Having mice and rats in your home or business can be incredibly embarrassing but on top of that it is a health hazard, that left unattended can wreak havoc on your business or home. Making your home or business rodent proof can be a trying task but when addressed quickly it can be an easier problem to manage.
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Rats and mice are both rodents, they are drawn to the warmth of your home during the winter months as well as the food and shelter, where they will nest and breed among your walls, roof and under the floor.
Rats and mice are gluttons, they love all kinds of food and will eat anything. That is why it is essential to store your food safely away and make sure every container is sealed properly.
So, how do you know you have rodents? There are few telltale signs that rats and mice infest your home that you should look out for:

• Scurrying in your walls, ceilings and floorboards. You will often hear the sounds of rats and mice running in your ceilings or under your floor. They will scratch and gnaw on anything, including wood, electrical wires and other things you don’t want rodents chewing through.

 

• Droppings. Mice and rats will leave their droppings everywhere. A rat’s droppings are 12mm long and usually tapered at the end while mice droppings are half the size and thinner.

 

• Smell of urine. A strong scent of urine is a strong indicator of mice or rats occupying your property.

 

• Fur or rubbing marks. Rats and some species of mice will leave black smears, like grease, along walls or near the entrances to your property. These are usually on their most travelled routes or where they squeeze through holes or roof joints.

 

• Nests. Rats and mice build nests in small cozy areas of your property. Be sure to check under your floorboards, behind fridges, in cupboards or the roof for piles of soft shredded materials.

Problems rats and mice can cause

• Damage to furniture and internal structures, as well as insulation
• Destruction of wires which can become a fire hazard and become an expensive problem to fix
  

If you find you have rats be sure to contact your pest control technician immediately. Rats and mice pose a huge threat to the reputation of your business as well as the health of family members in your home and their population grows rapidly. Prevention is almost always better than cure. So be sure to get in touch with a pest control expert as soon as possible.

Here is 5 signs that you may have termites occupying your home or business. 

The Swarm
Flying termites will swarm, this usually happens in the spring or early summer where they will emerge from the ground due to the warm weather. Swarms happen because male and females become sexually developed and leave their nests and take flight. Once they have left their old nest they start to congregate in the air and begin to mate with other termites from different colonies. After successfully mating with one another, the termites will then shed their wings and begin a new colony.

Due to the swarm being over quickly you will most likely not see it. However, termites do leave behind some evidence in the form of wings. Pile of wings will usually be found where the swarm congregated and often indicate a termite colony is residing in your home or business.

A swarm is a telltale sign of termites and you should contact a pest control service immediately.

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Mud tunnels
Mud tunnels are an obvious sign that you may have a termite infestation, they are the width of a pencil along the interior or exterior walls. They are made from soil and wood and are used as protection from the outside world, which termites use to travel from their nest to their food source (wood in and around your home).

To test the tunnels for activity, break the center section of the tube off. If the section you broke is repaired within a few days then it means termites are active.


Rattling in the walls
Termites love to make a sound, you will often hear rattling in the walls if you listen carefully. The sound termites make is referred to as head-banging. When termites feel threatened the soldiers will create rattling noises by hitting their heads on the walls of the tunnels inside your home. These vibrations warn the rest of the colony of any danger. Swarms of termites may also make a buzzing sound.


White Ants
Termites are often mistaken for white ants, this is a common misconception as termites and ants are similar in shape and size. There are no such thing as white ants, so if you think you spot one it is most likely a termite.

There are a few differences between ants and termites, these include:

• Termites are light in colour, sometimes look translucent
• Termite's antennae are straight, instead of bent like ants
• Termites set of wings are the same size, where an ant has one set that is larger than the other

Hollow sounding wood
Tapping wood in a termite infested area will sound hollow or papery. This is due to the termites eating the inside of the wood away. Letting termite infestations carry on for too long can result in thousands of dollars of damage as a result of them eating the wood inside your home. Doing routine checks can help prevent a termite problem from going too far.


Professional Pest Control Technician 
If termite activity is found it is important to tackle the problem as quickly as possible, by hiring a pest control technician. Most insurance policies do not cover termite damage so it is a good idea to have a regular professional inspection, especially on new homes and businesses.

Preparing your home or business for a pest control treatment is a fairly easy task that takes little to no time. However, there are a few essential tasks that need to be done to ensure the pest control technician can properly treat your house.

Following through with each point listed below will not only make the job of the pest technician who visits your house easier, but ensures that the pest control treatment is successful. You are bound to get some personal advice from the pest control technician himself, depending on the type of pest control service. 

As a general rule, it is important that you keep the property neat and tidy and that it is cleaned thoroughly before a treatment is started. Some other things you can do to prepare for a pest control treatment is:

• Scrub all the floors in your house, this includes vacuuming carpets and rugs. Make sure to use a good detergent when scrubbing or mopping the floors to ensure any traces of insect eggs are removed and their food sources.
• Remove bag from the vacuum cleaner. Ensure it is properly discarded and sealed. Vacuuming before a pest treatment will force pests out from their hiding spots as their food sources are removed. Allowing the pest technician to target them.
• Linen and clothes should be sealed in clean bags after washing them or kept away from treatment areas.
• Removal of food items from bench tops, if there is any food outside (pet food) ensure it is covered.
• Cover all animal enclosures like aquariums and cages with sheets or towels.
• Move furniture away from the walls to give the pest control technician access to all corners and areas of the house or business.
• Ensure pest control technician has access to all areas outside the house, under the house, the roof and wherever else they may require access. This is to ensure that the job can be done in a timely and efficient manner with successful results. 
• If it is an outdoor treatment, remove animals from the area during the time of treatment.
• Close all windows before the treatment begins 
• If required, be prepared to leave the home during the treatment for up to 4 hours.

These steps are only a guideline on how best to prepare your house or business for a pest control treatment, it is always recommended to ask your technician before the day of treatment how you should prepare as some advice may differ from job to job. 

Cockroaches are insects that thrive during the summer heat, they love the warm weather and quite frequently invade homes and businesses in Sydney throughout the sweltering months of summer. They find their way into your property, under your refrigerators and inside the smallest of nooks, scurrying around in the dark of night and contaminating all your belongings. They are pests of the most annoying kind but there are steps you can take to prevent a cockroach invasion in between your yearly pest control inspections.

Cockroaches come in all shapes and sizes, some differ in colour and some fly. There are five common species of cockroaches that infest Sydney businesses and homes, these include the German, Oriental, Australian, Smokey-Brown and the American Cockroach. All species of cockroaches have similar characteristics, they are:

• oval-shaped body
• six legs
• winged
• fast
• long antennae

Cockroaches will often inhabit high-density living areas, meaning apartments and townhouses are at a high risk of a cockroach infestation. All cockroaches, no matter the species, will thrive in humid and warm environments that means your kitchens and bathrooms are perfect places for a cockroach to call home. Kitchens are usually the most common place to find cockroaches, as they feast on any left over crumbs and love small spaces between cupboards and appliances. They are not usually seen in the daytime but if they are this usually means the infestation has reached a significant point. As cockroaches crawl through bacteria and decaying matter they pick up all kinds of nasty things, this results in them spreading diseases such as salmonella.  

So how do you prevent a cockroach infestation in your home or business? 

1. Keep your kitchen clean. Maintaining a clean kitchen is key when trying to prevent cockroaches. Small crumbs hidden under cupboards or appliances are sometimes enough to feed a few cockroaches for some time. 

2. Store food in sealed containers. Deny cockroaches access to your food by keeping it in sealed containers.
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3. Remove trash immediately. Take trash out and do not leave it sitting for long periods of time. Storing garbage outside the home will also help in preventing cockroaches from inhabiting your home and finding food sources. 

4. Seal cracks and block holes. Make sure every nook and cranny is filled with sealant to ensure no cockroaches can make their way into your home. Check the back of cabinets for cracks and around the bathtub too and

5. Clean behind appliances and in cupboards. This helps combat left over food in tight places, regularly clean these areas to help prevent infestations

6. Declutter your home. Cockroaches will lay eggs in all kinds of places, the fewer things laying around your home the better protected you are from cockroach eggs, which can cause allergies.

7. Do not leave pet food out. Pet food is another source of food for cockroaches, leaving pet food to sit in bowls will attract cockroaches.

As well as doing all these things, make sure you check for any water leaks. Cockroaches will inhabit anywhere with a water source as they need water to survive. Do regular checks on pipes and look over your refrigerator for any kind of condensation which may prove to be a water source for cockroaches. 

Do not push a cockroach infestation aside, once one cockroach has been seen there is a high chance there are other cockroaches living in your home or business. Cockroaches are prolific breeders and can lay up to 40 eggs at a time, meaning hundreds of cockroaches can infest your home within a short period. Due to the rate cockroaches breed the use of DIY insecticides has become more common thus resulting in cockroaches building up a resistance to some of these product. So, if you have a cockroach infestation be sure to contact a professional pest control service.