Many people who find themselves dealing with any kind of pest infestation would automatically phone the local council for help and advice- but is that really the best and most cost effective solution???
Council Pest Control-Ants
Just recently I was called out to a property that had been suffering from swarms of ants. The property management quite rationally they decided to call the council, only to be told that the treatment would cost a minimum of £115!!! Luckily for them one of their members of staff had used Ian Smith Pest Control on a previous occasion so a quick, effective and most importantly, cost effective solution was forthcoming! But the real issue is, if people put their trust in councils to offer them the best help and advice, surely councils have a duty to make sure they are at least getting value for money.
Dealing With Rats
Another home that I visited recently had been having problems with rats in their garden for over 6 weeks. I only became aware that there was an on going problem when a rat found its way into a neighboring home. I visited the homeowners who had rats in their garden, to see what ‘free’ control measures had been put in place by the council, who had been called when a rat was first seen, 6 weeks or more earlier. The garden fence at the rear of the property was under mined with rat holes, the infestation was obviously a well established one and had been there sometime. The council workers had installed just 1 poison box, next to the holes under the fence. Now as all professional pest controllers are aware, rats are neophobic, meaning they are very aware of new objects, especially those appearing next to their holes. There are a number of different ways I would of approached this situation, but just sticking 1 bait box in the garden was defiantly not going to solve the problem! I was happy to give them some free advice and I promised to return in the next few weeks if (when) the problem isnt solved.
