Rats and mice are loved and hated by people all over the world but whether you love or hate them, it is an animal that should not be allowed to infest your home or business. Why?

They can transmit dangerous viruses & life-threatening disease, their constant gnawing can cause electrical fires and damage to equipment.

It has become increasingly challenging to control and eradicate rats and mice because of their resistance to anticoagulant rodent baits. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a lot of rat control companies in Cape Town resorting to stronger single feed formulations that pose a huge risk to non-target animals such as owls, caracals, cats and dogs.

Scientists in Cape Town have recently discovered that rat poison is killing our wildlife. They found “five different commercially available rat poisons in the livers of 81% of the predators we tested. Predators included common ones such as genets, Cape Eagle owls, and water mongooses, and rarer ones such as caracals, otters, and a honey badger. The detection of rat poison in otters is especially interesting because it suggests that poisons used on land can make their way into the city’s streams, wetlands and estuaries”. Read more here.

Secondary poisoning has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the owl population all over the world including in Cape Town.

We urge all Cape Town residents to rethink the use of poisons and toxic chemicals and to use more environmentally responsible alternatives wherever possible. Given that we share our neighbourhood with so many wild animals that are susceptible to poison, we should avoid rodent poisons and toxic chemicals at all times.

We have to STOP POISONING OWLS.

Fewer owls mean more rats!

We only use Multi- Feed formulations for controlling rats in Cape Town because they are safer for the environment and especially owls. We also make use of poison-free methods which include Humane rat/ mouse traps, electronic rat traps and live catch and release mouse traps.

To view our range of eco-friendly pest control products, click here.

Want to learn more about what poison labels mean and how to choose low environmental impact poisons? Click here.

PLEASE THINK BEFORE YOU USE DANGEROUS POISON

Brown Rats (also known as the common rat, street rat, or sewer rat), are a brownish-grey rodent with a head and body length of up to 28cm long, with the tail slightly shorter than that. They are omnivorous and will eat almost anything.

Black Rats (also known as the ship rat, roof rat, or house rat),  are black to light brown with a lighter underside. Its body length ranges from 12.75cm to 18.25cm with a tail of 15cm to 22cm. Black rats are omnivores and eat a wide range of foods but prefer fruits, seeds and nuts.

House Mice characteristically have a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and hairy tail. They typically have a body length of 7.5cm – 10cm, with a tail length of around 5cm – 10cm. They can vary in colour from grey and light brown to black. House mice primarily feed on plant matter but are omnivorous.

Striped Field Mice are generally slightly larger than house mice with the head and tail length around 10.5cm. They are fairly omnivorous and will eat insects opportunistically, but their main foods are seeds and other plant matter. They are not much of a threat to urban homes but can be a pest with regards to agricultural food storage areas. They are a major source of food to many birds of prey, including owls.