Rats & Mice

Mice and rats have lived with man for thousands of years. Our homes and food are very attractive to them but they are unwelcome guests as they cause damage, spoil food and spread disease.

Rats:

In medieval times the black ship rat bought fleas carrying bubonic plague to England. But 200 years on we now have the brown or sewer rat. They do not carry the plague but can spread Leptospirosis, Salmonella food poisoning, Typhus, Trichinosis and Tapeworms.

How to spot them

Rats leave little dark brown droppings, about 20mm long. Like the mouse they gnaw on wire, wood and soft metals such as lead and aluminium are no barrier to an active rat.

Habits

The rat generally stays within 50m of its home but can range to 300m. They will move every week or two and may travel several kilometres on these occasions. Rats are active at night and live in sewers that provide a surprising supply of foods. If they need to, rats will emerge from drains to look for more food. Rats breed just like mice.

Control

If you see any signs of rats in your house or garden, please contact the Council as soon as possible. Windsor and Maidenhead Council offer a subsidised service to all borough residents through our approved contractor SDK to eradicate rats. Poisoned bait is used, wherever possible away from children and pets.

Please clear any food spills thoroughly. Take care that all waste foods are disposed of into your wheeled bin and not left lying around in bags or sacks. If you are composting, do not use meat or cooked products.

Bird food is a tasty treat to vermin, so use a rat-proof bird table.

Seal up any gaps around pipes going through walls, repair broken airbricks or drains quickly and make sure doors fit properly.

Mice

The house mouse is slim, grows to a maximum of 25g and has a pear-shaped body. They can climb very well and can squeeze through holes just 6mm across, so most houses are easy targets.

How to spot them

Mice leave little black droppings, smaller than an apple pip. They also gnaw on wire, wood and furniture and will take small chunks out of any food that is left lying around.

Habits

Mice tend to eat and sleep in a small area, for example one house, or may travel up to 100m in fields. They are active mainly at night, will eat anything man eats and can produce up to five young every four weeks.

Control

Windsor and Maidenhead Council offer a subsidised service to all borough residents through our approved contractor SDK to eradicate house mice. We use poisoned bait, wherever possible in small boxes away from children and pets. If you prefer, you could employ a private pest control contractor or buy traps and poison from a hardware shop to use yourself.

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