Brace yourself if you have a fear of rodents. Pest UK has issued a warning about three common animals that are particularly troublesome in January and often lurk in gardens or attics.
Regrettably, this includes rats, which are attracted to warm compost heaps and areas under porches as potential nesting sites. Once there, adult females are likely to produce around six litters per year, each containing six to 13 pups.
Rats and mice are drawn to any food sources available on your property, too. In winter, this particularly includes seeds, nuts and other protein sources that you might leave out to help local birds survive the colder weather.
“January is typically a slow month for pest control,” Pest UK explains. “Insect problems are not as prevalent, except for bedbugs which are not a seasonal pest. The most common pests in January are rodents, such as rats, mice and also squirrels.”
Although red squirrels are protected in the UK, grey squirrels are considered vermin. The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) states that anyone who catches one is ‘legally obliged to humanely dispatch of it’ – or kill it – in most cases.
Grey squirrels, originally brought to the UK from North America during the Victorian era, have outcompeted our native red squirrels for food and shelter, while spreading the squirrelpox (SQPV) disease. According to the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, there are now fewer than 287,000 red squirrels remaining in the UK, compared to a staggering 2.7 million greys.
Much like rats and mice, these creatures are infamous for gnawing at people’s homes, damaging fibreglass insulation, woodwork and even electrical wires. This not only results in costly repairs but can also compromise the structural safety of your home.
Advice at Safeguard Pest Control echoes: “During the first two months of the year while the weather is cold, you can expect to encounter high levels of mice and rats as they love to seek out warm buildings to call home during the winter months….January also signals the end of spider season.”
If you’re looking to safeguard your property against pests this January, there are several measures you can take. Gareth Davies, an expert at Pest and Property Solutions, suggests storing food properly and disposing of rubbish promptly.
“I think it’s about being sensible and not leaving stuff out on the countertops,” he said in a previous interview with the Mirror. “When they get into your property and crawl over food services, the bacteria they spread is horrendous. Eighty percent of rats come from the sewers – we all know what’s in the sewers.”
Later, he added: “If there’s a hole you can see, crush up some broken glass and seal it with cement.” To further fortify your home against the threat of rodents such as mice and rats, keeping your lawn well-kept is recommended.
It may be beneficial to reconsider your bird feeders as well, according to pest control professionals. Advice from Pest Defence asserts: “It’s best to try and squirrel-proof your bird feeder either through a metal cage that allows birds in or by greasing the pole which the feeder hangs from so that the squirrels can’t climb up.
“Another route to take would be to do away with a seed and nut feeder altogether and simply grow plants that birds like, such as crab apple trees and hawthorn. Essentially, anything easy for birds to grab that might not be as easy or as attractive for a squirrel.”
