Fed up with birds under your panels filling your gutters up, making a mess on the floor? We offer a proofing service to stop this.
Seagull sweeping
A man in Exeter has been spotted standing on a roof holding an upside down broom, attempting to bat away flying seagulls with a broom.
Mole Trapping
RE MOLES RUINING YOUR LAWN? Rats or Mice problems? Rabbits causing damage to your fields and paddocks? Mole Trapping may be the solution
Rats thriving due to mild UK winters
Rats are thriving across the UK, the British Pest Control Association is warning, with milder winters encouraging the increase.
The trade body has developed a new toolkit for landlords on what can be done to help prevent problems with rats.
Here, we have put together some resources for landlords about what to do if a tenant contacts them about a suspected rat infestation.
Who is responsible for tackling the problem?
Rats can cause structural damage to properties, so it is important that any infestation is dealt with swiftly. But, who exactly is responsible for dealing with a suspected rat infestation in a privately rented house?
This depends on:
Whether there is anything relevant in the tenancy agreement:
The tenancy agreement may set out details on who is responsible for dealing with any infestation or may make the landlord responsible for keeping the premises in good condition and fit to live in, which couldmean they have to deal with infestations.
Whether the property was already infested when the tenant moved in:
If the property is already infested when the tenant moves in, it is likely that the landlord will be responsible for dealing with it. In regard to furnishedproperties, landlords have a contractual duty (implied by common law) to ensure that at the start of the letting there is “nothing so noxious as to render it uninhabitable”.
Whether the infestation may have resulted from some act of the tenant. The tenant may be responsible for dealing with the problem if the infestation was caused by something the tenant has done or failed to do; eg, not dealing properly with rubbish, not cleaning the property adequately, leaving food around or keeping pets which have fleas.
Whether the property was in disrepair:
Infestations may be the result of, or made worse by structural defects or disrepair, such as holes in external walls. Unless the disrepair has been caused by the tenant, it will usually fall to the landlord to carry out the repair and deal with the infestation.
What does the law say?
Rats and mice carry diseases and can inflict a great amount of structural damage. They can cause serious fires by gnawing away the insulation around electrical cables, floods by puncturing pipes and even death by chewing through gas pipes.
The insurance sector has estimated that rodent damage to wiring is responsible for 25% of all electrical fires in buildings.
Property owners have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises rat and mice free, or, if they pose a threat to health or property, to report infestations to the local authority.
Treatment:
It is recommended you contact a professional pest control company, which will have access to a range of professional use rodenticides which are not available to the public.
Look away if you are scared of rats!
Leeds Rat Run Posted by BBC Yorkshire Facebook Page
You may also like
Bird Hazards and Controlled Measures
Bear a thought BIRDS cause chaos and in the worst cases can even KILL!!!
We are environmental specialists managing all aspects of pest control measures resulting in a clean and healthy environment.
But it cannot be ignored many customers think our work is “heroic” as we tackle pests in all situations.
Our services discretely perform to protect and prevent disease including any danger to living animals, insects and plants.
Without trying to over elaborate the point of the importance of pest control and treating pest problems seriously, recent study highlights how pigeon poo (guano) is an attributing factor in the risk to human health.
The diseases and bacteria spread by “Pests” are rare but the risk is ever present and can easily be reduced through good pest control, personal hygiene and property cleaning regimes.
This is where we come in. Pigeons and seagulls are the most common type of UK birds which may be considered pests.
This doesn’t mean that all pigeons or seagulls are pests as there are many instances where they live without causing any problems whatsoever. They are part of the UK Eco System and have the right to roam freely without any interference from control and preventive measures. However, in the built-up environment of a town pigeons (and seagulls) are not just a nuisance, they pose a hazard to public health!
What health problems can birds cause?
Birds – and in particular pigeons – are linked with various potential diseases and is a danger to infection from the droppings.
The infection is spread through the inhalation of the fungal spores as the aging or drying of the droppings does’t reduce infection.
The infections from both diseases affect the lungs/respiratory systems with mild symptoms being most common.
In extreme circumstances these infections cause complications with some patients and in extreme circumstances can lead to death.
Are All Birds Pests…?
Most birds can be considered a “pest” in certain given situation. However there are limits on the solutions you can implement depending on bird species.
Some species are fully protected and others can only be dealt with at certain times of the year.
This does pose some complications if you have a bird nuisance problem.
The most common birds that cause the most challenges to a pest controller are pigeons and sea gulls.
Bird Problems…
Birds can cause a number of problems that lead customers to call out a professional pest controller including;
- Noise – particularly when mating, nesting and roosting. The noise can very strong and off putting
- Aggressive – once birds start nesting and have chicks the parents are very protective.
Seagulls are a big problem in coastal locations. Little can be done until the chicks have flown the nest
- Additional “pests” – Nesting birds can bring additional problems like mites and parasites
- Nuisance to occupants and / or customers
– seagulls are particularly bad when searching for food - Droppings – particularly bad around nesting and roosting areas
- Shop closures – we get many call outs from retail shops that have had a bird enter the store causing problems to staff and customers alike
Prevention better than Cure
As with so many things in life Prevention is better than Cure.
With the various limitations in managing a bird problem (infestation) it is best to try and put prevention measures in place.
There are various non-intrusive and humane bird control measures that can prevent a problem in the first place or help quickly reduce a growing problem.
Significant risks associated with birds and the associated fouling/droppings can occur, so if birds are a problem call us for advice.
When birds aren’t a nuisance they can be left alone.
Neil Townsend, your Local and Trusted Expert will be there to help.
You may also like:
https://www.neilsbirdandpestcontrol.co.uk/pigeon-droppings-health-risk-should-you-worry/
Service Contracts
Carried out to keep all areas pest free and is ‘Pro-active Pest Control’ encompassing all aspects of our integrated services.
You may also be interested in: