Mice and Rats in Tunbridge Wells and Beyond | Signs of Infestation There aren’t many other combinations of words that strike fear into a property owner than ‘rodent infestation’. The presence of a colony of rats or mice in a home or place of work is met with the universal urge to find them quickly and drive them out. Here at Fen Pest Control, we’ve found and removed countless rodent infestations in the areas of Hastings, Tunbridge Wells , Heathfield and Tenterden. With 35 years of trade experience, we fully understand your concerns.
Roof rats, Norway rats and house mice, all common in the UK, are commensal rodents, meaning they coexist happily with human beings to ensure their survival. Put simply, wherever we live, they do too. But what clues are there to infestations of these mice and rats?
The most common sign of a rodent problem is likely to be droppings. If you’ve noted the appearance of small, dark pellets in your Tenterden or Heathfield home, it’s more than likely there are mice or rats present. And it’s not just homes that are affected; office buildings, farms and retail spaces in the Tunbridge Wells and Hastings areas are equally susceptible.
Other tell-tale signs that rats and mice have moved into your property are the pungent ammonia-like smell of rodent urine, smeared dirt and grease marks on floors and walls, the presence of gnawed wood and plastic and, more commonly with rats, rat runs on the land surrounding your Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Tenterden or Heathfield property.
Rat runs are flattened areas, usually grass, which rats use to forage for food and water. As creatures of habit, rats rarely stray from these pathways once they have been established so, over time, they become quite pronounced.
Needless to say, another sign of mice or rats infesting your property is actually seeing rats and mice in and around your property! If you see one in the open, especially in the daylight, there are likely to be more. As mentioned above, both mice and rats prefer to be hidden; if they’re out in the open, it can mean that space in their colony is tight and weaker members in the hierarchical structure have been forced out.
As experts in pest control for Heathfield, Tenterden, Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, we know the signs of a rodent infestation and, more importantly, the associated dangers that come with interacting with these animals and their excretions.
Take our professional opinion: leave the dirty work to Fen Pest Control .
A Confirmed Infestation | Disease and Other Dangers Mice and rats go hand-in-hand with disease. While these are most commonly spread through their urine and droppings, they can also be passed via scratches or bites. Currently, diseases transmitted by mice and rats, either directly or indirectly, include:
Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease) Swine Dysentery Toxoplasmosis Salmonellosis Pseudorabies Rat Bite Fever Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Bordetellosis Encephalomyocarditis Some of these conditions are scary to pronounce, let alone contract — but they can be incredibly dangerous. With an infestation of mice or rats in your Heathfield or Tunbridge Wells home, or in a Hastings or Tenterden business property, they are also easily caught, either through direct contact, rodenticide ingestion or fume inhalation. The possible effects run from a few days of discomfort to renal and liver failure or, in some cases, even death.
And we haven’t even broached the small matter of the Black Death, an epidemic that had a severe impact on Europe during the 14th Century.
The vast majority of property owners in the wider Hastings, Tenterden, Tunbridge Wells and Heathfield area aren’t equipped to deal with an infestation of mice or rats alone. For starters, did you know that rats are highly suspicious of unknown objects in their foraging paths? Naturally, this includes traps. For most people, that’s Plan A out the window. Plan B might consist of the scattering of poison that could be harmful to pets and children.
It’s fair to say, both of these plans are not only dangerous, but would have limited success.
The Solution | Fen Pest Control With our 35 years of industry experience, Fen Pest Control tackles infestations of mice and rats, no matter the size, in Tunbridge Wells, Heathfield, Tenterden, Hastings and beyond. Using carefully selected rodenticides that are far more effective, not to mention more environmentally friendly, than over-the-counter poisons, we strive to drive out your rodents as well as implementing measures to restrict the likelihood of any future infestations.
If you need control measures for rats and mice in the Tenterden, Heathfield, Tunbridge wells and Hastings area, call Fen Pest Control on 01580 754 839 or 07802 365 568 .