Droppings are a strong indication that you may have a mouse or rat problem. For this next part you’re going to want to put on some gloves. Ready? If the droppings crumble, then it is safe to assume they are old. You might be wondering how will they crumble? Remember the gloves! Newer droppings will be moist.
Where there is a higher concentration of droppings, place a trap.
Urine trails, illuminated with UV light will provide a perfect place to drop a trap. Placing them on familiar trails is a guaranteed path to success. Gnaw and Scratch Marks are more indications that you have some active nocturnal residents. Mouse chew holes will be smaller and much more clean cut, where as holes rough around the edges may have been caused by larger rodents such as rats.
Pets, especially dogs can be very sensitive to the noise rodents make. So if you see or hear pets acting strangely in very specific areas of your home, be sure to investigate, they might be trying to tell you something.
Now that you know how to identify if you have a rat or mouse problem, what are you going to do about it? Read on and let’s find out.
Lethal vs Non-Lethal
When it come to pest control you have two main options. Lethal and Non Lethal. Lucky for you EEC Hardware stocks both lethal and non-lethal options.
Lethal would mean catching and killing the rodents. This can be done using ready baited traps such as The Big Cheese Rat Trap Ultra Power Twin Pack. These traps are extremely effective and are easy to set and dispose of. Have children or pets? Don’t worry these traps are designed for safe handling to minimize risk to pets and children.
Bait and Kill is another lethal option where the bait is tainted to poison the rodents. The Big Cheese Mouse and Rat Bait Station is your go to for that. Designed with an inspection window you can keep an eye on bait levels without having to open the trap. It’s easy to set up and we would recommend setting it up in areas with clear signs of rodent activity.
Non-lethal is a humane alternative for dealing with your pesky pest problem. The non-lethal approach focuses on preventative and deterrent measures rather than the catch and kill or bait and kill that the lethal method lends itself to.
Using Ultrasonic deterrent such as The Big Cheese Advanced Pest Repeller is your best way to say that these four legged fiends are not welcome in you humble abode. BUT, sometimes the call is coming from inside the house (let us know if you got the reference), and you need to catch those dastardly dwellers. Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with The Big Cheese Live Catch Mouse Trap . These traps are the perfect way to humanely catch and release any mice or rats that might be in your home.
That’s all folks!
Hopefully, with these few tips and guides you can work towards making your home just for you and not any ne’er-do-wells that might have snuck in throughout the winter.
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