One of the main problems with pests accessing people’s homes, is due to vulnerabilities in the structure of buildings. One great way of preventing pest access is by proofing your homes – A job which we can provide if you have been prone to pests in the past.
Pests have the advantage of being a lot smaller than us humans, as well as able to scour walls and get into the most awkward of spaces as well as tight rope walk across any cables and wires we may have hanging in our homes or business premises. The first call of action is conducting a thorough assessment of the building to identify any such gaps, not only on the ground, but high up on the building too. Any identified gaps will then need to be blocked.
The chances of a re-infestation entirely depend on the living circumstances. Whether the building is a flat, commercial property, terraced house and so on. The closer your home is situated to another, such as a flat, the higher the chances are of a re-infestation even after apply rodenticides. If we were able to examine the entire building rather than one flat, then re-infestations would be much less likelier but as you can imagine, that is a very difficult job and would require the permissions of all residents within the building. In cases like this, proofing rooms from the inside may be the only plausible option.
Pests can access buildings by various means, including through the ground, through pipes, through gaps and even from buildings associated nearby. As they are so quiet and hard to notice, we only become aware of them when we either see them, or see evidence of them such as droppings. It is also important to remember that when houses are built, gaps are left next to pipes and cables so places where utilities are stored could be a potential access point.
How to proof your home or workplace:
- Cover air vents with wire mesh. This still allows air to circulate but stops pests from accessing the room.
- Fit bristle strips to the bottom of doors to make the door more snug to the ground.
- Keep your toilet lids down as rats have been known to swim up toilet pipes. Regularly check all pipes in your home for breakages.
- Fix roofing.
- Fill wall gaps and pipe areas, including hole where old pipework once was.
- Keep your garden grass mown short. The longer the grass, the better the hiding spaces!
- Similarly, trim branches and bushes nearby as certain pests will be able to climb up buildings.
The answer to how pests are accessing your property is not always straightforward and there may be multiple potentialities. For more information on how we can proof your property from pets, please give us a call. We are open 24/7!