The nights are long, the days are short, there's a chill in the air and we’re starting to roast chestnuts on an open fire. But as we build up our log piles to last us through the winter to light our log burners and fires it’s worth being aware of what may be hiding in your log stash.
Britain is facing the wettest winter recorded in 130 years and the extreme rainfall is having very destructive consequences such as flooding. This weather is not only damaging homes and businesses, but also bringing another problem…rats!
Usually, the rat population decreases over the winter due to frost and cold conditions. However, the unusually mild winter has meant rats haven’t had to endure a cold climate. Without this natural form of population control, numbers have increased. Flooding means they are being driven out of natural burrows as well as sewer and drainage systems.
It’s a common belief that winter brings a respite from those pests that cause a nuisance during the summer months, unfortunately this isn’t the case. There are plenty of rodents and insects to keep you busy over the festive months to maintain a pest-free home or business.
Don’t get yourself in a flap about bird control
Last weekend many parts of the UK woke up to find a blanket of white. When I looked out of my windows, I saw a grey day with icy cold sleet. It was exactly the sort of day when all you want to do is nestle into your armchair, open a packet of Bourbon biscuits and settle down to watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. It certainly isn’t the sort of day you want to be outside.
Rodents dislike the cold weather as much as humans and now is the time when rats and mice take refuge from the cooler weather in loft spaces and other warm areas of buildings, particularly places where there is a food supply.
The furry creatures will scratch, gnaw and rip items apart to make nesting materials but they will also chew through electrical cables. This can cause fires, as well as cause structural damage, not to mention the urine and droppings they spread over large areas.
