Removing dog waste from common areas assures that residents have a safe place to enjoy themselves. More importantly this will avoid the risk of germs and disease being carried into their home. No more warning company about a potential mishap relating to stepping in dog poop. Property owners will have a clean, safe appearance and keeps the rats and mice infestation away from residential and community buildings.
Having rats in the area will attract feral cats. Making it even more dangerous to pets and humans. Many people ignore these issues saying they don’t use the common areas or the open space and it is just for their dogs. But those same dogs walk in the common areas indiscriminately and then enter their homes, spreading diseases, bacteria and parasites into the carpet, furniture, beds and even clothing. What? You never had a dog jump up on you?
While a pile of dog poop is surely something to avoid, for rats, it’s a delicious treat of hearty food. That’s due to the undigested excess protein found in most dog foods. As any city combats an ongoing rat problem throughout many neighborhoods, some residents who are fed up with the infestation are trying to get dog owners to clean up after their pets. And for good reason. Keep reading.
Pet Waste Attracts Rats
Rats, mice and other rodents are attracted to dog poop because they like to eat it. In fact, dog poop is said to be the number one food source for rats in developed areas. If your community has a rat problem, investigate whether that problem is being fueled by a pet waste problem. Rat populations thrive and reproduce wherever there is a readily available food source. Most experienced exterminators will tell you that dog waste is the number one source of a rats and mice infestation. Make sure your community is not becoming a rat breeding ground by keeping pet waste off the ground.
Dog Poop is Toxic to the Environment
Pet waste that is left on the ground doesn’t simply disappear. Dog waste will slowly dissolve over time by becoming part of the soil or washing into the waterways when it rains. But don’t assume, (yeah, I know, assume), it’s completely gone. As the dog poop disintegrates, it breaks apart into smaller and smaller particles. Those particles of dog poop may wash into our creeks and streams. Ultimately into our rivers or water sheds when it rains.
Dog waste is very protein‑rich. Unfortunately, these particular “protein‑rich deposits” cause rapid growth of algae. Excessive algae blooms can block the sunlight and diminish oxygen in the water. Which in turn kills off aquatic organisms, especially fish. Even for those who don’t give a rat’s (insert pun here) about the environment, there is yet another reason to keep pet waste off the ground and out of our waterways. That reason would be our own personal health. The bacteria in dog feces wash into our creeks, streams and rivers can cause serious illness in humans, including cholera and dysentery.
How to Get Rid of Rats
Rats are attracted by the odors from pet waste; outdoor pet food bowls; bird seeds that have spilt on the ground; composting bins; BBQ grills; standing water sources; vegetable garden waste and un‑harvested fruits and nuts from trees. To eliminate rats, denying them access to the aforementioned areas and cleaning up the areas is crucial to effective rodent control.
Rats also like junk piled in yards like old tires, firewood, sheds with openings underneath and even dog houses. They are like rat condos and rats love to live in and under all of these. Anything that can hold water like old buckets or basins are a great source of water.
To eliminate rats, deny them access to shelter. It is important to remove potential hiding and nesting sites from around your home. Such as firewood stacks, brush and debris piles, dense shrubbery, ground covers and ivy. Repair and/or seal openings in buildings using durable materials, such as concrete, metal flashing, steel wool or heavy welded wire
I can’t help you with the BBQ grills, un-harvested fruits and nuts from trees or rat condos. However, I can recommend Scoop Masters to confront the pet waste part of the equation. Scoop Masters can help you with turn key solutions to your pet waste problems with a variety of services we provide. Like walking the common ground regularly to pick up the dog poop that others have left behind. We can recommend a variety of pet waste stations that fit your needs and your budget. We’ll also maintain those pet stations on a regular basis to make sure they are clean and stocked with poop bags.
Contact a Pest Control Company
Once the pet waste solutions are in place, and everything else has been addressed, you may need the help of a pest control professional. To find a qualified pest control in your area, visit PestWorld.org to use their nifty zip code search box. Keep in mind that they are pest control companies, not pest elimination companies. That’s not an easy task.
Conclusion
We all want to be safe and free from harm. We may not be able to eliminate all the safety hazards from pet waste and rats, but we can limit their effects on us. Picking up your dog’s poop while on a walk can play a huge part in eliminating the health issues resulting from pet waste. Be sure to carry extra poop bags with you and if your community doesn’t have pet stations installed, call us. According to a 2017 Penn State study – “60% of dog owners pick up their poop, and that number increases with the addition of pet waste stations.”
So, talk to your management company, your HOA or POA board members and let us help you keep your community pet waste free. You can request a FREE, no obligation quote from our website, or talk to a real person by calling us. Your neighbors will thank you; your community will thank you, and the rats won’t! But we don’t need any affirmation from rodents.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks