What are rodents?
Rodents is a kind of mammals. Most of the rodents are small animals with robust bodies, short limbs, and long tails. They use their sharp incisors to gnaw food, excavate burrows, and defend themselves. Most of them eat seeds or other plant material and some have more varied diets. Rodents are social animals. The well-known rodents are mice and rats. The brown rats, the black rats and the house mouse were categorised as serious pests.
What does rodents cause?
Rodents eating and spoiling the food that stored by humans and spreading diseases. The most common disease was Plague. Plague is a serious infection of humans caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. It is usually caused by the bite of a flea that has fed on an infected wild animal, such as a rat. Besides Plague, Leptospirosis was also one of the common diseases that caused by rodents. Leptospirosis was caused by a kind of bacteria called Leptospira. Rodents carry this kind of bacteria and pass them in their urine. Soil or water contaminated with infected urine are the most common causes of human infection.
How to find out
There are a lot of signs showed there were rodents in a place. The first sign is found rodent droppings. The fresh rodent droppings are dark and moist. We will also find the highest number of droppings where the rodents are nesting or feeding. So, we can determine whether the place currently got rodents or not based on the rodent droppings’ condition and the quantity of rodent droppings. Next, the newer gnaw marks will be lighter in colour and become darker as their age. So, if found the gnaw marks are lighter in colour, it could be an indication of a continuing infestation. The gnaw marks can also indicate whether the place have mice or rats. The larger gnaw marks were produced by larger teeth of rats. Next, there is a foul odor in areas where rodents are present. Cats and dogs may become active and excited because of the odor of rodents. If rodents are currently active in or around your home, you may detect the tracks or runways with flashlight or blacklight. You may see smudge marks, footprints, urine stains, or droppings. You can also place a very thin layer of flour or baby powder at the area that you suspect. Rodents will use shredded paper, fabric, or dried plant matter to make their nests. If these areas are found and have any of the other signs of current presence, it is likely that there is still an infestation in your home.
Solution
Firstly, chemical control is the most common method to overcome rodents problem. Chemical control is using rat poisons or rodenticides which contain anti-coagulant to kill the rodents. Those chemical products can be purchased from hardware store or supermarkets. Next, trapping is a traditional way to overcome rodents problem. We need to identified the type of rodents and use a proper trap. This is because mouse and rat traps are differ in size and strength. The traps can be purchase from hardware store or supermarkets.
Prevention
First, ensure rubbish bins have tight-fitting lids and are regularly emptied. Next, keep stacked materials such as wood and bricks at least 30cm above the ground to minimise hiding / nesting / thoroughfare of rats and mice. Third, regularly clean out sheds, storage areas and dispose of unwanted items. Forth, store poultry food in vermin proof containers with close-fitting lids. Fifth, block access points to cupboards containing food and food-preparation utensils. Last but not least, cover rainwater tank openings and floor vents with wire mesh no coarser than 1mm and check and maintain these regularly.
