Whilst very few people find rats & mice cute like they’re depicted in the world of Disney, the masses think they’re filthy and disgusting. Why most people find rodents so disgusting is most likely due to the unsanitary conditions they inhabit, like sewer drains and rubbish tips.
Even though rats and mice are different they share common characteristics: they are pests and disease carriers! And just to add fuel to the fire, here are 5 facts about rodents that will make you cringe!
- Rats and mice carry diseases that can be fatal in some cases. This includes hantavirus, leptospirosis, typhus and meningitis. Rats transfer diseases through direct contact with their saliva, urine, faeces and also rat-bites that can be severe if left untreated.
- Rodents are good swimmers and can survive in water for three days! What’s worse is that even if you flush them down, they can swim back through your plumbing system… EEK!
- Rats and mice can be a risk of house fires as they chew through electrical wires. They can also cause plumbing issues as their razor-sharp teeth can gnaw through lead pipes!
- A rat’s teeth can grow more than 12 cm a year, only maintained by continuous grinding and gnawing to keep them from outgrowing the rat’s mouth.
- And the worst rodent fact is that these critters sometimes eat their own poop for nutritional sustenance… Yuck!
Rat and Mouse Myths BUSTED!
There are more rumours about how to get rid of rats and mice than most other pests, probably because they’re the most common pest problem in our lives. Rodents are arguably the most common Melbourne pest issue that both homeowners and businesses have to deal with.
Here are some of the common rat and mouse myths we come across.
Myth: Cats and dogs will provide effective rodent control around my home
Fact: Whilst it is true that some cats and dogs may chase rodents or manage to capture and kill them, they do not provide effective rodent control. Rats and mice can avoid pests by remaining active in the voids of a building and using routes where your pets don’t have access. The presence of unattended pet foods will normally attract more rodents then your pets will chase away.
Myth: The presence of rodents always indicates poor hygiene
Fact: Whilst poor hygiene and sanitation will attract rodents, even the cleanest of homes and businesses can become a place for rodents to harbour. If rodents can find their way into a building for shelter and warmth, they can then feed on pet food, fruits on trees, seeds, vegetables, snails, unsecured rubbish, compost or even your pets poop!
Myth: Seeing rodents during the day means that there is a large population
Fact: Rats and mice are more active when they feel safe and there is less danger, this is mostly at night, but they are not only nocturnal. Rats and mice move individually and usually only forage for food and water within a small area. Evidence of rodent droppings, burrows and signs of rodent damage are much better indications of the level of rodent activity.
Myth: Rodents will go outside to die after eating rodenticides (rat bait or rat poison)
Fact: There are no commercially available rodenticides that are licenced for use in Australia that make rodents leave a building structure to die. If you would like to test this, then ask your pest operator for the name of the product they use. You can then search for the label of that product and read it for yourself, you will learn the truth from this.
Myth: Rodents will search for water after consuming so-called “special” rat baits (rat poison)
Fact: As with the previously mentioned myth, there is no known rodenticide commercially available and licenced for use in Australia that causes rodents to run away in search of water. It’s true that rats and mice need water on a daily basis. Rats and mice will have their water sources well established within a small foraging range of their nest location. In fact, mice will get most of the water they need to survive from the food they consume.
Stop Believing the Myth and Start Taking Action!
So now that we have done some myth busting and learned some disgusting and unhealthy facts about rats and mice, its time to take action. If you have rodent infestations at your property, contact the Melbourne pest control experts at Cannon Pest Management. We have all the right knowledge, tools and treatments to successfully exterminate these creepy rodents. Contact us today!
