Just like people, rats also feel the cold in winter, so naturally they seek refuge indoors.

With the ability to squeeze through small entry points, such as air vents, cracks and holes, they can easily set up cozy nests and breed in quiet places such as your roof space.

Once inside, it doesn’t take long for the rat colony to multiply. Female rats breed extremely quickly, so it’s best to act soon before the problem gets out of control.

With a notorious reputation for being disruptive and annoying pests, rats are known to strike fear and dread in many people. Besides stress and anxiety, here are some other issues that may arise during a rat outbreak:

Spread of diseases

Rats carry a range of germs and diseases, including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, the plague and tularemia. These can be passed on to people and pets through contaminated objects and surfaces via their droppings, urine, saliva, fur and bites.

Allergies

Parasites such as ticks and fleas  living in rat fur can trigger allergic reactions.

Contamination

Rat droppings, fur and urine are unhygienic and leave a mess around a clean home.

Damage to your home

You may experience unexpected signs of damage around your home from rats gnawing on your walls, wooden structures and insulation.

Electrical disruptions

Rats gnawing at electrical cables and conduits can cause electricity short circuits and even potentially spark fires.

At Allstate, pest control is not the only thing we’re great at. We understand that property cleaning and ongoing maintenance  play a key role in an effective long-term pest management plan.

Our team can help you to save time and hassle in working out how to protect your property from pests, and clear away the mess that they leave behind. We provide a range of convenient pest proofing and maintenance solutions for your home or business, including:

• Gutter cleaning
• Gutter guard installs
• Solar panel proofing and cleaning
• Water tank cleaning
• Roof void cleaning
• Pressure washing

To safeguard your home or business from future pest outbreaks, speak to a friendly Allstate consultant today.

The last thing you need in cold and wet weather is a rat problem, and unfortunately at Allstate, we’ve seen it happen too many times during the winter season.

That’s why our pest technicians are on standby 24/7 to assist you with all urgent rat issues. Since 1986, we’ve provided proven and effective rat prevention and control services to residential, industrial and commercial properties all over Adelaide.

For long lasting rat protection that is covered by competitive warranty in your home or business, speak to a friendly Allstate consultant today.

Distribution facilities are ideal places for rodents to nest, feed and breed. As the weather cools down, they are particularly drawn to the shelter and warmth of the indoors.

As expert scavengers, they will eat almost anything, from human to pet food to rubbish, even soap and leather, with plenty of other food sources to choose from at any given distribution facility.

Businesses can pay a heavy price for a rodent outbreak. From spoiling goods and spreading diseases to causing electricity supply problems or even starting fires, rodents can cause disruption, distraction as well as loss of business, hygiene and productivity. Clients, customers and staff alike may feel put off from visiting your facility.

To make matters worse, a rodent infestation is considered a breach in government health and safety standards, and can result in significant fines and penalties.

With many potential rodent entry points at a distribution facility, it’s important to avoid an outbreak at all costs.

Look for the following signs of a rodent outbreak at your business:

Noises

Distracting sounds may come from rodents in your roof and walls, such as scampering, scurrying and squeaking, particularly at night.

Gnaw marks

Rodents are able to chew through timber structures, pipes, walls and cables, not only causing physical damage, but also leaving behind characteristic bite marks. Also look for traces of gnawed food items and scattered crumbs.

Unpleasant smells

Rodent waste can give off a musty, sour smell.

Droppings

Shaped like black grains of rice, mouse droppings are 3-5mm in length, and rat droppings are usually 12-18mm in length.

Nests

Made from a collection of foraged material scraps including wood, cardboard, paper and fabric, rat nests are a strong indication that you have an outbreak on your hands. These can be hard to spot as they are usually well hidden.

After a thorough assessment of your facility, we identify the source of the outbreak and then use the following rodent control methods to fix the problem:

Physical traps

Your pest control technician will position multiple baited traps in highly frequented areas to physically capture the rodents. With rats requiring larger traps and mice the smaller sized ones, we monitor and replenish the traps as needed.

Baits

Laced with a poisonous rodenticide, baits are an effective way to manage a rodent infestation. We are careful to use targeted baits that do not pose a risk to other animals or people.

That’s why our team is available 24/7 to all suburbs of Adelaide to tackle rodent infestations of all sizes in commercial, industrial and residential settings.

Using non-toxic treatments that are safe for children, pets and the environment, our licensed pest control technicians are fully equipped with the latest technology to manage all types of pest outbreaks.

Enquire today to see how our integrated pest management programs can help keep rodents away from your business for good.

Rats and mice cause significant damage Adelaide homes and businesses. Not only do they chew through walls, timber and electrical wiring, they carry harmful bacteria in both their droppings and coats, and contaminate food and stock.

Rodents may be small in size, but their path of destruction can compromise your health, cleanliness, safety and even ruin your good business reputation along the way.

Rats and mice are clever at adapting to living in a range of environments, and known for having two sharp front teeth in their upper and lower jaws. These teeth grow continuously, and their size is controlled by constant gnawing, chewing and eating. Though this is a matter of survival for them, it is unfortunately at the expense of our homes and livelihoods

To make matters worse, property damage caused by rats and mice is not covered by most insurance policies, as it is considered to be preventable. In other words, it is the home or business owner’s responsibility to keep these pesky rodents at bay.

Remember, acting fast is more likely to minimise the problem. This is where our rodent control team at Allstate Pest Control can help.

We are available 24/7 and follow a no-risk approach to ensure the wellbeing of our customers, employees and the environment. Ask us about our safe, effective and innovative solutions to control rodents.

To stop a small problem becoming a major drama, it’s important to act on the earliest indicators of rats or mice in your home or business. Keep your eyes, ears and even nose alert for the following signs:

Droppings
These are usually the first sign of a rodent issue and look like black grains of rice. Mouse droppings are much smaller, ranging from 3-5mm long, while rat droppings are shiny black and are 12 to 18mm in length.

Gnawed food or crumbs
Rats usually leave behind small pieces of food and crumbs, whereas mice tend to nibble and eat the outer part of the food.

Grease marks
Sometimes you may find greasy marks left by rodents’ fur rubbing against walls and skirting boards.

Burrows and tracks
You may also spot burrows, frequently used pathways or tracks through gardens, along fences and concrete slabs, and under buildings. Their tails can often leave swinging marks, which are most visible on dusty surfaces.

Gnaw marks to property
Rodents’ gnawing may cause chewing marks and holes in electrical cables and conduits, walls, timber, ducts and pipes. Damage to electrical cables is particularly dangerous as it may start a fire.

Scratching and running noises
Especially at night you may hear scratching, scampering and even squeaking coming from the walls, ceiling, or under the floor.

Musty odours
Rodents’ urine and droppings will often cause a sour, musty smell.

Seeing the pests themselves
Rats and mice are good at staying hidden, but you may sight them at night, especially running along walls and under furniture.

Excited behaviour from your pets
Your family dog or cat may smell the roednts and claw at particular areas where they are nesting.

Rat nests
Rat and mouse nests are often hidden, but usually look like a pile made from various scraps and materials, such as paper, cardboard, wood, straw or fabric.

Read more about rodents in restaurants and food businesses

Aged care and hospitals
Rodent infestations are particularly problematic in nursing homes and medical centres, as they can further compromise the fragile health of residents or patients.

Read more about rodents in aged care

Warehouses and distribution facilities
Industrial businesses often contain many dark, hidden corners which are ideal nesting spots for rodents. Rats are able to find their way into your stock, as well as damaging expensive equipment and machinery.

Read more about rodents in warehouses

Tips to protect your business from rodents

Given the threat that rats and mice pose to businesses, it’s essential to take a prevention-first approach by upholding high hygiene and safety standards in the workplace. Some tips include:

• Waste and refuse: disposal areas should always be secured, regularly emptied and located as far away from the main building as possible
• Staff should be made aware about maintaining cleanliness and reporting sightings of rodents
• Stock should be inspected for damage and rotated regularly

At Allstate Pest Control Adelaide, our technicians are happy to assist you with planning and implementing a rodent control strategy for your business – give us a call on 8371 8277, or click the orange chat button to find out more.

The Allstate rodent control method

The best way to manage rodents is with one of our expert rat and mouse control technicians. They will help you prevente them quickly and safely, and devise and implement a long-term rodent control program as required. We have all the equipment ready to go – you don’t need to source any chemicals or traps yourself.

We will first discuss your concerns, before performing a thorough inspection of your property to determine entry points, runways and nesting sites.

Our Adelaide technician will then station rodent control products in appropriate locations, assist with monitoring and replenishment, and if required remove dead rodents for you. It can take up to 2 weeks to begin seeing results.

Our integrated approach has a strong emphasis of safety – we are careful when applying treatments around your home or business, and book treatment at a time that will cause minimal disruption to your normal routine.

Don’t worry if you have children or pets, as the bait stations are encased in tamper proof, high-grade plastic that can only be accessed with a key.

For one-off treatments, we also aim to get to the root of the problem so that it doesn’t happen again. Our technicians will send you a report with feedback and recommendations on how to maintain a rodent-free home or business, that you can refer back to at anytime.

We offer a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee, and affordable interest-free payment plans.

We are ready to take control of your rodent issues, save you time and energy, and give you peace of mind.

Call Allstate today 8371 1227.

How to tell if you have rats in your house

While seeing a live rat is a pretty obvious sign you have a problem, other indicators to look out for include:

• Rat droppings, which look like large, dark brown grains of rice
• Gnaw marks on anything from walls to pipes to food containers
• Squeaking or scurrying sounds coming from the walls or roof
• Greasy rub marks on walls or furniture (these are from the oily sebum in the rat’s fur)
• A strange musty odour

What to do if you already have rats in your house

If you think you have rat problems, the first thing to do is check for any entry points using the list above. Given rats are so crafty, these can sometimes be tricky to find and you may need the help of a rat control expert.

Once all entry points are sealed up, you can manage the rats with traps or bait. It’s important to remember that rats are ‘neophobic’, meaning they are afraid of new things, so it can take several days for them to build up the courage to inspect the trap or bait.