Mouse Control is on the Table Only if Seen Running on Capitol Hill – Chiang Rai Times

The spotlight seems away to focus on the election, the pandemic, the economy or some important deals that are being made. But in occasion, pest control creep up in the agenda. But not for the reason you may think. Mouse control does affect most of us regular folks at home, but also in the supermarket we frequent, the hospital we need, in the school our children attend, in the restaurant we eat out.

However, when rodent control hit the first page, it is possibly because a mouse was seen running in the White House, or in a hospital where one our Senators were visiting.

The reality is that pests are omnipresent in all aspects of our lives. It affects the quality of the food we eat and our wellbeing in the building we use. Mice in hospital are as well omnipresent, the same way they are in most restaurant.

Most establishment will henceforth have in place mice control measures to monitor and to take steps to ensure that no mice infestation takes holds and to protect the wider public.

A lot has been done, mostly driven by the local government and the Environmental heath departments of our cities. Most restaurant proudly display on their front door the A rating we all love to see before having a meal.

But is there a real Political Drive to promote and possibly make compulsory the implementation of preventive pest control measures. I am afraid that like most parts of the world, people and businesses are left to toe the mark. There are controls of course but what good can 30 Environmental Health Officers can do when we have many thousands of food establishments.

And what power do we have on some neighbours who disregard blatantly hygiene principles and hoard rubbish within their property with mice running on the window sills frenetically. What means and services do we offer to our schools so our children spend time in a safe environment free of pathogens.

Basically, we are left self-managing, and self-suffering. Great strides have been made to raise standards, and most of us are respectful of the great principles that make us a community. The pest control service providers have been highly regulated as well as the product they use. But beside the administration red tape aimed at insuring that businesses respect the rules, what can we do when something is obviously bad, who can we turn to.

We are kings in our homes, more so if you actually own it. So what can we do to force a neighbour to change his ways, declutter his own a carry out a mice treatment, when it may not be a crime to live like that. In some instance, when living conditions reach a critical level it may become a fire hazard, and to some extent the fire brigade may be able to get involved.

In other instance, social services may be called in to provide some extra care and support, or to protect children living in unhealthy conditions. But should there be a need to make provision in Law to allow stakeholder the power to inspect any property and impose mean tested pest control measures when needed.

How to get rid of mice will depend largely on how much disposable income you have as well as your willingness to do something about it. It is an open debate on how much the government need to get involve into the life of the population. It is also a need to give the tools to the population to tackle issues that are not necessarily crimes in an expedite fashion.

We hear in occasion of big fights tacking place between neighbours. In other instances there are long court proceedings on menial topics. Could it be that we stream line the enforcement side of the Environmental Health Officers and trust them to use it wisely.

A mouse infestation tacking hold within a flat can easily spread like wild fire within a residential block. Then rodent control can become particularly challenging and have consequences that far exceed the cost of a pest control treatment. However, having streamlined enforcing powers on landlord to take action will first require a political will to do so.

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Mouse Control is on the Table Only if Seen Running on Capitol Hill - Chiang Rai Times