Rodent infestations have become a great problem in Australia throughout its history. From the mouse plagues introduced by European colonists along with the First Fleet in 1788 to the recent 2011 plague that affected Southern Queensland, through New South Wales, Western Victoria and South Australia—Australians have been dealing with the rodent infestation for a long time. 

Despite being rather commonplace, it’s vital to understand the dangers of a rodent infestation in your home. Here are three reasons why rodent infestations are more dangerous than you think. 

1. Rats are effective carriers of disease

Rats and mice are not just unsightly, but they can also harm you and your family without ever having to be in contact with them. Because they eat the same food as humans, they can go after your own food, contaminating it with their urine, saliva, and droppings. 

Among the most common diseases caused by rodents are salmonella, leptospirosis, and tularemia—which are especially deadly diseases for humans. Aside from food contamination, an infection can also occur as a result of direct body contact, bites, and unsafe handling of dead mice and rats.

2. Rats destroy furniture 

Rats are notorious for gnawing at doors, walls, and other pieces of furniture. Rodent teeth do not stop growing and gnawing at hard objects is the only way for rats to file down their teeth. If they don’t do this, their teeth will grow into a spiral at an 86-degree angle, preventing them from closing their mouth!

This means that as long as rats are present in your home, you can expect torn couches, scratched hardwood, and unsightly bite marks on your furniture. 

3. Rats can cause fires 

Because of their natural propensity to chew on hard objects, rats and mice are also known to gnaw at electrical wires furiously. 

Needless to say, torn and exposed wires are fire hazards for your home! One wrong move and these exposed wires could create a spark, which can quickly result in a fire. The danger lies in the fact that your wires are hidden away in your ceiling, and you are very unlikely to detect the problem until it’s too late!

What you can do 

Like humans, rats need three basic things to survive: food and water to survive, and shelter to keep them warm and safe from predators and the elements. This is the reason why rat infestations are a nearly universal problem for households.

To control an infestation in your home, you can make an effort to secure your food and water sources away from the reach of rats. Get rid of exposed food sources, like cereal, fruits, and vegetables, as those are what attracts the rodents to your home in the first place.

Another common way to control their population is by laying out traps and rat poison—though both methods are considered inhumane. Rat poison, in particular, causes a slow and painful death, and can even poison other animals if they ingest the rodent before it dies!

Aside from those, you can also fill every hole, crack, and crevice that you can find around your home to prevent entry. Remember that rats have very flexible bodies, and can squeeze through gaps less than 2 cm, so you’ll need to be very thorough!

Conclusion 

There are various home remedies that you can do to curb your rodent infestation. However, the best thing to do is to call on eco-friendly pest control services near you. They can do all of the abovementioned things and more—including making sure that your house is as rodent-free as possible and giving you tips in maintaining that status.

Clean & Green Pest Managers provide pest control services around Sydney and the Northern Beaches. We specialise in performing eco-friendly pest control methods that get rid of infestation without damaging the environment. Contact us today for more information.