In news that might turn you off your Bank Holiday breakfast, pest control experts have warned of a so-called "boom time"... for rats.  As the pace of recovery in the construction sector quickens, Rentokil say they have noted an increase in call outs as householders find themselves with an infestation of rats and mice. With growth in residential housing projects hitting a 15-year high and employment rising in construction for the eleventh month in a row, rodents are being disturbed from sewers and drains. This is in addition to a traditional spike of sightings in November, as soon as the first cold-snap hits and rodents try to make their way indoors. Dr Colm Moore, of Rentokil said "Rodents like warmth, quiet, and a source of food" and offered tips to avoid attracting rodents into your home:

• Seal any holes and fit bristle strip around doors - young rats can get through holes of less than 1cm. Use steel, wool or caulk, not wood, plastic or expanding foam that they can gnaw through.
• Don’t attract mice and rats with food – where possible store food in glass or metal containers and regularly clean under cookers, fridges and cupboards.
• Keep household refuse in closed bins and do not put meat or food cooked in oils into compost bins or heaps.
• Ensure that all pipe-work is in good order - rats can come up from sewers through broken pipes.
• Keep clutter to a minimum to reduce the options for nesting sites and remember that dirty, messy areas can attract pests.

Mice can be dangerous to our health, having been identified as a potential asthma trigger in children and they will also contaminate food and other materials through the droppings they leave behind, spreading bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Rats pose a more significant health risk to humans and pets; common diseases carried by rats include Salmonella, Weil’s disease, E.coli and TB. Rats also carry fleas, mites and ticks and can cause acute allergic reactions. If you think you already have a rodent problem, look out for the following signs:

• Scratching noises in walls, attics or under the floor as mice and rats scurry around.
• Droppings – rats leave dark, tapered droppings about 10-14mm long. Mice leave small, dark droppings particularly along walls, in cupboards or under sinks.
• Distinctive smell – both mice and rats leave an ammonia-like smell that will be particularly strong in enclosed areas such as under cupboards.
• Damage – mice and rats have teeth that grow continuously and gnaw on a variety of household objects to keep them trim. Rodents can even cause fires by chewing through cables.
• Ripped food packaging – rodents will tear open food which may leave teeth marks.
• Nests – rats and mice build nests in warm, hidden places using shredded material such as newspaper and fabrics.
• Lay some plain flour along the edge of the floor by the walls or on surfaces close to where you think the nest might be. You’ll notice tracks in the powder within a few days if the nest is close.