Rats and mice control services in Vancouver
How is the second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) restriction impacting rodent control in British Columbia?
In January 2023, a ban and restriction on the use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARS), were implemented due to the negative impact they had on wildlife in the form of secondary poisoning among birds of prey and scavenging animals. Only first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides are now allowed to be used. Rodent populations have since grown in large numbers without the presence of the potent SGAR’s.
1st Pest Control has adapted to these challenges and adapted our rodent control programs to every situation to suppress and eradicate rodent infestations without negatively impacting the environment.
By combining both environmentally friendly pest control services and an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, we will create a specialized treatment program tailored to your specific location and infestation. Our mission is to eradicate pests in your home or business to give you peace of mind and to ensure the safety of you and those you care about.
We specialize in pest and wildlife remediation, such as rat and mouse control. Rodents are prevalent throughout single-family homes, multi-family buildings, and commercial properties in the Lower Mainland.
With industry-leading mouse and rat control methods, you can feel secure that your home or business is being treated to the highest industry and safety standards by our Certified Pest Control Technicians.
Rat and mouse comparison
| Norway Rat | Roof Rat | House mouse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total size (Nose to tail) | 30-45 cms (12-18in) | 33-43 cms (13-17in) | 15-17 cms (6-7in) |
| Eyes | Relatively small | Large | Relatively large |
| Nose | Blunt | Pointed | Pointed |
| Droppings | Long, rounded ends (Average length: 15-20 mm) | Long, pointed ends (Average length: 10-15 mm) | Small, pointed ends (Average length: 4-7 mm) |
| Feet | Large | Large | Tiny |
| Tail | Shorter than head and body | Longer than head and body | Equal to head and body and nearly hairless |
| Body | Thick and heavy | Slimmer than Norway rat | Small, rounder in shape |
Why rodents are so dangerous to humans
Mice and rats may come into your home looking for food, water, and a place to live, but they also bring real risks that can damage your things and your health.
Rats and mice can attack people with dangerous diseases such as rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and E. coli. They can also spread parasitic insects like ticks and mites. Things get even worse as some mice can carry and spread Hantavirus, a rare lung disease that may infect people and has no known cure.
There are two ways that these diseases can be spread: directly by bites, body fluids, and droppings, or indirectly by pests. The amount of food that mice may contaminate is about 10 times what they eat.
Mice can damage wires, books, plastics, aluminum cans, drywall, insulation, siding, and wallboards
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Frequently asked questions about rats and mice
Rats and mice are primarily nocturnal creatures by nature. They tend to nest or sleep in dark and quiet corners and crevices of a building’s structure, such as in the roofs, basements, attics and walls. Storage units or cluttered areas are also ideal hiding places for these rodents.
Rats and mice are primarily nocturnal creatures by nature. They tend to nest or sleep in dark and quiet corners and crevices of a building’s structure, such as in the roofs, basements, attics and walls. Storage units or cluttered areas are also ideal hiding places for these rodents.
Rats and mice are generally very small and can easily enter a residence through small, obscure openings. In fact, mice can enter a home through an opening the size of dime, where rats only require an opening as small as a quarter.
Point of entry may include entrances, windows, and through the cracks and crevices along walls and floors. Rats and mice are attracted to warm places with easy access to food and water and they feed on a variety of organic material, including both plant and protein-based products.
As a result, an occupied residence is an ideal place for them to survive and breed rapidly
Rats and mice cause damage to the content or structure of a property that may be very costly to fix or replace. In addition, they are carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to humans simply by being in direct or indirect contact with the rodents or their wastes. Rats and mice breed rapidly and with a greater population comes increase risk to the health and safety of occupants
Rats and mice are primarily nocturnal creatures by nature. They tend to nest or sleep in dark and quiet corners and crevices of a building’s structure, such as in the roofs, basements, attics and walls. Storage units or cluttered areas are also ideal hiding places for these rodents.
Rats and mice cause damage to the content or structure of a property that may be very costly to fix or replace. In addition, they are carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to humans simply by being in direct or indirect contact with the rodents or their wastes.
Rats and mice breed rapidly and with a greater population comes increase risk to the health and safety of occupants.
Rats and mice are notorious for causing damage in homes or businesses. Tooth marks from gnawing or chewing can be found on various surfaces and items they come in contact with. The primary reason for damage is because a rodent’s front teeth does not stop growing.
As a result, it must continuously gnaw on objects to keep its teeth filed down. Without rodent control, these pests will continue to feed and nest, causing damage to your property.
Their jaws are very strong and can chew through walls, soft concrete, wiring and pipes. These activities may lead to structural damage and create electrical and fire hazards. Droppings and urine left behind contaminate surfaces and food exposed to these rodents are no longer safe for human consumption and must be thrown away.
Yes. Proper rodent control is needed to protect yourself, as they are a well-known carrier of diseases which may be easily transmitted to humans. Diseases they are associated with include, but are not limited to, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, lestospirosis and rat-bite fever. These diseases are transmitted through direct contact, or the inhalation or consumption of contaminated items. Infected ticks carried by these rodents may also spread diseases to humans with devastating effects.
For example, rats carrying infected ticks caused the spread of the bubonic plague, otherwise known as the Black Death, in Europe that killed half the population during the Middle Ages. Other than physical illness, infestations have been known to affect the emotional and psychological well-being of the homeowner or tenant.
