Common pests in the home are:
- Mice
- Rats
- Insects:
- Cockroaches
- Wasps
- Beetles
Probably the most common pest in this list is the common house mouse (Latin name Mus domesticus) that has become well adapted to living in our homes, factories, storerooms and shops.
All of these pests are a problem since they contaminate our foods and, in the case of mice and rats, can do physical damage as they chew plastic, timber and soft metals such as lead and aluminium. Mice and rats can gnaw away electric cables and this can cause fires – they will even, over time, erode hard materials such as poor concrete.
There are many ways to get rid of mice and rats once they are in your property:
- Mechanical Traps that kill or maim – leaving you with the problem of dealing with dead or dying animals.
- Glue Traps are mouse traps that contain a non-setting glue which traps mice when they run over them. Mice can be released from glue traps by pouring vegetable oil onto the glue around the mouse, so that if the mouse is not injured it can be released. In practice mice can injure themselves in the attempt to escape, or, if the trap is not checked often enough, can die of starvation or dehydration. Animal right groups consider glue traps to be inhumane and the problem of the removal of dead and dying animals remains.Glue traps are also called glue-boards and their main problem is that they work – trapping mice or rats which are unlikely to die immediately – glue boards are certainly not humane.
- Ultrasonic Repellent Devices: The effectiveness of these devices, which emit a noise that humans cannot hear but is claimed to deter mice does not seem to have been universally acclaimed. Some users claim success, others suggest that the frequency needs to be changed on a frequent basis for them to be effective but most people consider that they are a waste of money.
- Mice and Rat Poison: These poison do work but provide a hazard in homes containing pet and/or children – and again, there is the problem of dealing with dead and dying mice and rats.
- Humane Mouse Traps: There are traps that can trap mice without harming them – but there is then the problem of disposing of the trapped mouse: in a densely populated town or city releasing them away from your home may well introduce them to someone elses home! And yet again we have the problem of checking the traps frequently and the problem of mice dying before you do so.
The MouseMesh Solution
As you will have seen from the discussion above, getting rid of pests such as insects, mice and rats is problematic – it is much easier to avoid the problem by blocking the main entranceway into your property – the air brick.
Easily fitted in a few minutes, MouseMesh grilles will prevent mice and many insects from entering your premises and the stainless steel framed MouseMesh is rat-proof and will keep rats out too.
