Mammals
Rats
Symptoms/Identification
Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus is often betrayed by scurrying in the ceiling, droppings, rat runs and gnawing damage.
Potential Issues
Rats are a commensal rodent, meaning that they are well adapted to exploit the human environment. They can spread disease, in particular Weil’s disease / Leishmaniosis. They can damage food and food stores. They can damage property by gnawing – in particular if they gnaw wires.
Treatment
Control of rats is risk assessed against an integrated pest control strategy. Used responsibly, rodenticides are an efficient method, as are trapping and proofing. Good bio security also helps.
Mice
Symptoms/Identification
The house mouse Mus musculus is one of the three species of mouse found in the UK and the one that most readily enters human habitation, the others being the wood mouse and the yellow-necked mouse.
Potential Issues
Mice can contaminate food stuffs and cause damage to the fabric of a property. They can also carry a variety of diseases. They can also be a nuisance when they can be heard scurrying in the walls and ceilings.
Treatment
An integrated pest control plan is recommended, which can involve the use of rodenticides, traps and proofing.
Moles
Symptoms/Identification
Small, dark, velvet-coated insectivores that form distinctive molehills usually in the best of lawns.
Potential Issues
Apart from mole hills which can be unsightly, they can also cause problems including trip hazards, damage to playing fields, reducing the grass crop, reducing the beneficial earthworm population and causing damage the cutting blades of grass cutters.
Treatment
Pest Right uses traps to control moles when they have taken residence in areas that are inappropriate.
Rabbits
Symptoms/Identification
Familiar medium sized mammals, that are readily recognized.
Potential Issues
Rabbits are principally an agricultural pest causing serious damage to growing crops. In the wrong place their rabbit warrens can cause damage to property.
Treatment
Trapping, snaring, shooting & ferreting. Pest Right specialises in discrete night shooting with night vision and .22LR rifles for quick humane control.
Grey Squirrels
Symptoms/Identification
Grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species. Despite its cute appearance, the grey squirrel causes a wide range of problems. They can cause extensive damage to tree crops by stripping bark. Ecologically they are a disaster; a pox virus they carry resulted in the decimation of the native Red squirrel. Squirrels also raid birds’ nests for their chicks and eggs.
Potential Issues
Squirrels can also be a particular problem if they enter properties, usually loft spaces where they make their nest or “drey”. This can be smelly but what is worse is the squirrels habit of stripping the plastic of wiring to line their nest – which can result in power outages and fire risks.
Treatment
Trapping and shooting are effective legal methods of squirrel control. Pest Right specialises in using cage traps. Because grey squirrels are invasive non-native species they cannot be re-released so are humanely dispatched on site.
Foxes
Symptoms/Identification
Britain’s largest mammalian predator.
Potential Issues
Bin raiding, noisy swabbling at night and predation of domestic animals make foxes a significant nuisance in the wrong situation.
Treatment
Trapping and shooting are effective method of removing problem foxes.