Happy 2018!

The cold winter weather is driving the pests away from the wintery outside and into our warm cosy homes! Here are a few tips on which pests you should look out for and how to prevent infestations as we begin 2018.

Time for a spring clean? Once you have put your Xmas decorations away you should first take a look at your storage boxes etc. Do they appear chewed or damaged? If so you may have been housing mice or rats for the last 12 months. Cardboard and decorations make perfect nesting materials for rodents who will use this for nest building! Look for mouse and rat droppings. Mouse poo is an obvious sign of infestation. A mouse will poo between 50 – 80 times a night! Soft droppings are sign of recent infestation and hard droppings are slightly older.

Mice do not live alone the presence of a single mouse is unlikely. Their nests are likely to be in quiet places within the structure of a building, such as beneath floors, above ceilings and behind walls. So lofts attics and basements are all popular choices. Mice can reproduce from 8 weeks old and can have up to 8 litters per year! Each litter can be between 4 and 8 young so a small problem can soon become a very large one!!

Tidy And Pest Free

At this time of year food choices are limited for mice and rats so try to deter them from your home by storing food and securing rubbish properly. Air tight containers and placing food waste in secure bins away from your property is a good start. Keeping your home clean and tidy especially your surfaces will avoid attracting the dreaded cockroach.

Hoover regularly and change beds frequently to help prevent bedbugs and fleas. Remember to check your pets too as fleas love to live in your warm carpets!

Keep wood stores some distance from your property to avoid infestation of ants and spiders. Tidy up your garden and trim back over hanging trees and branches to avoid allowing access to your home, do not forget to survey your compost heap for pest activity. Sheds are a popular choice of winter residence for pests so take a look. Are there any gaps in the panels are your doors closing properly? Any animal feed and bedding should be stored of the ground and keep outside pets hutches swept and tidy. Remove any standing water too. Check your pipe work and drains etc rats are not choosy as to how they move in!

Following these few tips will help you to stay pest free in 2018.

Wishing you guys a pest free start to the year as the pests prepare to spring into action! 

If you are in need of professional pest control services we are happy to help!
Please call us on 0800 158 3885