I would personally like to formally thank my supplier for the opportunity to conduct professional training sessions on their behalf.

These sessions focus on recognising rat-related issues within drainage systems, the relationship between rodent movement and drainage infrastructure, and the routes by which defective drains can allow rats to access properties.

Your collaboration enables us to share essential technical knowledge within the industry, and we appreciate your continued confidence in our expertise.

Rattraxs Pest Control has now carried out four of these days from Yorkshire down to Southend and all of them have received a positive response, so I would also personally like to thank all attendees who took time out of their busy schedules to further their industry knowledge and allowing me to assist them in there training.

If you are experiencing issues with rats in your property and would like a CCTV drainage survey to identify if a drainage defect is their point of entry, please contact Rattraxs Pest Control. I specialise in locating defects and access routes within your drainage system to help resolve the problem quickly and professionally.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) for inviting me, Darron Pearce of Rattraxs Pest Control, to take part in their drainage debate discussing surveys and inspections for rats and defective drains. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge with the industry and for being featured live on one of there discussions.

The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is the UK’s industry-leading authority for professional pest management. They are dedicated to raising standards, providing expert guidance, and supporting technicians with high-quality training, accreditation, and ongoing professional development.

The BPCA works closely with government bodies, regulators, and industry partners to promote safe, effective, and ethical pest control across the country. Their commitment to excellence ensures that both technicians and customers receive the highest level of support, technical knowledge, and professionalism, making the BPCA a trusted and respected leader within our industry.

How tiny openings let big pests in.

When it comes to pest control, size really does matter. Even the smallest gap around a property can be an open invitation for unwanted visitors. From house sparrows squeezing through 32mm spaces to mice slipping in through a crack as small as 6mm, this infographic shows just how little room pests need to get inside. Understanding these entry points is the first step in protecting homes and businesses from infestations.

Take this on board…. A rat needs 15mm only to invade your house..!!

Courtesy of the BPCA

Every home has its quirks – creaky floorboards, the odd drafty window… but a rat sneaking in through the drains? That’s taking things a bit too far.

Recently, I was called out to investigate a infestation where rats had somehow gained access to a property and were merrily exploring every corner of the house. Not exactly the kind of house guests you want hanging around.

Full detective hat donned for this one. Entry point, a damaged drain blanking cap that had been gnawed straight through. To the rats, it must have looked like a welcome mat!

The challenge? The faulty drain was hidden away behind a studded partition wall. With the aid of the CCTV drain camera and Sonar Tracing equipment, I found it. The customer was so impressed I’d located the exact entry point, however the entire contents of the wall need removing due to the extensive activity spanning back many months. The Radiator had to come off and the wall come down.

Once exposed, I fitted a 100mm Copper / Steel Bung to block the access route and gave the affected areas a thorough sanitise and Powair deodorizer after removal of waste. Problem solved, no use of rodenticides, no costly re-visits to monitor baits.

I could have used baits or traps and i many occasions these are important options for us, but with experience alone It was obvious this defect was internal, it was just locating it. The customer has no history of the property as the alterations, extensions were pre his residency.

The Takeaway

If you’re noticing signs of rats in your home, don’t just assume they’re coming through the loft or under the door. Rats are extremely intelligent animals, but they are also opportunists. They will take advantage of any defect and maximise their opportunities from these defects.

These rats had nested in a dry line within the drainage system allowing them quick and undisturbed access to both the dwelling for warmth and the drainage for food and water.

That’s where Rattraxs comes in – with over 34 years’ experience in drainage and pest control, plus the latest camera and tracing technology, I know exactly how to track down and stop them in their tracks.

👉 No more guessing. No more uninvited guests. Just a clear solution and peace of mind.

Can i be of assistance..?

If you suspect rats are making themselves at home in your property, give us a call. At Rattraxs Pest Control, I’ll find the problem, fix it, and make sure your unwanted visitors don’t come back.

For years the ‘Go to…’ treatment application for wasps entering a part of the building where there was no access to gain direct access onto the nest was ‘Ficam D’ – Active Ingredient ‘Bendiocarb 1.285%. it was brilliant, but it was highly toxic.

This years Wasp season will be the first without this active ingredient and for those of us whom treat nests are going to find it more challenging than previous years. With Bendiocarb a pest controller could just contaminate the point of entrance with the correct applicator for the job and within a few hours the nest would be dead.

You would get a gathering of wasps at the point of entrance but the activity would slow down quickly and you would be out in the garden having your BBQ in no time. In 2025 this is going to change, especially with large nests where there is no direct access.

When we used Bendiocarb the wasps would literally do the work for us, they would unknowingly walk the product into the nest infecting it quickly. The new actives of use are ‘Pyrethroid’ based dusts like permethrin. Ultimately they are faster acting which sounds good you may think..

The truth is that because they are faster acting they are more repellant, so infected wasps may not make it into the nest in time to infect it before they die. They will also display a much more defensive behaviour. Once treated they will become more aggressive.

Previously when arriving on site to treat a nest I would always ask the customer if they have attempted control before my arrival, if the answer was yes then I knew to expect extra aggression as permethrin would have normally been used.

I use LEGAL, approved products to protect you, your family and the environment….

Expectation Management.

This year and going forward there is no more spray and walk away treatments. While all applications will be the results of risk assessments, environmental assessments, nest location, product selection and application selection every effort will be made to ensure that treatments where there is no direct access to the nest will result in complete eradication with a single application.

However, this cannot be guaranteed… if I can get directly onto the nest then I will treat it directly thus minimising product use and ensuring complete eradication first time around i will.

If the point of entrance is into a cavity wall, a roof void or other areas where there is no access then single treatment applications may not work. Unfortunately charges will reflect for the second visit risk… I’m just being honest from the outset.

So, if after 48 hours of the treatment you still have wasps.. it will need a second application. Sorry..

While Honey Bees are considered a pest by customers they are not actually classified as pests. In Fact in March through to June a great percentage of phone calls i receive from customers are complaints of wasps which are actually swarming bees that a simply moving around.

While wasps can gather in masses around their nests why do not swarm in communal groups… granted, when a nest is being treated and you’ve got several got several hundred extremely annoyed wasps wanting revenge then it feels like a swam. However, what is seen swarming over rooftops in their thousands is in fact bees.

I specialise in rats, rats getting into your home, Rats in Drains, in the loft space, in the kitchen, in the dwelling in its entirety and in your garden. If a rat(s) get into your private space then thats for me.. Bee’s, Nope.

Now I’m not going to lie, Human life comes before all others, I have in my past actively treated and destroyed bees when no other option was available. Bee Keepers will come and collect in certain situations but they will not remove the side elevation of a property to gain access to the colony / colonies of bees within the wall, neither would I for that fact.

So I have in accordance with previous guidance treated for honey bees and blocked points of entry to deter ‘Robber Bee’s’ and contaminated bes from leaving the location. This has always sat wrong with me and when I set up ‘Rattraxs’ it was a area of the industry I tried to stay away from.

At the recent PPC Live in Harrogate where I had a small talk to give on my specialist subject I sat in in the audience where Clive Stewart, the owner of Westart Apiaries gave his presentation. Now he is a Specialist in Bee’s, every aspect of them, all done with the utmost respect to the bees themselves.

One valuable piece of information walking away afterwards what that I am not going to get involved in bees in any way, shape, form or method. I am simply not qualified. I did however purchase his book which is simply amazing which also reinforced the fact that this part of the industry, the bit which Clive does is so specialist it really should be left to the likes of him and persons of the same calibre.

I will however be signing onto his five day course in September if there is space. To further my knowledge and learn from Clive.

Mark Wenman, NPTA (Bees COBP) technical manager and board member, highlighted that honey bees are not classified as pests.

“In fact, they are among the most beneficial insects in our ecosystem, playing a vital role in pollination and biodiversity,” Mr Wenman said. “However, colonies that establish themselves in chimneys, wall cavities, or other hard-to-reach places can sometimes cause concern, distress, or even present a health and safety risk.

“In these circumstances, pest controllers are often called upon to respond. It is essential that we act with professionalism and care, ensuring that any intervention is both ethically sound and legally compliant.”

What the Code Includes

The new Code of Practice provides a clear and methodical approach to handling honey bee situations, focusing on:

• Initial evaluation and risk consideration
  Assessing the situation to determine whether action is needed, with consideration for the safety of people, animals, and the bees themselves.
• Ethical methods for removal and relocation
  Encouraging humane techniques such as cut-outs or trap-outs, with the goal of safely moving the colony to a suitable location.
• Use of specialised tools and training
  Recommending the use of equipment like thermal imaging cameras and stressing the importance of appropriate training, especially in high-risk environments.
• Legal compliance and environmental care
  Addressing relevant legislation and promoting best practices that align with health and safety laws and ecological responsibility.
• Knowing when to consult experts
  Advising members to reach out to experienced bee removal specialists when necessary, to ensure ethical treatment and protection of bee populations.

So I for one welcome this code of best practice and if anything it will make me direct the customer call to the right specialist. For me, I’m going to let them Bee…

2025 has got off to a flying start. We are just leaving March and i’ve already presented at Milton Keynes Forum then this wonderful opportunity by the BPCA (British Pest Control Association) to present a practical demonstration outdoors. Again some excellent feedback.

Next month I have my very first training day courtesy of 1Env where is will be teaching fellow Pest Controllers the importance of drainage and rat control. Drainage legislation, health and safety and what to look for in the drainage that can assist technicians in identifying rat ingress issues.

I am extremely grateful to my customers who employ me to control and solve their rodent problems, to the BPCA for allowing me to demonstrate my knowledge and experiences in my field of expertise and to 1Env for allowing me this amazing opportunity to pass on my 34 years of gained knowledge to the pest control industry.

I would also like to thank Ratgate for providing me with some demonstration equipment and Minicam for the loan of one of their new mini cams which are ideal for our industry. Both of these items are invaluable for the surveying and prevention of rats in the home.

Rattraxs Pest Control are qualified and certified to carry out CCTV Surveys to identify Rat issues within drains and to deal with the issue to full control ensuring that once treatments have been carried out you remain rodent free.

Rats are attracted to gardens for a few reasons:

1. Food sources: Gardens often have a variety of plants, fruits, vegetables, and seeds that can be appealing to rats. If you have compost, fallen fruit, or bird feeders, these can be easy food sources for rats.
2. Shelter: Gardens provide rats with cover, such as dense plants, tall grass, shrubs, or garden sheds. These areas give them a place to hide from predators and nest.
3. Water: Gardens may have sources of water, such as ponds, fountains, or even water left out for plants. Rats need water, and gardens are a convenient spot for them to find it.
4. Warmth: During colder months, rats may come into gardens seeking warmth, especially if they can find sheltered places like sheds, greenhouses, or piles of leaves and garden debris.
5. Proximity to urban areas: Gardens near homes, particularly in urban or suburban areas, may be part of the rats’ natural foraging range. If there’s food or shelter near the house, they might move in from nearby buildings or sewers.

If you’re having trouble with rats in your garden, it might help to remove food sources, keep the garden tidy, and seal any entry points to sheds or buildings.

While all of the above is completely true on many occasions rat issues in gardens can originate from defective and open drainage. A kitchen gully without a grid, a hole at the side of a Inspection Chamber or a old and dry line within the drainage system can all be the source of repeated rat issues within your garden.

Quite often Pest Controllers arrive on site and inspect the compost bin, the bird feeders, under sheds and other areas of harbourage yet walk straight past the actual source of the infestation, a open drain.

Having rats running around your garden is never nice, for lots of people their garden is a place of sanctuary and peace which often involves the feeding of birds and it is not rare for the attending pest controller to advise that the birds are not to be fed for the period of the treatment or worse still advised that the birds are no longer fed.

What has not been factored into the treatment program is the chance that the invading rats are actually entering the garden from the drainage system where they have food and water in abundance. So even when baits are placed control can not be gained from rodenticide feeding as the rats are feeding from the sewers.

Yet the attending pest controller will lay the blame at the bird feeder. While the bird feeder is a reliable food source for the rats it may not be the source for the infestation.

Quite often manhole covers and inspection chambers are covered by decking and slabs, so if you notice a burrow from either yet no obvious runs to and from maybe the source is from underground upwards rather than burrowing downwards. Again the rats may be noticed in the garden but this does not mean they are nesting within the garden.

Rats can have a large touring and foraging area, so the rats you are seeing in your garden could be surfacing from your neighbours drainage. All of these things have to be factored into our surveys as pest controllers.

BPCA Forum Milton Keynes

My most recent forum for the BPCA (British Pest Control Association) was to address the issue with rats in gardens originating from drainage defects.