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 never thought about the number of virus and bacterial infections spread by rodents in floods. I know if you swim in a river and get a fever, headaches, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea or a rash you have to take it very seriously and get to a doctor quickly. After a flood you get a soup of soil and water contaminated with rodent feces and urine which contain a whole host of nasties. I wonder if the risk is greater with dead rodents mixed in?
One way to tell a disaster is coming is by the activities of the animals (best called pests) living under-ground. If they are seen in big quantities suddenly then this could be a sign they are evacuating their homes bcoz they could detect the danger ahead. This is the only incident I can think of right now, I guess some might have read or heard that some fishermen got big catches not too soon from tsunami that happened in Indonesia and near Phuket many years ago. That was a sign but people didn’t realise the disaster that was about to claim their lives.