Rodent infestations are a common problem for property owners here in Perth. While a single mouse may seem insignificant, if left untreated, rodent infestations can cause extensive damage, while spreading disease and contaminating food.
A key challenge with rodent infestations is their reproduction rate. Female mice give birth every six to eight weeks, and with their litters ranging from 2-12 pups, even a small infestation can quickly turn into a major problem.
If you come across rodents on your property, you usually have two options. You can either try your hand at eradicating the rodents yourself through bait stations or traps, or seek help from the professionals for a more thorough, long term solution. Bug Busters provides professional rodent control in Perth, keeping your home or business free from infestations.
For those going it alone, here are the pros and cons of each method.
Rodent poison bait stations
Bait stations are a highly effective method of eradicating rodents from your property. If you do hire a professional team, they will likely use bait stations as part of their treatment plan.
Bait stations are essentially small boxes that contain a highly toxic bait. What makes them so effective is that rodents often transfer the bait back to their nest where it’s shared with others, hence why bait stations can eradicate rodents quickly, and in high volumes.
Advantages of rodent bait stations
Rodents are nervous creatures and like to feel safe in their environment, away from potential predators. The advantage of bait stations is that their size and small entrances make rodents feel safe—which increases the chances of them eating the poison.
Bait stations are also typically much safer for children, pets, and other large animals too. Their small entrance size prevents kids or larger animals from getting to the bait, making them a safe alternative to pesticides or other open, toxic treatments.
Disadvantages of rodent bait stations
We mentioned how rodents like a safe environment and that applies to their eating habits too. If they already have a trusted food source, they may not be attracted to the bait station, which is why bait stations aren’t always 100% effective.
Rodent Traps
When bait stations aren’t an option, the next solution is to place a series of rodent traps around your property. These come in three types:
- Snap Traps: think of your classic mouse trap. A chunk of bait (cheese if you grew up watching cartoons) and a bar that snaps down and kills the mouse. While incredibly simple, snap traps are typically only effective if you have a couple of mice in your house.
- Sticky Traps: rather than killing the rodent immediately, sticky traps have an adhesive pad with strong glue that causes the rodent’s feet and fur to stick when they walk on them. Again, these are effective for smaller numbers of rodents, but their downside is that you’re responsible for disposing of anything you catch—often while it’s still alive.
- Electric Traps: these are an effective alternative to poisons, luring rodents into an enclosed chamber, before fatally electrocuting them. As with most rodent traps, these are effective with smaller outbreaks, but aren’t so good for larger infestations.
Disadvantages of rodent traps
Rodent traps can be a good solution for a few individual rodents, but aren’t so effective for either larger infestations, or larger rodents.
The other disadvantage again comes down to rodents being such cautious animals. They’re likely to be wary of anything new placed in their environment, so although a snap trap may work on a mouse that’s just found its way into your basement, relying on traps to eradicate whole rodent colonies across your property probably isn’t the best move.
If you’re looking for professional help, Bug Busters offers expert rat control in Perth, ensuring your home is protected from harmful infestations.
How to rid your home of rodents
Any plan to eradicate rodents from your property should be carefully considered—from knowing the severity of the infestation, to eliminating the food sources that are attracting the rodents, to understanding their nesting habits.
Rather than choosing one or the other, using a combination bait boxes and rodent traps can be highly effective, especially if you know exactly where to place each type. If you’re not sure, or you’ve already tried your hand but are having no luck—or you’re worried about using bait boxes safely—professional pest control in Perth experts are just a phone call away.
Here at Bug Busters, our experts provide services for rat control in Perth, which is quite helpful when it comes to eradicating mice and rats, regardless of how severe the issue may be. Call our friendly team today for a fast, effective solution to all your rodent eradication needs.