You would have heard the old saying that mice are more scared of humans than we are of them. Try telling that to someone who suffers from musophobia. Musophobia is an extremely common type of phobia based on the extreme fear of mice or rats. Many people struggling with musophobia reach out for our pest control services at this time of year. So do people who aren’t as scared of rodents but who understand that they’re pests that need to be eliminated. That’s because, as well as scaring some people, mice and rats spread diseases, and with their sharp teeth they can cause all sorts of damage. They’re capable of chewing through aluminium, lead, cardboard, wood, mortar and plastic, as well as electrical cables and other wiring, which can blow fuses and start fires.
As winter closes in, mice and rats are drawn to sources of heat and food in our homes. If you’re scared of rodents, the cooler months will obviously be a time of heightened anxiety for you so we’re here to help. If you’ve seen droppings in your home, or the critters themselves, we can provide the best form of rodent control. Store-bought methods are rarely effective as rodents are smart and can often detect when you’re using these types of traps and poisons. To outwit rodents, you need more than an off-the-shelf solution and that smarter pest treatment is what we provide.
Once we’ve dealt with the initial problem, there are several things you can do to keep unwanted visitors away:
- Outside your home, remove nesting places like piles of rubbish, old machinery, timber, weeds and general litter. Rubbish must be kept in rodent-proof bins with tight, fitted lids.
- Put a cleaning and maintenance plan in place for inside your home.
- Store food in rodent-proof containers.
- Keep floors and surfaces free of food scraps and crumbs. A daily vacuum and wipe down of your countertops will work well.
- Preventing entry is the best way to deter rodents. We can advise on blocking gaps, holes and crevices that mice and rats use to enter buildings.
- Rodents are able to climb trees so consider pruning or removing trees that give them access to your home.
If you’re scared of mice and rats, remember that you’re not alone. It is a very common fear and one we can alleviate by coming to your place and dealing with them. Ongoing inspections will help too, and that’s something we can discuss when you call us and enquire about our pest control services.
