Lynn | February 25, 2010, 11:56 am
As is the case every Olympics (Winter or otherwise), I am in awe of what the human body can achieve. The years of dedication, of training, of success and of triumph that Olympians endure deserves our respect.
But in watching the 2010 Olympics, it occurred to me that humans have nothing over most pests when it comes to amazing physical abilities and there and some pretty amazing unbelievable truths too. Now, as I said, I have complete respect for all human Olympians. But just think about the events we could hold at The Pest Olympics and what amazing pest feats you might see:
The High/Long Jump: Mice have a 12 inch vertical jump while rats have a 36 inch vertical jump and a 48 inch horizontal jump. Some fleas can jump 150 times their own length. That compares to a human jumping 1,000 feet! (One flea actually broke a world record and won a gold medal for jumping 4 feet!)
The Tight Squeeze: Rats can fit through openings that are as small as 1/2 inch in diameter and can climb the inside of vertical pipes that are 1 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter. (Fortunately, a proessional pest control comany can advise on how best to close these gaps!)
The Long Distance Shuffle: Bedbugs are capable of traveling as far as 100 feet to feed. That may not sound like much until you consider that we’re talking about an animal that is 1/8 inch long.
The Speed Demon: If a man could run as fast for his size as an ant can, he could run as fast as a racehorse.
The Weight Lifting Event: Remember the Rubber Tree Plant song?! Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight.
The Rodent Free Fall: Did you know a mouse can jump down 12 feet and a rat can drop down 50 feet without injury?
The Slam Dunk: A single brown bat can catch around 1,200 mosquito-size insects in one hour.
Survivor at Sea: Rats can swim 1/2 mile in open sea and tread water for 3 days. They can dive 100 feet underwater and hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes.
Danusia | February 3, 2010, 10:53 am
Pest control is not an easy subject to discuss. For those not working in the field of pest control (like us) it will only crop up when it absolutely positively needs to get done – and done right now… for example when:
- a mouse infestation takes over your home the week before a huge party is about to take place, and one you have been planning for ages
- moths start attacking your favourite (and obviously most expensive!) cashmere – arghghg
- rats move in under the brand new decking in your garden
- flies start multiplying at a rate of knots in that dodgy pipe you have been meaning to replace which is in full view of the kitchen window
All of the above could be avoided if you follow some top tips for protecting against household pests or how to help avoid a rodent invasion.
Successful linkbaiting is just one of a number of great strategies for driving traffic to any blog, not just ours, seeking successful link bait ideas or natural search stardom.
Our most read blog posts are a case in point… 4 of the top 5 are there purely because of our linkbaiting activity (and numbers 6 and 7 actually are successful linkbait posts too). In fact, number 6 regularly swaps in and out of the top 5. Here is the list I am talking about:
- 5 movies Rentokil Would Have Ruined, because its Infestation not Entertainment
- Unbelievable Truths
- Pest Control Stories From the Office
- How to Get Rid of Fleas, Ants and Acne
- Urban Myths
- Effects of Climate Change on Rodents
- 9 lessons I learnt Putting Together a New Blog
Its funny, the only story to have got there on its own merit was called Pest Control Stories From the Office – its amazing how a story about pubic lice can generate interest isn’t it? But I digress….
So the other 6 stories in the list were heavily linkbaited. The StumbleUpon, Reddit (we got front page!) and Sphinn communities all helped to make those stories a success, but I personally believe the great content would have got us there in the end regardless. But maybe it would have taken a fraction longer.
Yes, timing is everything – because when the blog launched so did the 5 movies post soon after. Having recently published our “5 Toys Rentokil Would Have Ruined” blog post – it will be interesting to see how well that is received and climbs the “most popular” list!
Applying Social Media to pest control has been interesting, and now that the blog is 11 months old we need to implement a medium to long term strategy as well as having short term one. I will be sharing blog stats (in a graph-y blog post for anyone interested) at the end of year one and would be interested to see who has had similar or different experiences with their niche industry blog – pest control or otherwise.
It’s not bad enough that we have had snow problems for the last fortnight… #uksnow …but there were risks of flash floods from the melting snow at the weekend.
So, on top of worrying about losing all your belongings and furnishings to flood damage and the months of misery that this event could bring, we should now also be aware of the potential danger of rats and mice flooding our homes – not just water. It seems the flood waters can displace rodents from their natural habitat and encourage them to seek out new lodgings and food in our damaged homes.
Thank goodness that I live on top of a hill. Although I don’t technically live far from the river, I find the fact that my house is on very high ground particularly re-assuring when I hear about flooded homes and towns on the news. Friends of mine living closer to the river have had sand bags permanently placed by their front door for the last few months – such a scary thought!
On top of the potential rodent problems caused by floods, bacterial issues in flooded homes can also become a real concern and it is important to carry out effective disinfection in homes to minimise the risk of contamination, especially if you believe you may have had rats or mice! Professional anti-bacterial treatments are available to effectively reduce the risk of infection from flood waters and “flood rats”. Sadly, this is just another issue that needs to be tackled if your home is ever flooded – an event, which climate change experts believe is likely to occur more and more.
I started thinking about this question as I stood by my living room window staring out at my very own winter wonderland. I could not come up with an adequate answer.
I know plenty of pests that love the warmth (e.g. fleas, rats and mice) but how many love the cold or the snow even?
All newly discovered or unusual insects / pests always seem to come from warmer climates, like the Emerald Cockroach wasp from India, but you rarely if ever hear of a pest discovered in the deepest darkest depths of Siberia or in bitterly cold mountain ranges.
So, my question still stands – do pests (like children) like the snow? Let me know!
Before I started working for a pest control company I just thought pest problems only happen to other people – you know, a bit like winning the lottery! Not so. In fact the more I learn about pest control, the more I realise we are all susceptible. Friends of mine actually moved out of their home with their 3 month old baby when they discovered they had rats in the loft!
And so now, especially with the cold winter months closing in, and me turning up the heating (I hate the cold), I am aware that rats and mice, like me, prefer the heat too and may well look to my house as potential winter lodgings. Did you know there has been an unprecedented increase for rat and mice call outs?
When we taped up the cat flap in the new house we brought, it was simply to keep out the cold – we don’t have a cat. I didn’t think at the time that this was also an essential measure to help stop the rodent invasion. I am also now aware that my neighbour’s bird feeder is a potential source of food for rats and mice not just birds and wish they would get rid of it for that very reason – no reason to unnecessarily attract them! Never be complacent is my motto. We should all be aware of how to get rid of rats or how to get rid of mice in at home just in case.
Of course, I am not alone with my worries about rats. They are an international problem and big news in America. I suppose we should thank our lucky stars we are not dealing with giant rats…… well, not yet anyway.
My motto now is: “Pest control at work, pest control at home”.
