A collection of rodents caught on our motion cameras, no footage of any rodents being caught in traps. 

These videos have been taken from all over the Reading and Berkshire area and also includes a couple of surprise guests at the end. 

With the surprise taste of Spring we had here Berkshire in February, we have seen some Queen wasps emerging from hibernation a little earlier than usual, these Queen wasps will be looking for suitable nesting sites for the upcoming warmer summer months. 

 

Wasps can start on building their nests as early as March so now is the time you may start noticing some wasps around your home, especially within the loft or around the roof of your property. Some nests may not become active enough to notice until the end of May or early June and due to the warmer weather, we have been having here in the UK, along with the very mild winters, wasps can now remain active as far into the season as December. 

When it comes to pest control there are 2 different methods that a pest controller can use to eradicate a rat, mouse or squirrel infestation: toxic and non-toxic. The toxic method is the use of poisons to kill off the rodents in or around a building, the toxic approach can sometimes be a quick solution but also comes with the most risk, these risks can be: 

 

- Rats or mice dying within wall cavities and underneath floors. This can lead to maggots, flies and unpleasant smells as the rodent may be inaccessible. These smells and side effects can last a few weeks and create a nuisance for the home or business owner. 

 

- Poisoned rodents can also die outside or within reach of other animals. This can risk poisoning a non-target animal, mainly birds of prey, foxes or even domestic pets. Any toxic treatment carried out by a pest control technician needs to be monitored regularly to look for carcases, especially if the treatment is external as the rodents need to be disposed of appropriately. 

The brown rat is the most common rat in the UK and goes by several different names including common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat, Parisian rat, water rat or wharf rat. 

 

The brown rat originated in China but is now the most common rat globally and can be found on nearly all continents. The brown rat is generally found living among humans, more so in urban areas where it can easily gain access to properties and food sources. The brown rat will feed on anything from food found within your home, to waste left outside for bin collections, food left out for birds and even dog or cat faeces.