RATS ON THE RISE IN BUNDABERG

Recently, we spoke with a local resident who had an interesting rodent story of a ‘mouse in the house’ that was very clever. They had set plastic snap traps to begin with but the mouse would just look at it, sit on it, (the end that doesn’t hurt!) and run around it but not attempt to eat the peanut paste bait.

How do you get rid of rats and mice?

In this situation we put down a sticky board where they often would see the mouse scamper every night when they were watching TV, along the skirting board loaded with peanut paste right in the middle as they knew the mouse loved it.

What happened next is incredible! They would sit there and watch the mouse run along the skirting board, stop and look at them for a brief moment, run into the kitchen, go to a bin that had tissues in it as at the time, (a couple of the house members had a cold). It would then run back out along the skirting board stopping again for a brief moment to look at them and then put the tissue on the sticky board.

While this sounds ‘cute’, these pests can create serious health issues and are well known for causing house fires.

Rodent Characteristics

Rodents are well known for their activity in the winter months, but they can also be found in the warmer months of the year. When their normal food sources are depleted, they will search for new food sources and shelter, often at the expense of the homeowner. Rodents can also establish themselves at any home, despite how clean the home may be – they need food, water and shelter just like us.

Do I have a rodent problem?

A number of  calls we receive from concerned customers are due to their home lighting no longer working and an electrician stating they have found chewed wires.

Rodents are well known for causing this type of damage to home wiring, which can result in a house fire, sparked by damaged wires in roof voids and within wall cavities.

Other signs that you may have a rodent problem include:

• Scratching sounds in walls and roof voids during the early hours of the night and morning.
• Gnawing on doors, skirting boards, books and food packaging.
• Rub marks – greasy marks on walls and skirting boards.
• Droppings and urine – strong repulsive odour around outside areas such as barbeque’s, sheds and indoor storage areas such as cupboards, drawers and under sinks.
• Excitement of your family pet – If your dog or cat is acting strangely, for example excessive barking in a particular area of your home, they might be trying to tell you something.
• Sensors / Alarms – being triggered, particularly within 1 or 2 specific areas of the premises, can be an indicator of rodent activity within an area.