Bovingdon Rat Catchers (HP3): Although it is not that common in these modern times, discovering rats in your home or garden in Bovingdon isn't a pleasant experience. A single sighting of a rat shouldn't be that much of a concern, nevertheless, if you notice the presence of rats more often or notice multiple rats you may be in trouble as they breed so quickly.
Despite the fact that neither of the two rat breeds presently living in Great Britain are native to these shores, they have definitely become well established. The brown rat is especially common (hence its name) while the black (ship) rat isn't so much nowadays. Both breeds originated from Asia and made their way to Great Britain on boats (as stowaways).
The black rat at 5-7 inches long, is not as large as the brown, which reaches a length of nearly nine inches and weighs in at about 500g. To prevent their incisor teeth from getting too long, brown rats have to keep chewing things, which is why they cause so much damage. Rats especially prefer to gnaw on wood.
Rats cause many issues in businesses and homes around Bovingdon and they leave behind droppings, transmit disease, gnaw their way through wires, pipes, woodwork and insulation, and are generally problematic. Incidences of rats should always be reported to the local authority. Additionally you can report sightings of rats and other pests on the .gov website HERE.
You'll from time to time become aware of the existence of rats not by in fact seeing them, but by them indicating their presence by other means. Perhaps you might stumble upon a rat's nest in some out of the way location, you might discover droppings on floors or in cupboards, you may hear noises coming from a wall, loft or floor or you might encounter rat holes chewed into floorboards or skirtings.
To tackle this issue there are specific approaches that you could take. You could lay out traps or poison yourself, you can locate a rat catcher or pest removal specialist or you can speak to the local Bovingdon environmental health. In these modern times rat catchers commonly come under the umbrella category of pest control, and pest control providers do not only control rats but in addition bedbugs, cockroaches, mice, fleas, moles, wasps and a variety of other garden and domestic pests. (Tags: Rat Catcher Bovingdon, Pest Control Bovingdon )
Kinds of Rat
In Bovingdon or anywhere else in the United Kingdom, there's only 2 sorts of rat that you are going to come across. These are the Brown Rat and the Black Rat.
The Brown Rat (Rattus Norvegicus)
The brown rat (Norwegian Rat (Rattus Norvegicus), street rat, sewer rat or common rat) is the most frequently found rat in the UK and throughout Continental Europe (also North America). This brown or grey coloured rat reaches lengths of 4 to 9 inches (plus the tail) and weighs in at 140 - 500 grammes. Whilst once believed to have originated from Norway (hence its name), this rat is now known to have initially come from China or at least Central Asia. Brown rats dig burrows and climb effectively, they have good hearing but poor eyesight, the female rats can give birth to five litters per year, they feed on pretty much any foodstuffs (they are omniverous) but have a preference for grains and cereals.
The Black Rat (Ship Rat)
Also not native to Britain, the black rat, ship rat or roof rat first came to Europe from Southeast Asia (India). Probably traveling in spice shipments at the height of the Roman Empire, the black rat consequently spread throughout Continental Europe. The black rat was once common in Great Britain however was typically replaced by the larger brown rat and is now pretty scarce. The black rat attains lengths of 5" to 7" and usually weighs 75 to 230 grams. Black rats are notorious for spreading a variety of diseases, in particular typhus, trichinosis, listeria, Weil's disease, salmonella, rat bite fever, bubonic plague, toxoplasmosis and tularemia.
Rat Sightings - Reporting
This is a little more information on a subject we touched on earlier. If you see rats in your own garden, in a neighbours garden or in a public area its a wise idea to inform the local council. In the case of rats this could sometimes be a free service, although you will normally be asked to pay for some other pests such as bed bugs, wasps and cockroaches. You can head over to the .gov website HERE to report rats. Click HERE to book your local rat catcher and get the matter sorted out without delay.
Rat Bites
Although not that commonplace in Great Britain, bites from rats certainly do occur periodically, and in some situations they can have serious consequences. If you encounter a rat in a confined environment, it could bite you if it feels cornered or pressured, so leave it a clear exit route and try to avoid it at all costs.
Rat bites have been known to occur in homes where rats are kept as pets, and placing your hand inside a rat's cage is definitely an action to be avoided. Rat bites can become infected or be fatal if they develop into "rat bite fever", consequently they should be avoided where possible, although of of course they aren't always serious. "Rat bite fever" can lead to death in 10% of cases, if left without treatment.
Signs of Rat Bite Fever (RBF) - Some of the symptoms of "rat bite fever" are:
- Muscle Pain
- Rash
- Fever
- Joint Pain
- Swelling or Redness
- Vomiting
- Headaches
In the unlikely event that you ever get a rat bite, you'll have to bathe the wounded area, put on some antibiotic cream, and cover it with a clean, sterile bandage or gauze. You must go to your nearest A&E department and get it checked out, even if you don't think that it is too severe, or at the minimum schedule an appointment with your GP or doctor. Getting a tetanus shot is also recommended, especially if it is more than 5 years since you've had one.
Do You Have Rats?
When you have an idea you could have rats in your home or business, there are various ways by which you'll be able to tell. You could listen closely for continual scratching noises coming from walls and attics, particularly at night, keep your eyes open for rat droppings, they're dark brown in colour and look similar to large grains of rice, watch for rub marks on skirting boards and walls where greasy fur has left marks, try to find tail trails or footprints in dusty areas, pay attention to gnawing in wood, wires and cables, particularly in lofts, look out for burrows or tunnels close to solid surfaces.
Rat Prevention Bovingdon
Dissuading rats before they even become a nuisance is actually the best way of avoiding such issues. Consequently, deterring mice and rats must be a thing to look at even when you do not have problems with rats at this time. Amongst the primary reasons for rat and mouse infestations is household waste littering gardens. You'll just encourage rats if you supply them with both the materials and location to build nests. In addition, refrain from giving them easy foodstuffs by leaving household food waste laying around and putting bird feeders out with grain that will just encourage rats and mice.
Coming Shortly:
Bird nest removal - article 132.
Summary
When you have a rat problem in Bovingdon you may be tempted to try to solve it on your own - and obviously countless home and business owners in Bovingdon do choose that course of action. By looking around supermarkets, shops and hardware stores in the Bovingdon area, it is pretty easy to obtain rat poisons, rat traps and similar merchandise.
Calling in a professional Bovingdon rat exterminator would however be preferable, unless of course you know exactly what you're doing, since the correct solution isn't always the obvious one.
Generally the newcomer's use of rat poisons isn't really that helpful, and may even do more harm than good - would you really want to risk the possibility of doing harm to your children and pets? You'd be much better off enlisting the assistance of an expert when you want rat control in Bovingdon.
Pest Control Near Bovingdon
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Other Pests in Bovingdon: Also pest control help with silverfish in Bovingdon, ants in Bovingdon, cockroaches in Bovingdon, mice in Bovingdon, fleas in Bovingdon, hornets in Bovingdon, bees in Bovingdon, wasps in Bovingdon, bedbugs in Bovingdon, rabbits in Bovingdon, clothes moths in Bovingdon, carpet beetles in Bovingdon, moles in Bovingdon, pigeons in Bovingdon Hertfordshire.
Pest Control Services Bovingdon
Bovingdon rat catchers will likely help with residential pest control, pest control, spray & fogging treatments, rat deterrents, bed bug heat treatments, anti-bird spike installation in Bovingdon, domestic pest control, bird nest clearing, domestic rat control Bovingdon, rat catching, mole catching, household pest control Bovingdon, pest control Bovingdon, rat removal services, rodent control Bovingdon, rat baits, rat control in Bovingdon, ultrasonic pest control, commercial pest control, pest removal services, pest extermination, rat prevention, rat poison, mice pest control Bovingdon, pest control for fleas Bovingdon, wildlife management, wasp nest removal, rat extermination, guano clearing, professional control of pests and other pest control in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. These are just a selection of the tasks that are performed by people specialising in pest control. Bovingdon specialists will be delighted to keep you abreast of their whole range of services.
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