A downside of pest control is that it can end up harming other animals if it’s not carried out by a responsible professional like CPC. This sometimes happens when you’re trying to exterminate rats. Some of these animals include things like squirrels, foxes, owls and badgers. But what should you know about this, and what do pest controllers do to limit this damage when dealing with nuisance rats in London homes and businesses?
There are several ways that this happens. You see, when we exterminate rats, it’s mostly done with poison. But this is where the problem comes in. Other wild animals may also eat this poison and die. Or they may eat the poisoned animal.
To counteract this, London rat control technicians are now using something known as bait stations. To put it simply, this is basically a new and innovative trap design. The station is a small plastic box that can open and shut (there’s also a hole on the side).
Poisonous bait is placed inside of this box. The rat enters through the hole; eats the poison, and dies later on. The big advantage here is that other animals cannot get access to the poison. In addition, the rat cannot get out and wander off somewhere else to die. This way, we’re able to exterminate rats, without harming these animals.
Another way of doing this is with humane traps, or live capture traps. These are essentially traps that capture, instead of kill. They are also known as eco-friendly traps, because they do not use poison. To put it simply, these traps look like ordinary steel cages. Rats enter the cage through a tunnel at the top, but once they reach the bottom it’s impossible to escape. These rats can then be released in another location.
Sometimes deterring rats is enough to stop the problem (for example by rat mats). Along with this, you have other methods of eco-friendly rat control, such using dogs to kill rats. This technique is mostly used on farms, and depending on the breed of dog, it can be extremely effective, especially for the super-size rats you get on agricultural properties.
Advances in rodenticides are also helping us exterminate rats without harming wildlife. For example, what sometimes happens (as we have said) is that wild animals, such as owls, will eat dead rats. Because the poison is still in the rat’s liver, these birds are themselves poisoned. This is known as secondary poisoning. The latest rodenticides lessen or completely eliminate this risk of secondary poisoning. This has greatly decreased the amount of wildlife that is harmed by pest control.
Can you avoid harming animals when you exterminate rats?
There are several ways that this happens. You see, when we exterminate rats, it’s mostly done with poison. But this is where the problem comes in. Other wild animals may also eat this poison and die. Or they may eat the poisoned animal.
To counteract this, London rat control technicians are now using something known as bait stations. To put it simply, this is basically a new and innovative trap design. The station is a small plastic box that can open and shut (there’s also a hole on the side).
Poisonous bait is placed inside of this box. The rat enters through the hole; eats the poison, and dies later on. The big advantage here is that other animals cannot get access to the poison. In addition, the rat cannot get out and wander off somewhere else to die. This way, we’re able to exterminate rats, without harming these animals.
Are there other ways to eliminate rats without harming wildlife?
Another way of doing this is with humane traps, or live capture traps. These are essentially traps that capture, instead of kill. They are also known as eco-friendly traps, because they do not use poison. To put it simply, these traps look like ordinary steel cages. Rats enter the cage through a tunnel at the top, but once they reach the bottom it’s impossible to escape. These rats can then be released in another location.
Sometimes deterring rats is enough to stop the problem (for example by rat mats). Along with this, you have other methods of eco-friendly rat control, such using dogs to kill rats. This technique is mostly used on farms, and depending on the breed of dog, it can be extremely effective, especially for the super-size rats you get on agricultural properties.
Advances in rodenticides are also helping us exterminate rats without harming wildlife. For example, what sometimes happens (as we have said) is that wild animals, such as owls, will eat dead rats. Because the poison is still in the rat’s liver, these birds are themselves poisoned. This is known as secondary poisoning. The latest rodenticides lessen or completely eliminate this risk of secondary poisoning. This has greatly decreased the amount of wildlife that is harmed by pest control.