Harris County, Houston Rat Control Situation:
Dear Pest Control Agency, My name is Juan and I am working on my doctoral dissertation in Biology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. I have an undergraduate researcher who helps me with my research, and we both work in the laboratory of Prof. Michael. We have studied rats and mice in Europe, and we use the information to study a number of questions, including how rodent populations are connected between continents or within countries. One part of our work deals with the question of whether rats and mice in the US have developed resistance to rodent poisons, about which little is known. Our hope is that during pest control you will be able to obtain the tail tips (about 1 inch) of rats and mice that can be found at rodent infested sites. These could be collected from dead animals, and of course, we would send you everything you would need (scissors, tubes, gloves, prepaid shipping, etc.). If you decide to help us in our research, we would like to offer you a Domino's giftcard as a thank you for your efforts! We have received a large amount of support from a few pest control agencies so far. It would be wonderful if you would also consider helping us! Attached is a simple spreadsheet where a few details on the sampling are described. We do not need any specific information regarding locations where sampling was done, and no names of owners or of employees, etc. are needed. However, if you would like we would be more than happy to promote your company name in our research paper! Please feel free to contact us by email or phone if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Juan
Houston Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Is Rat Feces Dangerous To Breathe Or Touch?
Apart from rats being a significant threat to your house, the health implications of having their feces around your home is something that you need to be concerned about. Rat feces are carriers of all kinds of pathogens and diseases that can infect you when you have direct contact with them. This simply shows how dangerous rat feces are and why it is very important for you to avoid touching them or breathing them in.
Rats are a very active household pest, you can find them at almost every corner of your home, including your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and other rooms in your home. If you have a rat problem, their feces will be found in all these places. This shows that you are at risk of getting infected if the proper sanitization of your home is not done.
Rat feces are carriers of dozens of pathogens and bacteria, with each of these having the possibility of causing lethal health complications. One of the most common of these rat feces related infections is Hantavirus. This particular infection is medically known to cause severe health complications that could lead to death if not managed properly.
To simply avoid exposing yourself to these infections and diseases, you need to avoid touching or breathing in rat feces. The best way to avoid this is to use personal protective equipment such as gloves and a mask when cleaning your home.
Also, if you have a rat problem, you need to hire a professional wildlife agent to help disinfect your home after removing all the rats. By doing this, you will be able to protect yourself from the diseases and pathogens carried by rat feces.
