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Rodents and What You Can Do to Reduce Infestation
By Ken Birch
Rats and mice live in the same areas as people. They eat our scraps and live in our buildings. They can have many litters of babies each year. Their numbers build up because we are often careless about hygiene and sanitation. During winter they try to move indoors and because they can carry disease, controlling them is important to you, your family and members of your staff.

Rats and mice are mostly active at night and you don't often see them during the day. They chew objects to keep their incisor teeth short and this can be dangerous when electrical wiring is involved.

The most common rodent pests in Australia are the House Mouse, Roof Rat and the Norway Rat or Sewer Rat. Rats and mice are covered in fur which is usually a variation of brown, they suckle their young in the early stages of their lives. As stated earlier both types of rodents will gnaw at almost anything in order to keep their teeth short. These particular rodents are responsible for spreading disease onto humans and the contamination of food in a variety of ways.

Groups of rodents live in burrows in warm locations on gathered nesting materials such as cloth, fur, paper and feathers. They often live near their food sources in well sheltered areas, typically at ground level. Both species are most active at night.

Species of rodents are known for their fast reproduction and Mice typically have 5 to 10 litters of 6 young in a single year. They can jump about 30cm vertically, squeeze through a 6mm opening and are good climbers. Maturity is reached in 6 to 10 weeks. Rats typically have 4 to 6 litters of 6 to 10 young, achieving maturity in 3 to 4 months.

Rodents have highly developed senses of taste, hearing and touch, but generally have poor eyesight and will only live for about 12 months.

What you can do to limit infestation:

Since Rodents have a tendency to be able to detect chemicals in food they can also become 'bait shy' and home solutions can fail due to this , however by following these points you can make your home or office less attractive to rats and mice.

• Place bird food in feeders.
• Clean up food spillages daily.
• Clean up fallen fruit and nuts from the ground.
• Remove pet dishes and leftovers promptly after feeding.
• Clean up animal waste as soon as possible.
• Secure bathroom and kitchen vents.
• Clean up yard waste that can act as a shelter.
• Store firewood well off the ground.
• Repair leaks and holes in the sewer system.
• Trim dead fronds from palm trees.
• Promptly remove dead or trapped rodents.
• Place birdcages on concrete floors and clean regularly.
• Avoid touching rodent pests.

There are different solutions to control rodent infestation depending on your problem and its extent. Before undertaking any treatments getting advice from a trained specialist is always advised as they will undertake a thorough assessment of your particular rodent problem. However by following the steps listed above you should significantly reduce the risk of rodent activity in your home or office.

Ken Birch has over 10 years of experience in the Termite & Pest Control industry. Ken has been one of the key players in promoting 'Termimesh', a physical termite barrier invented in the late 1980's in response to concerns over the use of organchlroines in termite control. Ken is involved in many aspects of the pest management industry, both at home in Western Australia and worldwide, and continues to promote the use of environmentally safe termite and pest control techniques. For more information visit http://www.termimesh.com.au

How to Kill Wasps the Easy Way - Eliminate Wasps in No Time and Be Free of Them
By: Lance Pierce
There are two kinds of wasps, one that can give you a lot of trouble and one that won't be bothering you much, and is in fact quite beneficial to your garden. The solitary type don't make any nests and will take care of annoying pests in your garden. The social wasps, on the other hand, is the one you want to watch out for. If you have those kind of wasps, it can cause you some headache, but don't worry, we will see some easy ways on how to kill wasps.

As with any pests, precautions and anticipation is a good way to make sure you won't have a wasp infestation. Wasps all die during cold weather, except for the queen, that goes into hibernation. Once she wakes up, she will look for a nest. This happens at the beginning of spring. If you see a big wasp looking around your house or garage, take no chance and kill it, it is probably a queen looking to make a nest in or around your house. Other useful things you can do is fill up any cracks or holes around your house or in the garden, since it is a favorite nesting place for wasps. Also by sealing garbage, not having any sweet things around your house you decreases the chances of having wasp problems. If you got a wasp nest problem and want to know how to kill wasps, then read on to know how to eliminate wasps.

The best way to eliminate wasps from an underground nest is with kerosene or diesel fuel. The reason is that the toxic fumes will kill them very quickly. The trick is to know of all the holes that the wasps use for their nest. When you know where they are, you have to work during the night or early morning, when most of them are sleeping in the nest. You need to pour the kerosene or diesel fuel and cover the holes as fast as possible, having a partner is ideal. If the holes are all sealed, the toxic vapors will get rid of the entire nest very fast.

For outside nests, such as a paper wasp nest, it's not difficult either. You will need to work at night also. How to kill wasps without being in danger you might ask. Simple you just need to be well dressed with a few layers to prevent stings. You should also move slowly and get your wasp killing agent ready. Raid is very useful for getting rid of wasps. You should spray the entrance enough that the wasps will get in contact with the chemicals when they go out. If the nest is elevated, use a projectile spray instead, it should reach the nest, since it can spray up to 20 feet. This should take car of your wasp problems.

Learn how to kill wasps the easy way by visiting http://howtopreventpestsnow.com a popular website that provides tips and advices on how to eliminate wasps and other pests so you can avoid having a wasp infestation.

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Joke Center
HOW TO INSTALL A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE SOUTH

1. Go to a second-hand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work boots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine.
3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:

'Hey Bubba,

Big Jim, Duke, Slim, & I went for more ammunition. Back in an hour. Don't mess with the pit bulls - they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house. Better wait outside.

'Cooter'

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