Making Pest Control Green Again

When you have a pest infestation you just want to get rid of the problem! Very often the thought of having rats, wasps, cockroaches or fleas running around your home or work premises can panic people into using products that are unsafe, ineffective and environmentally unfriendly.

Right now, we are in the middle of the rat invasion season; this is the time of year when rats will want to be out of the cold and in a warm, cosy environment…i.e. your property!

Rat Poisons – not always the best solution:

Once rats get into your property they can prove very hard to eliminate. The immediate reaction most people have is to put down rat poisons such as; Warfarin, Coumatetralyl, Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone and Difenacoum.

These poisons effectively thin the blood, resulting in the rat bleeding internally, ultimately leading to heart failure. The problem with using poisons, however, is that the rat does not die immediately, indeed it can take several days – sometimes up to 10 days in fact. During this time the rat is seriously weakened and many fall prey to other animals including dogs, cats, foxes and even birds. If the rat is then eaten, the poisonous chemicals are passed on, causing harm and suffering to these creatures.

The other serious downside with using poisons is one of resistance – rats and mice are strong creatures that breed regularly. Consequently, rats and mice are building a tolerance to poisons, which in turn means that more of the chemical needs to be used. Other animals haven’t developed this tolerance, so if they consume a poisoned rat, their chances of survival are significantly diminished.

Rat Invasion – Prevention is much better than Cure

Whilst chemical prevention does need to be used in some instances, it is most definitely the case that prevention is better than cure!

Rats are very smart, and they will find lots of different ways to get into your home and broken drainage pipes are a common entry point. A rat’s ribs are hinged at the spine, meaning it can easily squeeze through the smallest spaces, rats are expert swimmers too and can tread water for 3 days! They can hold their breath for 3 minutes, so getting into your property through a cracked pipe and the toilet for example is a piece of cake for them!

Eco Friendly Rat Prevention

So if you don’t want to use poisons, what other options do you have? Ratwall is a great example of a totally eco-friendly rat prevention device. It causes no harm to the rat or any other animals, or the wider environment. Furthermore, it is simple to install and provides a durable, long lasting and highly effective rat prevention device.

A rat blocker device such as Ratwall simply stops the rats gaining access to a property through the pipes and drains. Rats are both intelligent and creatures of habit, so if they find an access point into a property they will keep on using it – conversely if their way is blocked they will go elsewhere looking for an easier option.

In addition to using a rat blocker device in your pipes, there are other environmentally friendly preventative measures you can take to keep rats at bay. Pestworld.org have suggested the following environmentally friendly ways to keep rats away from your home:

Simple Rodent Control Tips

Top tips to proactively prevent and eliminate rodent infestations in your home:

• Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
• Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
• Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the home, using caulk, steel wool or a combination of both.
• Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly.
• Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
• Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
• Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains that provide the perfect breeding site for pests.
• Inspect items such as boxes, grocery bags and other packages brought into the home.
• Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep shrubbery trimmed and cut back from the house.

In some cases, chemicals do need to be used to control or eradicate a pest problem, however if you prevent rats entering your property they are much more likely to look elsewhere. Then you won’t have all the issues associated with using strong chemicals and the environmental impact they may have. A prevention method such as Ratwall is far better for the householder and the environment!

If you would like more information about our rat blockers,  you can find more details in our Pest Knowledge Base or contact Metex directly on free phone 0800 130 3646, or drop us an email on sales@metexonline.com!