Pest Control Antrim

If you spot rats in Antrim, the probabilities are that they will be common brown rats, even though there are actually 2 types of rat at present living in Great Britain; black (or ship) rats and brown (common) rats. As you might know ship rats were responsible for the Great Plague of the 17th Century and at that time they were quite common. Black rats are relatively rare nowadays and in fact neither species is native to the United Kingdom, both coming from Asia.

Brown rats are typically larger than black rats weighing in at half a kilogram and reaching a length of around 9 inches. Brown rats can cause destruction as they have to continuously gnaw on things to prevent their teeth from growing too much. They especially prefer to gnaw on wood.

Rats gnaw their way through pipes, wires, woodwork and insulation, leave behind droppings, spread diseases, and basically cause a nuisance in homes and businesses in Antrim. The local authorities should really be notified when there are sightings of rats. Or even post a report to record pest and rat sightings on the .gov website HERE, which is forwarded to the relevant local authority.

You will often become aware of the presence of rats not in fact by seeing them, but by them indicating their activity in other ways. It could be that you might encounter rat holes gnawed in floorboards or skirtings, you could come upon a rat's nest in some out of the way location, you may start seeing droppings in cupboards or on floor surfaces or you could hear noises coming from a wall, floor or loft.

If you don't wish to wait around for the local council to control this rat infestation you could also bring in local Antrim rat catcher or pest controller who will be competent in the business of pest removal. Long ago, rat catchers used to be precisely that, but currently they are normally known as pest controllers and will not only be capable of helping you manage getting rid of rats but also removing cockroaches, wasps, moles, mice, ants and much more. (Tags: Pest Control Antrim, Rat Catchers Antrim )

Diseases Spread by Rats

Diseases can be transmitted to humans by rats through their urine, saliva and faeces, with a variety of ailments being spread. Some of the diseases that rats can transmit to humans include rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, salmonellosis and hantavirus.

Fatality can result from a severe respiratory illness caused by hantavirus. Rat-bite fever is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted through a rat bite or scratch, causing fever, vomiting and rashes. Symptoms such as fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea are caused by the bacterial infection salmonellosis. Kidney and liver failure are potential outcomes of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that can also cause symptoms resembling the flu.

The risk of disease transmission can be minimized by preventing and controlling rat infestations. Also, the risk of disease transmission can be further increased by the contamination of food and water sources from rat urine and droppings.

Rat Prevention Antrim

An effective way to prevent problems with rats and mice is not to attract them from the get go. For this reason, even though you do not actually have a problem with rats, rat prevention has to be high on your list of priorities. Amongst the main reasons for rat and mouse infestations is household waste littering gardens. Providing both the materials and location for nests will only encourage them. When there's also plenty of food on offer these rats will be in paradise, so keep in mind that many bird feeders can attract rats, in particular when they're susceptible to spillages, and household food scraps should also not be easily accessible. (Tags: Rat Prevention Antrim, Rat Deterrents Antrim)

Rat Bite Wounds

While, in the British Isles, bites from rats aren't that commonplace, they do occur every now and again, and the effects can be serious in some situations. When stressed or cornered, rats can attack and bite humans, thus when you encounter one in a confined area, it is best to leave the creature a clear exit route so that it can escape.

These sorts of bites sometimes occur where rats are being kept as pets (which is happening quite frequently these days), and you're likely to be asking for trouble if you shove your hand in a rat's cage. Rat bites can turn nasty or even fatal if they develop into "rat bite fever" (caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis), so they must be avoided where possible, although of they are not of course always dangerous. If it's not treated rapidly "rat bite fever" can result in death in 10% of cases.

Symptoms of Rat Bite Fever - "Rat bite fever" can have a number of symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Rash
• Vomiting
• Joint Pain
• Headache
• Swelling or Redness
• Muscle Pain

In the unlikely event that you are ever bitten by a rat, you'll need to carefully bathe the wound, administer a coating of antibiotic ointment, and wrap it with a clean, sterile bandage or gauze. You need to make an appointment to see your GP, or go to the closest A&E, even if it doesn't appear to be that serious. If it is more than five years since you received your last vaccination for tetanus, you should get one of those done as well, because rat bites can become a cause of infection.

What Attracts Rats and Mice?

Even though some folks in Antrim may consider them cute with their furry bodies, pointy faces and twitchy whiskers, rats and mice are certainly not creatures that you want in your home or garden, and can even be dangerous to have around. By gnawing through skirting boards, electrical wires, plasterboard and plastic, rats and mice can cause accidents and in particular electrical fires. Spreading the likes of typhus, listeria, trichinosis, Weil's disease, tularemia, bubonic plague, rat bite fever, salmonella and toxoplasmosis, rats and mice can cause more than thirty kinds of disease. So, the primary things that will attract mice and rats to your garden and home are:

• WATER - Mice and rats need to drink like any other living creature, subsequently water sources like pet water bowls, leaky pipes, birdbaths and seeping sprinkler systems are a big enticement for these pests.
• FOOD - Food that is left discarded or lying around is one of the main attractions for mice and rats.
• PET WASTE/COMPOST - Remarkably piles of compost and even pet waste can be attractive to mice and rats - there are a few tasty morsels hiding in there!
• RUBBISH - An accumulation of trash and garden rubbish piled up on your property (especially in the garden) will obviously attract rats and mice.
• CLUTTER - General clutter in a shed, cellar or loft will be particularly attractive to mice and rats, particularly if there is a food source nearby.
• ENTRY POINTS AND HOLES - Mice and rats can squeeze through the tiniest of holes, so keep an eye out for gaps around doorways, grills, piping and crawl spaces.

Mouse Problems Antrim

Mice can be as much of an issue as having rats, particularly if they find their way into your house. While a lot smaller, mice are still going to contaminate foodstuffs, leave droppings, gnaw at things and breed rapidly. Also, as with rats, poisoning and setting traps are the favourite methods for solving mouse problems in Antrim. Irrespective of whether you have a problem with mice or rats, stop by at BARK to find a local Antrim pest controller to get it sorted.

To Summarise

Having a problem with rats in Antrim is something that most of us dread, and when this happens to you, you may be tempted to try to resolve it on your own. Rat poisons, rat traps and other merchandise is readily accessible in shops, supermarkets and hardware stores in the Antrim area, so the stuff you need can be easily obtained.

An expert rat exterminator in Antrim is however the ideal person for the job, since removing rats might not be as easy as you may think.

The novice's use of rat poison is likely to do more harm than good, because you need to be incredibly cautious with them if children and pets are likely to come into contact with them. If you know what's best for you, always bring in a specialist rat control service in Antrim for a solution to your rat problems.

Pest Control Services Antrim

Antrim rat catchers can normally help you with residential pest control, spray & fogging treatments, rat poison, rat deterrents, cockroach control, the installation of moth pheromone stations, rat baits, domestic pest control, wildlife management, preventive pest control Antrim, ultrasonic pest control, dead animal removal, pest control Antrim, bird dropping removal, commercial rat control Antrim, dead bird removal, domestic rat control, anti-bird spike installation, pest control for fleas, rat prevention, bird proofing services, rat extermination Antrim, rat trapping, bird pest control Antrim, restaurant pest control Antrim, household pest control in Antrim, mouse control, ingress pest solutions, carpet beetle pest control Antrim and other pest control in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Listed are just a few of the tasks that are conducted by people specialising in pest control. Antrim professionals will be happy to tell you about their full range of pest control services.

Pest Control Near Antrim

Also find: Dundrod rat catchers, Glenavy rat catchers, Nutts Corner rat catchers, Dunadry rat catchers, Shankbridge rat catchers, Muckamore rat catchers, Crumlin rat catchers, Randalstown rat catchers, Toomebridge rat catchers, Templepatrick rat catchers, Parkgate rat catchers, Doagh rat catchers, Aldergrove rat catchers and more.

Other Pests in Antrim: Also get help with silverfish in Antrim, clothes moths in Antrim, bedbugs in Antrim, carpet beetles in Antrim, ants in Antrim, fleas in Antrim, bees in Antrim, cockroaches in Antrim, moles in Antrim, mice in Antrim, rabbits in Antrim, pigeons in Antrim, wasps in Antrim, hornets in Antrim Northern Ireland.

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