Ratus Ratus
Why are feral animals considered vermin? Many feral animals are considered vermin due to their potential to:
Damage the environment: They can overgraze, disrupt ecosystems, and introduce diseases.
Harm agriculture: They can damage crops, livestock, and infrastructure.
Threaten native species: Feral animals can prey on native animals and compete with them for resources.
Pose a health risk: Some feral animals can carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans or domestic animals.
Examples of feral vermin
Rabbits:
Rabbits are a common example of a feral animal that can cause significant environmental damage. In some contexts, rabbits are considered "vermin." This is because they can be destructive pests, causing damage to crops, trees, and other vegetation. Landowners may classify them as vermin due to the economic and environmental impact of rabbit populations.
Damage to Property:
Rabbits can damage crops, trees, and saplings by eating them, causing economic losses for farmers and landowners.
Burrowing:
Their burrows can pose a risk to infrastructure and can be a subsidence hazard.
Pest Status:
In the UK, rabbits are considered pests under the Pests Act 1954, and landowners have a responsibility to control their numbers
according to GOV.UK
.
Control Methods:
Various methods are used to control rabbit populations, including shooting, trapping, and snaring, depending on local regulations and circumstances. It's important to note that rabbits are not rodents. They belong to the Lagomorpha order, which also includes hares and pikas.
Rats:
Rats are considered vermin primarily because they pose both health and property damage risks. They can carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans, and they can also cause significant damage to buildings and property by gnawing through wires and other materials.
Health Risks:
Rats are known to carry and transmit diseases like leptospirosis, hantavirus, and other bacterial infections. These diseases can be spread through contact with rat urine, droppings, or saliva. Breathing in rodent dander, dried droppings, or urine can also lead to respiratory infections.
Property Damage:
Rats can gnaw through wires, insulation, and other building materials, potentially causing fire hazards and structural damage. They can also contaminate food and surfaces, posing a health risk to humans. Their burrows can weaken foundations and walls, leading to further structural issues.
Other Negative Impacts:
Rats can contaminate food and drinking water, making it unsafe for human consumption.
Their droppings can be unsightly and corrosive, damaging buildings and vehicles. The sound of rats scuttling around can be disruptive and unsettling. While rats may have some ecological roles, like being food for predators and scavengers, their negative impacts on human health and property make them undesirable pests.
Moles:
Moles are generally classified as vermin, especially in the UK. This is because their burrowing habits can damage lawns, gardens, and agricultural land. While they do contribute to soil aeration and insect control, their tunneling activities often cause significant problems for homeowners and farmers.
Pigeons & Corvid Species:
Pigeons are often considered vermin due to their unhygienic habits, potential to carry diseases, and the damage they cause in urban environments. They are known to foul buildings with droppings, create slip hazards, and contribute to building corrosion. Additionally, they can carry various diseases, including chlamydia, ornithosis, and respiratory ailments.
Health Concerns:
Disease Carriers: Pigeons can carry and spread diseases like chlamydia, ornithosis, and respiratory ailments.
Fecal Matter: Their droppings are acidic and can corrode and erode building materials.
Bird Mites: Pigeons often carry bird mites, which can cause itching and scratching in humans.
Nuisance and Damage:
Droppings:
Pigeons leave droppings everywhere, which can be messy, unsightly, and create a slip hazard.
Nesting:
They nest in buildings, balconies, and other structures, causing damage and potential health risks.
Building Damage:
Pigeon droppings contribute to building corrosion, and they can exploit weaknesses in roofs to create nests.
Garden Damage:
Pigeons can peck at and damage crops, plants, tearing leaves and causing other damage.
Squirrels:
Grey squirrels are considered vermin, especially in the UK, because they are an invasive species that cause significant damage to native ecosystems and property. They compete with native red squirrels for resources, raid bird nests, damage trees, and can enter homes and buildings.
Ecological Impacts:
Competition with Red Squirrels:
Grey squirrels are introduced to the UK from North America and have outcompeted the native red squirrel in many areas, leading to their decline.
Wildlife Impact:
They prey on bird eggs and fledglings, contributing to the decline of certain bird species.
Tree Damage:
They strip bark from trees, damaging and weakening them, potentially leading to death, especially of valuable trees like oak, beech, and chestnut.
Damage to Property:
Damage to Homes and Buildings: They can enter lofts, causing damage to insulation, wires, and roof structures.
Garden Damage: They can raid gardens, digging up bulbs, eating nuts, and damaging plants.
Invasive Species:
Introduced and Non-Native:
Grey squirrels are not native to the UK and were introduced in the 19th century.
Lack of Natural Predators:
They have few natural predators in the UK, allowing their populations to grow rapidly.
Other Reasons:
Squirrel Pox:
Grey squirrels can carry and spread squirrel pox, a deadly disease for red squirrels.
Economic Impact:
The damage caused by grey squirrels to forestry and property has an estimated annual cost of millions of pounds in the UK. In essence, grey squirrels are considered vermin because they pose a threat to native wildlife, cause significant damage to property and forestry, and are an invasive species that have disrupted the UK ecosystem.
Mink: Mink are considered vermin in many areas because they are invasive species that have a significant negative impact on native wildlife and ecosystems. Their opportunistic predatory behaviour, combined with their ability to thrive in diverse environments, makes them a serious threat to various species, especially ground-nesting birds and water voles.
Invasive Species:
MINK are non-native to many areas, including the UK, where they were introduced from fur farms. Once established, they can spread rapidly and establish large populations.
Predatory Behavior:
Mink are effective predators, preying on a wide variety of animals, including fish, birds, and small mammals. They are known to hunt and kill more prey than they need, which can severely impact populations of native species.
Threat to Water Voles:
Mink are particularly detrimental to water voles, a native British species. Mink can enter vole burrows and kill both adults and young, leading to population declines.
Impact on Ground-Nesting Birds:
Mink also pose a threat to ground-nesting birds, which are vulnerable to predation by these active hunters.
Economic Impacts:
Mink predation can also affect economic activities like fish farming and tourism.
Corvid Species:
Corvid species, including crows, rooks, and magpies, are often perceived as vermin due to their potential to cause significant damage to crops, livestock, and property. They are also known to prey on nests and eggs of songbirds and game birds, contributing to a reduction in wildlife populations. Additionally, corvids can create hygiene problems with droppings and debris, and their noise can be a nuisance in urban environments.
Crop Damage:
Many corvid species, like rooks, are known to damage emerging and pre-harvest cereal crops. They can also pilfer crops like potatoes and grains, leading to significant economic losses for farmers.
Livestock Damage:
Crows, in particular, are known to prey on newborn lambs, often by taking out their eyes, although this is usually when the lamb is already dead or seriously ill.
Nesting and Predation:
Corvids are known to take eggs and young of songbirds and game birds, which can impact the population of these species.
Hygiene and Property Damage:
Corvids can leave guano and debris from their nests, causing hygiene and corrosion problems on buildings. They have also been known to attack cars and tear off windscreen wipers, and even pull putty from around windows.
Litter Issues:
Crows can be smart enough to tear open rubbish bags and rummage through the contents, causing significant litter problems in urban areas.
Public Health Concerns:
Some corvid species, particularly ravens, have been associated with the spread of disease due to their omnivorous diet and scavenging habits.
At this time of year rats are coming into farm sheds to find warmth, shelter and food. They also breed at least four times a year giving birth to up to 16 pups at a time. Female rats often mate again within just a few hours after giving birth. Now is the time to make a start with controlling these vermin. On farms they contaminate water and food supplies to livestock and can cause serious health risks to humans. Call us now for help in the control and eradication of all and any pest problems.
Feral Pigeon Control
Feral pigeons (and the related wood pigeons) are a problem for farmers due to the significant economic losses they cause through crop damage, contamination of feed and water supplies, and the potential transmission of diseases to livestock.
Crop Damage and Economic Loss
Pigeons, being primarily granivorous (grain-eating) birds that flock in large numbers, can quickly decimate entire fields.
Vulnerable crops: They primarily target high-value crops such as peas, oilseed rape (canola), sunflowers, soybeans, flax, and maize (corn).
Feeding behaviour: Pigeons will consume freshly sown seeds, dig up young seedlings, and feed on the leaves and buds of young plants, especially during winter when other food sources are scarce.
Scale of damage: The economic losses can be substantial, running into millions of pounds each year across affected regions. In some cases, farmers are forced to re-sow entire fields, significantly increasing production costs.
Contamination and Health Risks
Feral pigeons frequently roost and nest in farm buildings, such as barns and livestock housing, where they can cause a number of sanitation issues.
Feed and water contamination: Droppings can foul animal feed bins and water troughs, making the contents unsafe for livestock consumption. Each pigeon can produce about 12kg of droppings a year, which can accumulate rapidly.
Disease transmission: While the risk of transmission to humans from casual contact is generally low, pigeons can carry various pathogens, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and the bacteria that cause ornithosis. These can potentially be transmitted to livestock and, in turn, affect human health if hygiene standards are not maintained in food handling premises.
Secondary infestations: Pigeon droppings and nesting materials can also host a wide variety of mites, fleas, and insects, which may then infest other areas or irritate livestock.
Infrastructure Damage
The accumulation of acidic droppings can cause long-term damage to farm buildings, machinery, and vehicles by corroding metal and eroding stonework. Nesting materials can block gutters and downpipes, leading to water damage.
For these reasons, the management and control of feral pigeons are considered essential practices for minimizing agricultural losses and maintaining health and safety standards on farms. Farmers often employ various methods, from non-lethal deterrents to culling under specific government licences, to manage the problem.