Rat control - say goodbye to unwelcome guests
Rat control is a serious business - and with good reason. None of us wants to have to deal with rodent invasions of any type in our homes or gardens, and rat infestations are often the most dismaying prospect of all.
Rats can spread disease, including Weil's disease, and their scuttling movements - whether seen or heard, and the damage they can do as they chew their way through fixtures and fittings to create burrows and seek food - are a source of horror for householders.
Once upon a time, your only option in a situation like this was to rely on highly toxic substances to be laid down as bait, whether administered by yourself or by a professional. This is certainly an effective method of killing off the pests. But unfortunately, it also creates a hazard for other animals living in or around the property.
Worse still, you have the headache of making sure no young children get access to the poison. Fortunately, nowadays there are more numerous rat control options available.
You can still go for the convenience of buying a bottle of something that will finish off the vermin in your house, but it can be a foodstuff made of maize and molasses. It kills off rats that eat it, but poses no risk to other animals - such as owls that might feed on the dead pest - or the household cat.
Alternatively, you can buy an assortment of traps to place around your home. Once these have done their job, their 'residents' can be dealt with, using a device that gives the rats a lethal electric shock.
If you decide to use any of these methods, however, it is of the utmost importance that you wear gloves, and disinfect all equipment and surfaces regularly.
And one important non-toxic strategy to remember is, of course, prevention - so don't forget to block up access holes and remove attractants, such as food spills in the house, or rotting animal matter in the garden.
Rats can spread disease, including Weil's disease, and their scuttling movements - whether seen or heard, and the damage they can do as they chew their way through fixtures and fittings to create burrows and seek food - are a source of horror for householders.
Once upon a time, your only option in a situation like this was to rely on highly toxic substances to be laid down as bait, whether administered by yourself or by a professional. This is certainly an effective method of killing off the pests. But unfortunately, it also creates a hazard for other animals living in or around the property.
Worse still, you have the headache of making sure no young children get access to the poison. Fortunately, nowadays there are more numerous rat control options available.
You can still go for the convenience of buying a bottle of something that will finish off the vermin in your house, but it can be a foodstuff made of maize and molasses. It kills off rats that eat it, but poses no risk to other animals - such as owls that might feed on the dead pest - or the household cat.
Alternatively, you can buy an assortment of traps to place around your home. Once these have done their job, their 'residents' can be dealt with, using a device that gives the rats a lethal electric shock.
If you decide to use any of these methods, however, it is of the utmost importance that you wear gloves, and disinfect all equipment and surfaces regularly.
And one important non-toxic strategy to remember is, of course, prevention - so don't forget to block up access holes and remove attractants, such as food spills in the house, or rotting animal matter in the garden.
