Starting a new life as a student can be quite stressful. All the lectures, extra responsibilities, and many new situations you never thought you’d have to deal with. Therefore, it’s a must to be informed on matters many students before you have encountered.
Pest problems are one of them. Like many other places, educational buildings and schools are also not safe from rodents. As it is a well-known fact, rodents are the most common pests UK properties can be infested with.
How students should deal with pest problems
As a student moving away from your home you have two options. Either to live in a dormitory or to rent accommodation.
If you live in a dormitory, you will be closer to the student community and it will probably be cheaper. In that case, the university handles pest issues. The downside would be the timely manner the uni will need to handle the problem. In such educational institutions, the procedures may take a while before it’s time for the ‘execution’ of the process.
Whether you live in a rented house or an apartment, your landlord will require you to report any pest issues on the property. The landlord is the renter and ultimately responsible for their tenant’s comfort and wellbeing within the property. If you have rats or any other pest venturing the property you live in, landlords must contact a pest control company.
Preventing rat infestation
As a tenant, you are responsible for the general upkeep of the property, ensuring it remains tidy, clean, and safe. With that said, there are things you can do to prevent rats and mice from becoming your roommates. Some helpful tips and information can go a long way.
- Keep it clean
Rats are omnivorous and will find food almost anywhere, no matter how well you hide it. When they do, they are unlikely to leave your home.
The more clutter you have in your rooms, the more likely it is that the pests will make themselves very comfortable. You won’t even be able to notice you have a rat infestation on time. Keep in mind that rats tend to go out looking for food around your home at night. Therefore, it’s important to clean up daily.
Cleaning and washing dishes can take a lot of time out of your life but rat infestation can bring serious problems and can be brought under control with regular care.
Trash cans and food waste should be collected weekly as rats love to congregate around trash where they can get easy meals.
- Inspect and seal/block all possible entry points
Rodents can come through even the smallest of holes. In the colder months, they are even more likely to stay in your home if it offers them shelter, warmth, and good conditions for reproduction.
Rats can come from anywhere, so you should inspect your property. The most common places where they would hide are in the basement, bathroom, or kitchen. When inspecting these places, look everywhere, inside the drawers, cabinets, and closets. Block all entry points, even the smallest wall cracks, and holes.
- Repulsive smells
Rats rely on their sense of smell to find food and avoid predators or something repulsive for their senses.
To repel rats away, you can try putting some cat litter, or black pepper in strategic places to use the smell to ward them off.
One of the most preferable smells for us, like lavender or mint, can have quite the opposite effect on rats. Their potent smell can deflect rats from finding food, so they usually try to avoid strong-smelling plants.
Final thoughts
It’s never too early to think about things like pest control.
When the time comes for university students to move into a new place, it may be helpful to think about potential pest problems like rodents. For new students, or anyone moving to a new place, it is important to keep mice and rats out of their homes.
As mentioned earlier, preventing a potential problem can make anyone’s life easier. Not only stress-wise, but financially too. And for the most optimal results, seeking help from professional rat exterminators is preferable rather than going the DIY way.
