Rodents

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The black rat is black to light brown in colour with a lighter underside. It is a generalist omnivore and a serious pest to farmers because it feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops. It is sometimes kept as a pet. In parts of India, it is considered sacred and respected in the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke. 

There are numerous types of mice in the United Kingdom, varying in size, average lifespan and physical appearances. Some are also protected such as the field mouse.

Most human interactions are with the house mouse

The house mouse has a brown-grey fur coat that covers the length of their tails too – their tails are the most distinctive out of all the mice in the UK – they look almost hairless and are much thicker and scalier than the other species of mice. The house mouse has big eyes, ears and a long, pointed snout and all of their feet are small, unlike the field mouse who has distinctively large back feet. 

If living outdoors, a house mouse lifespan will generally be up to 1 year, but indoors, a house mouse can live up to 3 years.

House mice need to eat up to 3 grams of food each day. They favour cereals – so watch out, they might just eat your breakfast. Typically, they will feed on fruits, seeds and grains.

House mice do not hibernate; they simply nest in our settlements where there’s warm shelter and plentiful food.

The grey squirrel is classified as a rodent, it is not regarded as vermin. 

Since their introduction into Britain in the 1870s, grey squirrels have spread rapidly. They have displaced the red squirrel throughout most of England and Wales and in south-east and central Scotland.

Grey squirrels can cause serious problems for foresters, native wildlife, and gamekeepers. The bark stripping from tree trunks during the months of May and June damages stands of timber and natural woodland.

In spring, the taking of eggs and young chicks can be devastating for songbird and ground-nesting bird populations. Damage to hoppers, feed bins and water pipes can cause serious and costly shoot management problems.

The grey squirrel is also a significant factor in the decline of the native red squirrel population in the UK. Greys can carry the squirrel pox virus. And although they are relatively unaffected themselves, the disease causes considerable suffering and death to the red squirrel – which is already severely threatened and even extinct in many parts of the UK.

Grey squirrels have limited legal protection and can be controlled all year round by a variety of methods including shooting and trapping. It is an offence under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) to introduce and release grey squirrels into the wild. Under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 any person responsible for a squirrel trap would only be responsible for any animal caught by it, not its offspring still in the wild. Under the act, it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to a kept animal (this includes live caught animals).

Glis Glis are incredibly destructive when they invade our homes. Their chewing of wires has been  known to cause house fires.

In the UK you need to hold a licence to trap them. Fortunately, we hold this licence and can help you with any Glis Glis problems, however, there are things you can do to help mitigate their invasion on your home. Glis Glis travel an arboreal route, meaning any trees or shrubs you have growing up, or near, your property will give them access to your house. If you cut these back as much as you can, ideally completely, they will find it more difficult to gain access to your home. They can jump a long way though!

Please note, if you have one enter your home, you will likely have many! This therefore means that removing Glis Glis can sometimes be a costly necessity. We will, of course, do our best to keep this cost down, but your assistance in cutting back trees and shrubs will help with this too.

Moles can be incredibly destructive to lawns and create holes which can cause serious injury.

Rodents in your home or business can cause a huge array of problems.

Diseases

Rodents can harbour diseases which can affect both humans and other animals. They can carry many diseases including hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), Tularemia and Salmonella. This often leads to health issues if you come into contact with both the animal and their droppings or urine.

Damage to Property

Rodents can also cause a huge amount of damage to a property. This can range from chewing through main drains, electrical wiring, insulation etc.  Rats have been known to chew through metal and concreate.

They can damage crop food stores and, in some cases, force you to leave your home or close your business.

Noise

One of the first things people notice when they have a rodent issue is the noise.  

It's common for rodents to find their way into loft spaces, cavity walls,  under flooring and small enclosed spaces within buildings. 

Normally just as you begin to try and sleep, they wake up and start moving around and they can be very loud especially when in a loft.

To treat rodents we can use various methods depending on the situation to ensure a safe resolution. These methods are as follows:

• Poison
• Trapping
• Preventive measures to reduce the chance of continuing infestation.
• Regular site visits if required.
• Shooting
• Trained Dogs