The Need to Control Rodents

Disease

Commensal rodents are responsible for spreading many zoonotic diseases - i.e. Disease of animals that can be passed to man. Commensal literally means "sharing one's table": living in close association with man.

Rodents may transmit disease to man in a number of ways including:

By biting
By infecting human food with their droppings
By infecting human food with their urine
By being eaten
Indirectly via the cat or dog
Indirectly via bloodsucking insects
Indirectly by dying in a water supply or beverage and contaminating it with organisms contained in the body at death

To Prevent Damage

As gnawing is an essential part of a rodents life, both rats and mice cause considerable physical damage, with woodwork, soft metal pipes and electrical cables being common targets. The damage caused by rodents from fire, burst pipes and subsidence caused by burrowing, result in considerable financial loss each year.

Contamination

Rodent feeding habits are very wasteful - contamination by droppings and uring to foodstuffs result in more damage than through physical gnawing.

Distress

The process of pest infestation, such as by rodents may cause physiological stress in some people. The presence of pests is not conductive to a pleasant and productive working environment.

To Comply with the Law

The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 2005, require that food shall not exposed to risk of contamination and that food rooms be kept in good repair and condition to prevent the risk of pest infestation.

The Food Safety Act 1990, makes it an offecne to sell food which is unfit or contains foreign bodies, e.g. droppings or insect fragments. Furthermore, food premises with a serius pest problem could face closure procedures under the Food Safety Act. The loss of business in such instances can be considerable.

The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, requires the occupier of any land or buildings to notify the local authroity of any heavy rodent infestation (not applicable to agricultural land). The occupier may also be liable for any treatments and repair work required, along with removal of harbourages.

The Act also requires local authorities to take steps to ensure that their district is kept free from rats and mice.

under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 employers have a legal obligation to ensure, as far as is reasonably prectival, the health, safery and welfare of employees. The presence of an infestation could result in unsafe working conditions.

To read the Food Safety Act 1990, click here
To read the Prevention of Damage by Pest Act 1949, click here