You may have an unwanted guest calling your Airbnb home

Winter is usually the time we Brisban-ites get some relief from insects and spiders invading our homes, but there is one pest that is very actively looking to use your home as their own Airbnb. Not only are they non-paying customers, but they can be very destructive and off-putting to your actual AirBnB guests.

Rats and mice can cause structural damage to homes, apartments, offices, and virtually any building through gnawing, nest-building, and defecation:

• Mice will chew on just about anything that they see as being useful in building their nests; this could be wood, paper, cloth, books, etc.

• A mouse will gnaw and burrow into upholstered furniture or seats of cars to create a hidden, snug nest.

• Insulation is not safe from mice either, they will tunnel into insulation inside walls and attics, either to make a home or to gather soft materials for their nests.

• Mice will chew on the insulation around wires; this is a known fire threat.

• Mice will even build their nests in large electrical appliances, chewing on or through insulation and wiring, which can cause the appliance to short circuit, malfunction, or lead to a fire.

Not to mention the diseases they can pass on to you, like;

Leptospirosis; People can be infected with this disease by:

• Eating food or drinking water contaminated with urine from infected animals, including rodents

• Touching the skin or mucous membranes (such as inside the nose) with water or soil that has been contaminated with the urine of infected rodents

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis; you can be infected with this disease by:

• Breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or feces

• Touching a diseased rat or mouse or its urine and feces

There are other diseases such as “the plague” but let’s not go there!

How do you know you may have Rodents in your home? Besides a foul stale smell, you may notice those funny scratching noises at night coming from the walls or roof void; you may also see droppings, “gnaw” marks or see dirty runways (tracking) marks against the wall; or worse, you may discover urine stains on your kitchen bench or in your pantry.