Man’s Best Friend, Rats Worst Enemy; The K9 Rodent Detection Method

Rodent infestations in your home or business pose a significant risk to health due to the zoonotic (transmissible from animals to humans) infections they can carry. These diseases can be spread through contact with the rodents, through rodent bites, or contact with rodent urine, faeces, or saliva. Mice and rat faeces can spread bacteria, contaminate food and water sources, and generate allergic reactions.

Some infectious diseases and viruses connected with rodents include:

• Campylobacter
• Cryptosporidium parvum
• Hantavirus
• Leptospirosis
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)
• Q Fever
• Salmonella
• Toxoplasma gondii

Secondary to being a health risk, rodent infestations can also seriously damage your property, and your reputation.  Rodents can chew through insulation and wiring. This can cause the appliance to short circuit, become faulty, and poses a fire risk. They also chew on anything they find useful to build their nests, including paper, wood, and cloth. This can be especially upsetting if they choose to gnaw on important paperwork or family heirlooms.

K9 Rodent Detectors

Whilst we may think of the cat as an excellent rodent catcher, dogs are exceptional rodent detectors. Dogs have been enlisted to help humans for numerous purposes, such as finding drugs and bombs. Trained detection dogs have also been found to be an accurate and evidence based method of detecting the source of a rodent pest infestation. This is important, as to properly determine the most suitable course of action and establish treatment methods, detecting the source is essential.

How does K9 Rodent Detection Work?

As a species, heathy dogs typically have keen senses of hearing and smell. A dog can hear very low frequency sounds, which are often emitted by rodents when they communicate.  Their sensitive hearing also perceives scratching noises which may go unnoticed by human ears. Scientists have estimated that a dog’s sense of smell is roughly between 10,000 and 100,000 times better than humans. Dogs have around 225- 300 million olfactory smell receptors in their nose, as opposed to around 5 million receptors in a human nose.

Why use K9 Rodent Detection Methods?

Detection dogs are specially trained to identify the scent of rodents, smearing, nesting materials and droppings. Dogs are effective at locating the presence and location of an infestation and can also be used as a measure after eradication to check for rodent reinvasion.  After detection the infestation can be dealt with locally by a pest control company, rather than relaying on untargeted treatment such as laying poison or spraying in unnecessary areas. This saves time and is essential in environments where chemical pesticides and poisons can not be used, for example in food storage warehouses.

Pest control is constantly evolving. Here at Avon Pest Control we ensure we keep up to date with the most timely and effective methods to deal with our clients pest problems.

Do you suspect mice or rats have taken up residence in your home or business?  Why not call Avon Pest Control today. We provide a quality K9 rodent detection service prior to treatment. Phone now for more information