Pest prevention is better than cure. Simple statement and fairly simple to do but you’d be surprised at the amount of reports we write on a daily basis with proofing recommendations. And quite often we repeat the recommendations two or three times before they are carried out. If you are in a Victorian building we understand that it’s not easy to proof. However there are ways to identify the main rodent runs so that the main access points can be reduced.
The most environmentally friendly method of preventing pest infestations is to look at ways of reducing their contact with humans. We were saddened to hear recently of attacks on an elderly lady in a care home and a child in North London as well as the death of a student, caused by Weil’s disease. Rodents, as well as other animals, are known carriers of Weil’s disease, which is occasionally fatal.
Pest prevention reduces the risk of Weil’s disease or Leptospirosis. This disease is caught through contact with the urine of infected animals. It then enters the human body through abrasions or cuts in the skin where it can cause flu like symptoms. In some people it causes more severe symptoms such as internal bleeding and kidney/liver damage.
Rodents can enter buildings though the smallest gaps. Mice can climb through gaps as small as the tip of your index finger. Rats can also fit through surprisingly small holes. A young rat can fit through a gap not much more than an inch wide. Rats and mice can also climb on pitted surfaces.
Here are some of the most common places to check for gaps and entry points:
- Externally, broken drain covers, weep holes, breaks in the building fabric which may allow access to voids between the walls, gaps under doors, and gaps between the door and the door frame.
- Internally, look for holes around pipework and wiring in kitchens and bathrooms. This may mean that you need to pull out appliances which should only be done by an approved contractor.
If you are not able to do the job using your maintenance team, your pest controller should be able to offer this service. It’s important that you ask your pest controller to do the work as builders quite often don’t have the necessary expertise in understanding pest entry points.
Beaver have a specialist dedicated proofing team with all the right tools and equipment to rodent proof your building or house. For more information call 0208 355 3441. Got pests, think Beaver.
