Recession Rodents

01 June, 2009

An increasing number of councils are moving to fortnightly bin collections, coupled with warm, wet summer days, and many buildings being left empty due to the recession this could lead to homes and buildings being visited by Mice and Rats attracted by the odour of food waste & the shelter of an undisturbed building.

Savvas Othon, Technical Director, Rentokil explains, " The current recession means that there are lots of buildings left empty and undisturbed. Empty buildings provide the perfect shelter for rodents looking for somewhere more comfortable to move in to. With all cases of rodent infestations it is important to seek professional treatment immediately. If you own a property that is standing empty for any period of time, make sure you inspect it regularly to look for any signs of rodent activity."

General Rodent Prevention Advice from Rentokil

• Do not attract mice or rats with food - make sure all rubbish is placed inside secure bins. Rodents can easily tear bin liners. Inside keep all food inside plastic containers.
• When setting traps for mice, do not use cheese as bait as rodents actually prefer chocolate! Be careful when using household food as bait as this can also encourage rodents to enter the home.
• Seal up holes inside and outside the home to keep rodents out. A typical house mouse can enter the home through a hole the size of a ballpoint pen (6mm high).
• Be careful what food you leave around for pets and garden visitors. Bird food for example will attract rodents as it provides an easy food supply. If you feed the birds, use squirrel-proof bird feeders ad remove any fallen food daily.
• If you are worried that you have a problem in your home, seek professional advice immediately to avoid the problem escalating, rat and mice colonies spread quickly.

For information and advice about Rentokil Mice & Rat control services call our national service team on 0800 917 1989.