Rodents

Mice and rats

Mice and rats enter buildings for food, water and shelter; droppings, gnawing or movement sounds can indicate activity needing assessment.

Close-up of a small house mouse with fine whiskers and brown fur eating breadcrumbs against a softly blurred neutral background

Mice and rats are rodents that can enter buildings while seeking food, water and shelter. In Accra homes and compounds, they may move through roofs, storage areas, kitchens, ceilings, drains or gaps around service openings, depending on the layout and surrounding environment. They are active mostly out of sight, and their movement can follow sheltered routes along walls and stored items. Both kinds of rodent can adapt quickly to places where food is accessible, so understanding the building and its surroundings helps distinguish occasional activity from a problem that needs attention.

Rodent activity can disrupt daily life and may affect stored food, household items and building services. Their droppings and urine can contaminate areas, so avoid sweeping or handling material without suitable precautions. Crepps begins by assessing where activity is occurring and how rodents may be entering, then considers practical proofing and control options suited to the site. The approach is planned around the evidence found, with monitoring and follow-up advice where useful. Residents can help by keeping food and waste secure and reporting new activity promptly, allowing the response to focus on the locations and conditions that matter.

Signs

Droppings, gnaw marks, scratching in walls or ceilings, nests of shredded material or bites in food stuffs in food preparation area and storages.

Why it matters

They contaminate food, chew cables (a fire risk) and breed quickly.

The IPM approach

We find how they are getting in, seal the entry points, then use traps and monitoring to remove them. Rodenticides are used only where needed and in tamper-resistant stations.