On a recent job in Abingdon near Oxford, we came across the normal signs of rat activity in a loft, so I though I would highlight the sort of issues we find and the danger lurking for the property and the owners.

We got a call from a pensioner who thought she had heard something in the loft  and just wanted it checked out as neither her nor her husband could get into the loft anymore. On arrival, our suspicions of something were raised straight away – the distinct and definite smell of rats. You would think that we get used to this smell, but believe me the first tool we use on any inspection is our noses. Nothing smells like a rat.

First job, take a look in the loft. As the hatch was raised, the smell was over powering (on with the mask at this point). The sight that met us was an all to familiar one. Rat faeces everywhere, greasy trails of rat activity across the beams and then we saw the chewed wiring and insulation.

Most house fires are caused by shorting electrical circuits, mainly due to rodent activity. Furthermore, the risk of electric shock is a real possibility, so rather han continue with a detailed inspection, it is prudent to stop and retreat until the wiring is made safe. However most “sparkies” would never go in a loft with rat activity and rat poo everywhere, and I cant say I blame them.

So it is down to us to eliminate the problem, clear up the mess and then leave the electrician to do his job.

First and foremost, we need to determine the entry point of how did the rats get in the loft in the first place. On inspection, it soon became very clear. A house next door was empty and rats had dug under the footings and into the cavity, crossing over into this property via the roof space and sofits. Thankfully the owners of this property were known and we soon gained permission to seal the holes and continue our treatment of the problem.

It turns out that the old couple are partly deaf, and neither of them have a sense of smell, so it was not a surprise they did not know what was going on in the loft. The rest of the house was spotless and the garden was amazing, all planted out nicely etc.

Now the house has been made safe, the rats are all dead and this lovely couple can rest easy once more.

If you get a funny smell in your house, think about the loft and if it may have a rondent problem – then call Rapid Pest Control to get a survey and inspection done – it may save your house getting burnt down!

Doctors have warned of an increase in diseases spread by birds - particularly ornithosis (also know as cave disease). Urban Pigeons are being blamed for this increase across the country.

The increase of cases seen is being linked to the number of birds, particularly pigeons,  found in towns and cities, and particularly to the amount of faeces being generated by them.

Ornithosis is caught from the dust contained in dried bird faeces which is being breathed in, causing respiratory problems. It is also feared that most cases go undetected for long periods of time as people are unaware of the potential risk associated to bird faeces.

Birds carry the virus in the gut, and once infected, it will always have it. Consequently, any faeces produced by an infected bird will carry the virus too. It can be spread by air as well, so having a pigeon nesting or roosting on a window ledge could be sufficient to spread the disease. Once the faeces dry off, wind will break down the faeces and liberate the virus into the air.

When dealing with birds or their excrement, is it vital a face mask is worn at all times, preferably a full face mask and P3 grade filter. Bird faeces should be treated with a specially designed cleaning agent which kills and decontaminates the affected area, so just washing it off does not always kill the virus.

If you have a bird problem, call Rapid Pest Control now for advice and help on dealing with Urban Pigeons and bird proofing methods. Call Newbury 01635 247192 or Oxford 01235 280035 for expert bird control advice.

We had a call this week from a lovely lady in Newbury who discovered the spare room carpet was coming out in chunks when she hoovered it. As she looked closer , she saw it was all movings, so hence the call to Rapid Pest Control! 

On arrival, the culprit was soon identified as the Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella) or often called the Carpet Moth, for reasons that will become apparent.

Now this is a tricky little blighter to deal with and often go undiscovered for long periods of time, only really becoming apparent when a hatch happens in large numbers. The hatch usually happens after a very long period of feeding on carpets and clothing, so normally when they are discovered it is almost too late to stop an issue.

This moth prefers high humidity and almost damp conditions, but will thrive in low humidity environments, but take longer to develop. The moths are reasonably small in size, about 10 mm in length. Subsequently, their eggs are very small, making the discovery of them at an early stage very difficult. The female moth will lay several hundred during her lifetime, so populations can grow very quickly if not dealt with.

The eggs are attached to fabric or carpet with a sticky substance, making them difficult to remove or hoover up. After the egg hatches, the larva will immediately look for food and feed for up to 2 months before being ready to develop. The Larvae stay in cocoons for a month or so before hatching into adults to mate and lay eggs.

This moth is notorious for feeding on clothing and natural fibres such as carpets and a s such cause tremendous damage to personal belongings and homes. When choosing an egg laying site, they prefer dirty or damp fabric or carpets especially where human sweat or other liquids which have been spilled. This allows them to convert the fibres into food more easily.

Moth Damage in a carpet - if you see this call Rapid Pest Control

Luckily, they are a very lazy moth and dont really fly about too much, preferring a stunted flight, more like a leap than a flight. This makes them easy to dose with insecticide when in the adult form. They also lay quite still if they do get up walls and on the ceiling, making very little effort to hide.

Normal treatments are a heavy perimeter spraying of each room (they always like the edges of a room), followed by a lighter spray of the whole carpeted area. We use a particular insecticide which offers killing power to kill all stages of life, combined with an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR in the trade) which basically stops eggs from hatching, larvae from pupating and pupa from hatching – halting the development of the insect lifecycle at any stage. These IGR’s last a very long time, so gives a good residual control. In extreme cases, we also “fog” with an insecticide spray using a special machine to deliver particles at a specific size to kill insects.

Gosh, I think I went into one there…so sorry!

Needless to say, the problem was solved and hopefully the carpet will remain in tact for a good few years to come, and not be a meal for the next lot of clothes moths.

So if you have a carpet that is falling apart, or looks like the picture of moth damage above, or your clothes have loads of holes in them, Call Rapid Pest Control now on Newbury 01635 247192 or Oxford 01235 280035 for a fast an effective moth control solution.

When people think of pests they generally think of Rodents and Insects but there is one pest everyone sees all the time and pretty much ignores – and that’s birds – mostly pigeons, starlings and gulls. In the trade we refer to them as “Flying Rats” due to the health risks they pose and the bird problem they create.

The build up of pigeons or starling droppings will cause fouling on structures but most importantly, they harbour some pretty hideous diseases. Pigeon and starling droppings are highly toxic and there are three human diseases that are known to be associated with pigeon droppings: Histoplasmosis; Cryptococcosis; and Psittacosis.

• Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus, which grows in pigeon droppings. This is also known as “Cave disease” and causes flu-like symptoms and breathing difficulties.
• Cryptococcosis is another fungal disease associated with pigeon droppings. A major risk factor for infection is a compromised immune system commonly found with homeless and malnourished people.
• Psittacosis (also known as ornithosis or parrot fever). This bacterial disease is characterised by fatigue, fever, headache, rash, chills, and sometimes pneumonia.

 So what can you do about it?

The cost to clean the droppings left behind by pigeons or starlings can surpass the cost involved in the installation of bird control systems like pigeon spikes, or bird netting & wires. But there are a few new bird deterrent systems about like the AVISHOCK system (a new electric bird deterrent) and the new Optical Bird Free Gel which we are also starting to use which often works out to be more cost effective than the previous systems mentioned.

Rapid Pest Control specialise in the use of these friendly bird deterrent systems so we can protect buildings from the damaging effects as well as the health hazards associated with bird guano. By preventing birds from roosting and nesting on the buildings, businesses can save money and be worry free from the possibility of disease spreading to their staff or visitors.

If pigeon or starling mess is left unattended it will pose a serious health and safety risk to everyone who comes in to contact with it so why not let Rapid Pest Control take care of this for you. Birds can damage a building quickly and repairs can be very costly. Businesses owners and property managers often forget to install bird control systems at their sites but it is becoming part of everyday maintenance, just like rodent control.

If you have a pigeon or starling problem, especially in your town, contact Rapid Pest Control Now or call Newbury 01635 247 192 or Abingdon 01235 280035 now for advice on bird control problems on your building in the Berkshire or Oxfordshire areas.

Here are a few pictures – the most disturbing one is people are still feeding the pigeons…despite all the problems with birds in towns. Please note –  it is illegal in certain towns to feed the pigeons.

Over the last few weeks, we are being asked to quote for rabbit fencing more and more. With the unseasonal weather, rabbits are breeding earlier then normal years and in increasing numbers.

With rabbit control, it is best to get to grips with a rabbit problem during the winter months. We can use a number of rabbit control measures, particularly ferreting, to clear the rabbit population, but this year it all ended a bit too soon really. It is almost impossible to ferret once young rabbits are seen as all you do is spend your day digging out the ferrets as they will kill and eat the babies down the burrow.

We still have gassing as a fall back and this year we have used lots of gas to great effect, clearing vast numbers of rabbits from established burrows. The problem is that if your neighbour is doing little or nothing to control rabbits on his land, they will return. This is where rabbit fencing and exclusion comes into play.

Now a fence is not the end to it all. Rabbits are very determined and if they want to get in, they will have a really good go. We have seen evidence where rabbits will actually bite through steel wire to get in, so ongoing checks and maintenance is essential to protect your investment in rabbit fencing.

Rabbit fencing can be expensive to install. In an ideal world, a trench should be dug, then the wire is buried to a suitable depth, then back filled to create a barrier under ground as well as above ground. Most situations do not need this level of expense, so at Rapid Pest Control, we assess the problem, work out the areas of highest risk and plan our approach accordingly, always looking to keep your cost to a minimum.

The last two jobs we have completed, did not call for massive excavations, so we used the client’s existing fencing where possible, then used a the “tuck under” method to create a rabbit proof barrier. The wire is held in place with highly tensioned straining wires, then over time vegetation will grow through the wire adding further adhesion.

This method is used very successfully in forestry situations as well as farming and domestic areas. The main advantage is that your do not cause damage or disturbance to the ground, but also the costs are significantly cheaper to the client, making rabbit fencing a real option.

Here are a few pictures of 2 different jobs, for clients in Goring and Basingstoke, both of which are delighted with the results and are now having rabbit free gardens.

So if you have a rabbit problem and want to discuss if rabbit fencing is the right option for you, call Rapid Pest Control in Newbury now on Newbury 01635 247193 or Rapid Pest Control in Oxford on Abingdon 01235 280035 – or of course Contact Us Here

This was a comment made by a client recently. Let me tell you the story of the squirrel problem and you make up your own mind if squirrels need to be culled.

We recently had a call out to a client in Eyensham who had been going crazy over a squirrel who decided that it wanted to get into his loft – whatever challenge or obstacle. This client called the local council first, which is understandable, who sent out a guy to set a few traps. Squirrels are highly intelligent and to catch one you have to think outside the box. Unfortunately, our man at the council did not and so after several months of frustration, gave up – I do feel sorry for him, but as I always say, stick to what you know and get the experts in!

Anyway, Our Ops Director, Steve, who is working out of Rapid Pest Control’s Oxford office is a bit of an expert when it comes to squirrels..so just the man for the job! Steve collected his trusted squirrel traps, his favourite bait and popped over to Eyensham to deal with the squirrel problem out there in Oxfordshire. Now Steve keeps his tricks and secrets to himself, but this time I had a sneak preview into his technique…now I know it too!

Anyway, sure enough, the phone goes and its the client, delighted that at last the squirrel was in one of the traps – in just one evening!! As I was in the area that morning, I just wanted to pop over and see the site and the damage I had been told about, so met Steve and went to site to dispatch the squirrel and take a few pictures for our records.

I simply could not believe the damage caused. This squirrel had literally wrecked the barge boards, grille, sofits and gutters in an attempt to gain access. The client told me that it also managed to get in the loft at one point as well – creating havoc.

So now you make up your mind…do squirrels need controlling?

Tomorrow, we have another squirrel problem in a large house in Thatcham – this lady concerned is the one who asked the original question. Now she has seen these pictures, her answer was obviously yes!

Have you got a squirrel problem or are squirrels trying to gain access to your property – if so call Rapid Pest Control now on Newbury 01635 247 192 or Abingdon 01235 280035 for Oxford Squirrel problems.

OK, so we all get our share of unusual jobs, but Rapid Pest Control seems to specialise in the most odd pest control situations.

This week has been no exception. From very persistent squirrels in the attic, to bird control in a modern sculpture we get them all. This one however has topped the list so far.

We had a call a few weeks ago that started with a plea for help.

This client had trawled through the directories looking for a local pest controller who could help – I am glad to say none could, or rather could be bothered, with tackling a most unusual request. This lovely lady was getting pretty desperate and by the time she got hold of Rapid Pest Control, she was loosing the will to live. The conversation went along the lines:

“You probably can’t help me but I have spiders everywhere….”, to which I obviously replied,  ”Of course we can, please tell me more…” So the lady went on to describe the problem in detail.

Basically, they have been travelling around Europe in a boat for the last few years, and now have returned to the UK. The boat is massive, 85ft long and a good 15ft wide if not more. Spiders have made it their home and have obviously bred like no tomorrow. The client said literally they had spiders all over them in the evenings, in bed, in the galley, in the loo – everywhere – making it impossible to live on anymore.

So off we went to Cookham to deal with the problem.

First and foremost, it is important to identify the species in question, which Steve duly did (Steve is Rapid Pest Controls technical expert), then we set about working out our treatment strategy. The culprit was identified as Larinioides sclopetarius – more commonly known as the Bridge Spider as it likes metal objects like bridges and of course metal boats.

Boats are funny things, they have as much under the floor as they do on top, and they are crammed with little nooks which make ideal habitat. They are also extremely warm, making ideal breeding conditions. After we worked out our plan of attack, Steve volunteered to do the outside, so I would do the inside. That kind of made sense as I am more suited to crawling about under floors etc and I dont mind tight enclosed spaces. The real reason for this did not come clear until a little later….it turns out Steve has mild arachnophobia!

Of all people, I would never suspect this of Steve. He keeps poisonous snakes, scorpions and god only knows what else! So the thought of crawling about on a boat with a bunch of spiders was his idea of hell!

Needless to say, the job was completed without incident, however I was expecting Steve to jump over-board at any moment – especially when the spiders were literally dropping from the boat as we sprayed.

So our clients can now have their beautiful home back, less their unwanted guests and can sail off happily once more. What a great life – I am so jealous!

If you have an unusual insect problem, problems with spiders either on or off a boat, then call Rapid Pest Control now for expert pest control services in Berkshire, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire – call Newbury 01635 247192 or Abingdon 01235 280035.

Here are a few shots from the day:

March 1st saw some exciting news for Rapid Pest Control Services, with the announcement of the merger of  Didcot based Pest Bee Gone  with Newbury based Rapid Pest Control Services.

Over the last few months, the Pest Bee Gone team have been working closely with Rapid Pest Control team and this is the logical conclusion of two organisations with common values and goals.

So what does this mean to our valued clients?

Firstly, you will still get the great service we have always given, but now we have more resources, more diverse services to offer and an all round better proposition. Our service portfolio now covers all the common pest issues in Berkshire and Oxfordshire, but has been extended to include wildlife management of rabbits, deer and foxes, pest exclusion by fencing and extreme cleaning.

This merger has allowed us to extend our coverage and reduce our time to respond, giving same day service to contract clients, but even one off problems are being dealt with on a same day basis in most cases. It has also reinforced and expanded our technical capabilities and accreditations.

Our coverage now extends across Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire and well into Buckinghamshire.

From our head office in Newbury, we will provide centralised invoicing, call management and advice, all backed up with our special service – a service you deserve – but with a local presence, which is vitally important to us.

Steven Light, former owner of Pest Bee Gone in Didcot, says “This is great news for our clients, and our business as a whole. By centralising admin functions, we can spend more time dealing with pest control issues and more time with our clients as well as reducing our running costs. We are investing in new streamlined systems which will allow us to manage calls, record activity more effectively and respond faster. We have been running trials on some systems and our clients love what they get from us. We really are looking forward to a bright future as a larger more flexible organisation.”

Graham Chapple, CEO of Rapid Pest Control said “We are delighted to welcome Steve and the team. when two companies have a such similar vision, it is best to join together and create a formidable force rather than try to compete against each other. The timing is right and the business drivers are compelling, so I am looking forward to rapid expansion and growth over the coming months – watch this space for more announcements!”

We look forward to introducing you to the new team and thank you for placing your business with us in the past. If you have any questions, please call us or email us – or find us on Facebook – just search for Rapid Pest Control and “like” us – or click here to contact us  or through the website www.rapid-pest-control.co.uk .

Whilst some of the reality TV programs try to glamorise the pest control industry, it is well to remind yourselves that we have to do pretty awful jobs most of the time, in pretty severe conditions that most people would just not do. Last week was no exception. Over the past month or so, we have been working on a few older properties which have had pretty bad rat control problems in the Berkshire area. The good news is that we have solved the rat issues now and the client is delighted we managed the process so quickly and effectively.

Now where there is a large rat infestation, there is always a clean up job to do afterwards. This particular property is a gorgeous old farm cottage with very unusual features and a tiny roof void, which of course the rats have made their home. As building work needs to be done on this cottage, the loft area must be cleaned out completely. It is advisable to do this anyway once a rat infestation has been cleared for health reasons to0.

Clearing lofts is a service Rapid Pest Control offers as it completes the circle of rodent control, so to us this is a normal job, however this loft was particularly bad due not only to the number of rats that once lived here, but the size and position of the loft hatches and low roof.

First job is to completely sheet up all the downstairs area with dust covers. Whilst all effort is made to minimise the mess, just the act of disturbing old insulation materials creates a huge amount of dust, so we just take precautions to make this as painless as possible. The next task is to suit up in full bio-suits, full faced gas masks and gauntlets for protection against dust, glass fibre and rat faeces.

Then the slow and laborious job of clearing up, bagging up all the waste and transporting it out of the property for disposal begins. This particular cottage had not only fibre insulation, but rockwool and, believe it or not, straw as well so you can see why the rats loved it so much!

Once everything is bagged and out of the loft, we then hoover the whole loft space, picking up all the rat and mouse faeces to ensure no contamination is left. This is a painstaking job, but with the right tools it soon gets done. We removed in excess of 10kg of rat poo from this loft, so the smell in there was pretty bad.

Once all is clean, you can identify any issues caused by the rodents, we pay particular attention to the electric cabling and report this to the owners for action.

Due to the presence of disease carried by rats, we then spray the entire loft with a powerful disinfectant and deodoriser to kill any possible bacteria which may linger. To complete the task, we then re-lag the loft area, clean up and retire from the site for a well deserved shower and cold pint!

Loft clearances are probably one of the worst jobs we have to do; the conditions are dark, cramped and very hot, the PPE is at best uncomfortable and nothing is better than finishing the job and getting in the shower, but its all part of the job and we accept it in our stride.

If you have had a rat problem in your loft, you should get it checked and cleared out professionally. Just because the rats have gone, they leave a legacy of filth and disease which could very easily be caught if not dealt with. So call Rapid Pest control Services now for a loft clearance survey so we can assess the situation.

Recently, we were called in to offer several fencing options on excluding deer from a garden in Newbury. The house in question has had a persistent issue with deer coming into the gardens and eating all the plants for a number of years, and several attempts have been made to exclude them.

The most cost effective method is a simple deer fence which is made of mesh, but it looks pretty ugly and certainly not in keeping with the house or the area, so we suggested a quality close board fence which would offer much more than simple deer exclusion. Deer Fencing is primarily used to protect wooded areas or as a boundary fence which is pretty much out of sight.

The area in question is a prestigious residential area in Newbury, with lots of footpaths around, so adding more privacy and security to the property was seen as a real benefit in addition to excluding the deer, as well as looking good and in keeping with the surroundings.

Our first task was to clear the area, removing past attempts at fencing and cut back bushes and undergrowth. Then we did the most important thing, laying out the framework for the fence. As this had a dogleg in it, getting this right was essential to make the fence look great. I have seen a lot of jobs which have just been thrown up and they look awful, so spending time getting the fence layout right is time well spent both for us and the client as they get a better job.

Once the frame is laid out and set, the boards can be applied, completing the fence. We did have to tie into the neighbours existing fence so matching the style and getting an exact fit was critical.

Needless to say, thanks to all the careful planning, the fence looked great and the customer was delighted. We also got several comments from people passing on what a nice job, which is great as well, and we also got a few business cards taken as well … It just shows you people do appreciate and notice good work.

If you have a fencing issue, require a new fence or a fence repair in the Newbury, Berkshire or Oxfordshire area, contact Rapid Pest Control for advice and a great price.