Rat problem resolved in Newtown
Posted on 15th December 2019 at 08:42
We were asked to attend a n problem with rats in a terraced house in Norwood Road, Reading; a Victorian terrace of five properties these can be the most difficult of jobs as the access point can be via another property. We got to the bottom of it or really the top!
When it comes to rat catching in Reading our approach differs completely to other pest control companies: our aim is to find out how the infestation occurred and bring it to a conclusion whereby there's no more rats - period.
We investigate the whole block of properties; it maybe something really simple like abroken air brick or an old redundant pipehole that is the cause of the infestation and we can seal this up and trap out the internal population.
A main access point for rats is via the drainage system so obviously we devote a lot of time looking at this hidden route into every building. The problem in many of these Victorian houses is that there is no access pit and the drains often run beneath the floor of the buildings, entering via the rear aspect and leaving through the front of the house.
This is compounded by the fact that these houses are close to the Kennet and they have a deep groundwater system that takes rainwater directly into the river - these pipes run through the houses as well.
We did a lot of investigative work before we had to come to the conclusion that this was a drainage issue - but where?
Having come to that conclusion we had to cut a hole in a void section of wall; the house had been extended and additional rooms created using stud walls finished in plasterboard. The stink pipe which is the breather system allowing air pressure to neutralise when you flush the toilet was sealed inside one of these voids in what is now the kitchen.
Our first task was to cut a hole in the base of the wall and the stench of rats and stale urine leapt out of the hole - a sure sign that we were close to the access point that was certain.
We found an uncapped metal pipe sticking up from the ground, so we trapped and sealed the opening with a wire mesh cradle and waterproof cement - no rats would get through that for sure!
The owner bought in rodenticide at this point; something we resist due to the problems it brings; rats will die in the property causing a horrible smell then you're be inundated with blue bottles.
Sure enough a rat took the poison and then died under the floor in the front room; this is always a possibility as we have no control of the animals movements and don't believe it when you're told that the poison makes the rats thirsty and that they'll die outside as they seek water - total rubbish.
We avoid the use of rodenticide at all costs unless the infestation is that large we need control quickly, our trapping program means that we don't need to bring rodenticide into your home or business property and we can take out dead rats as they are caught.
Rats are extremely adept climbers and they can and will climb up the inside of a plastic waste pipe; older cast iron versions are even more easy to climb as the interior will be corroded and rough. All the tops of stink pipes should have a crown on the top to prevent rats climbing out, likewise rainwater downpipes should have the same type of crown as quite often we'll see these discharge straight into the drains, and they're another easy climb for a rat.
The durgo valve had been attacked by rats and the had eventually gnawed through the sides gaining access into the interior of the void section. From this point they had the full run of the ground floor as they will follow pipe runs and electrical cable routes.
Rats are able to squeeze their body through a hole the same size of their head - for a guide that's about the same size as a fifty pence piece or even slightly smaller as occasionally we'll find that its only juvenile rats entering a property.
We had to cut two holes in the plasterboard sheet as we have no other option; these were covered with a plastic grill until such time as the owner decides to make a full repair or leave this these in situ.
Our aim is to get to the bottom of the infestation and we look further than other pest control companies with our treatments. Our customers are our priority and that's not just an advertising slogan.
If you have a rat, mouse or squirrel problem in Reading - all our rodent treatments follow the same pattern - we investigate the entire structure and not just your 'part' of it. If the entrance is via a neighbouring property then no amount effort solely on yours will see a resolution to the problem.
We track the animals using traps in combination; often the drains are the route into a property and so we mark these to establish or eliminate the different systems connecting the houses together.
Once we know the whole story, where the animals are getting in we'll seal up the openings and finish trapping; you'll be rat free, mouse free or squirrel free and we'll be on our way.
This is the only way to deliver professional pest control across Reading.
Tagged as: Drain Surveys, Rats and mice
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