Today im going to blog about one of the most common pests that landlords, tenants and property managers have to deal with in rented accommodation. That is rats and mice, there are many other rodents and insects a property manager may encounter and the best way to handle these will be covered over the next few weeks. Our friends at Owlspestcontrol have been kind enough to provided us with some great information on such problems and how to deal with them.
No 1 – Mus Domesticus and Rattus Norvegicus (AKA Mice and Rats)
Mice/Rats breed quickly so these are some of the top guys you don’t want to see on your property. They are attracted to properties due to obvious reasons such as food/water as they are the ultimate scavengers.
To deal with mice and rats you can take the following simple steps in your rental accommodation:
- Remove the food!!, no bin bags left on the ground, lids off the bin etc
- Minimise harbourage opportunities,no junk around the property, trim hedgesregularly with specific attention to areas close to walls.
- Proof the property against potential rodent access, a thorough inspection of the perimeter is needed!(Mice need a 6mm gap to enter your home!)
- Eliminate water sources! Rats are attracted to water taps,water pipes, drains etc
A frequent sighting of rats or mice may not necessarily mean you have an infestation but simply didn’t take the four prevention steps detailed above. If you are worried there is an infestation you must be as detailed and specific as possible when calling pest control. Include details such as number of rodents exact location and how often you have seen the rodents. Thats it for today guys I hope this blog was useful and please share with others in the industry too, you can follow me at @rentview_ and please check out Owl Pest Control.
