There has been an increase in rat sightings in the Greater Moncton this year, according to Orkin Canada.
Technical Director with the Pest and Wildlife Control Services company Sean Rollo says COVID-19 is partly to blame,”The rodents who would live in close proximity to restaurants or bars or places that have food scraps available, they’re not there, because the food it not there. The rodents are having to search for alternative sources, so it makes them a little bit more visible.”
Rodents have been left stressed due to the lack of food sources, and they are much more active.
Rollo says, “Previously a lot of the increases were attributed to new construction. Couple that with COVID-19 and the fact that it is spring and the reproductive cycle, there are a lot of things to favour seeing more rodents this year.”
If you are a dog owner, it is suggested that you ensure you pick up after your pet, even if it’s in your own backyard,”The rodents are going to look for the prime food sources first, but the feces of a dog has a lot of nutritional value in it for a rodent and it is possible that it would be attracted to that. Another thing a rodent would be attracted to is a bird feeder or a bird bath. Compost bins are also filled with lot of food scraps, perfect for rodent.”
Wood piles are often associated with insects, and rodents will make their home there as well.
He says most homeowners won’t even notice that rodents are there, in their backyard or in their home, unless they are completely obvious. “You might hear noises in a wall, or find droppings on the floor,” Rollo says.
He recommends hiring a Pest Control expert if you need professional advice.
“The best thing to do is hire a reputable company to do an assessment around the home. They can look around and see if there are conditions that are conducive to rodents. An expert can be looking for things like rubbing marks, which are a tell tale sign, or gnaw marks. The homeowner can also consider if there are things they can do to help rodent proof their homes, by sealing up holes that may be around a pipe or leading into the home.”
Once they get inside, Rollo says the damage they can do, can be devastating. “It’s estimated over 50 per cent of all unexplained fires are caused by rodents chewing on wires. They have to potential to do a lot of damage. They love to chew on wires, and that causes sparks, which can cause fire,” Rollo says.
OrkinCanada is just one Pest Control resource you can reach out to, if you think you might need help to get rid of unwanted pests.
