Its a dirty job but someone got to do it.. Rattraxs does it.
Its either poor practice, poor knowledge, or the unwillingness to simply carry out a full and comprehensive survey (Possibly all three) that leads to a infestation so extensive that you are left with no other option but to quote for the extremes.
For over 5 years so i was told by a recent customer in Lincoln that she had been experiencing repeated rat infestations within the loft space. The rodents had never breached into the dwelling but could be heard in certain walls and roof spaces from the first ground floor ceilings upwards. In all of the years she had never once noticed a rat in the garden or around the property and was at her wits end when she contacted me.
After a full external site inspection which flagged up no obvious areas of concern i then conducted my loft inspection…. In conversation with my customer my thoughts were directed to the drainage but its always good to keep a open mind, within seconds of entering the loft space it became obvious to me that the next point of inspection should be the foul drainage system. The extent of the infestation was overwhelming, the odours knocked you back, runs and grease marks through out, on lifting areas of insulation nexts and latrines were identified.
Apparently neither of the three companies called over the years to deal with the issue never once mentioned the drains as a possible point of entry. One of the companies thought it a good idea just to leave the baits down indefinitely and set up a regular visit program based on the customer calling him when she heard noises… only one winner there, it isn’t the customer..!!
After explaining my thought and methods going forward i carried out a quick drain survey to the base of the SVP (Soil Vent Pipe) as the gully waste was pre-formed and in excellent condition i thought the stack to be my best bet, that and the fact that the noises heard in the wall were on the same elevation as the SVP.
And there we had it… the 90 degree bend at the base of the SVP where the material changes from plastic to clay had come apart allowing a biting point for the rats to gnaw away giving them access straight into the cavity wall and upwards into the loft space. After a conversation with her home insurance it was deemed to be movement or old age / wear and tear, thus not a insured concern.. wouldn’t you know it..??
To be honest, the customer was just so relieved that the point of access had been identified (All of the drainage was surveyed to confirm and no other defects were noted) that after consulting a specialist local drainage company the correction works were carried out promptly. She also wanted her home back.. her words “I feel like my house has not been my home” and asked if i could arrange for the loft space to be cleared, cleaned and re-insulated.
A quotation was provided, accepted and works have now been completed. No more noises heard, baits placed in the event that any rats were still in the fabrics of the property removed. Loft cleared, sanitised, cleaned insulation collected by a local skip company, and re-insulated to industry standard… all done in under 10 days.
No more repeated re-visits, no baits left in the loft space unchecked, no noises, the stench has gone and my customer has her home back…. and all for just simply doing what we should do as pest controllers, listen to the customer about the history, carry out a full site survey, provide a method and ultimately a solution. The service Rattraxs Pest Control Services proudly provides.
Rattraxs Pest Control Services can provide CCTV Survey reports to industry standards, reports for third party specialist drain companies of your choice or recommended, quotations for loft clearances, disposal of rodents bodies, full clean throughs and re-insulation to original or industry specification.