Control rodents before they control you!
They can survive large doses of radiation, and swim for half a mile across open water.
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Rodents are warm-blooded mammals that, like humans, can be found throughout the world.
Rodents’ biology and habits can make them challenging to control, and they present a serious menace to your home. If you’re in need of rodent control services, here’s what you should know about these pests:
• They are able to adapt to different environments without much difficulty.
• A rat can go longer without water than a camel.
• It can fall some five stories without injury.
• They can survive large doses of radiation, and swim for half a mile across open water.
• Over generations, they tend to build up certain immunities to poisons.
• Rats’ front teeth grow 4½ to 5½ inches each year. Rats wear them down by continuously gnawing on everything around them, including cement, brick, wood, lead pipes, and other small animals.
• They need a hole the size of a quarter or a ½ inch crack beneath a door to enter.
• They require 0.5–2.5 ounces of food each day.
How fast can mice multiply?
Start with two baby mice, one of each sex. At six weeks old the female can become pregnant. Gestation is three weeks, and under optimal conditions the female can become pregnant again immediately after giving birth.
Rodents are attracted to:
• Open foodstuffs and food waste.
• Domestic, garden or business refuse accumulations.
• Accumulations of builder’s rubble, etc.
• Bird seed, dog food etc.
• Haphazard or untidy storage.
• Poultry runs, aviaries, stables, etc.
Rodents love to breed in:
• Accumulation of rubble or junk and improperly stacking of articles.
• In open spaces.
• Bricks, tiles and similar goods should be neatly stacked without interspaces.
• Fittings, fixtures, cupboards, shelving, etc.
• Disused drains, pipes, etc., should be disconnected or sealed off.
• Overgrowth or dense vegetation should be trimmed or cut.
• Any burrows should be sealed in with cement mortar.
Ten ways to control rats:
1. Look for rat activity and food sources each month. Take action right away, before things get worse!
2. Use proper refuse bins or proper dumpsters to store bagged trash until pickup. Don’t throw refuse on open spaces or on pavements.
3. Rinse cans and bottles for recycling.
4. Remove piles of lumber and debris.
5. Remove uneaten pet and bird food.
6. Mow grass regularly. Eliminate weedy, brushy areas where rats hide.
7. Limit the use of groundcover plants.
8. Seal burrows into and under buildings.
9. Cooperate with your neighbours.
10. Use rat control products safely.
Please contact your Environmental Health Office should you require more information or advice on rodent control. Vector Control Region F 011 492 3948 or 011 681 8060.
Compliled by Douglas Wood (Auxiliary Services Manager), Shalin Bidassey (Environmental Health Practitioner), Andrew Kruger (OPS Manager – Environmental Health) and Ranitha Raghubir (Environmental Health Practitioner).
