Taking back control from pests

It was in 1604 that English lawyer Sir Edward Coke declared that an Englishman’s home is his castle. In the 21st century, our homes have become so much more than that. 

They are now our offices, our schoolrooms, our artsand crafts studios and our gyms; not only that, but they are, of course, where we eat, sleep, rest, watch movies, cook, do jigsaws and hang out. In short, we are all spending more time at home.

As a result, London pest control services company Inoculand Ltd is receiving more and more calls from homeowners and tenants reporting mice running past them or bed bugs crawling on the walls. 

Meanwhile, empty office buildings, restaurants and shops have also caused an increase in pest activity. Restaurants have had to close at short notice with little opportunity to clean up. Without an active pest control contract in place, and rats feasting on the food stuff left behind, the problem has grown. 

Empty offices offer a great opportunity for mice to settle in. As a result, once they open up again, workers are all too often finding mouse droppings on their desks in the morning.

We spoke to Daniel Neves, expert rodent and pest exterminator and founder of Inoculand, which provides highly professional and extremely effective pest control services in London, about the best way to tackle the problem.

Why should people turn to a company such as Inoculand?

When I was working for Lambeth Council as a pest control officer, I was shocked to find that a huge number of companies – and even councils – were using temporary solutions for pest control, rather than seeking a more permanent option. I hit upon the idea of designing treatments to stop pests once and for all and founded Inoculand to do just that. Pest control in London is best left to the professionals! 

What are permanent pest control solutions?

DIY or quick pest control solutions will only work for a short amount of time, and they’ll end up costing more in the long run. For example, expanding foam, which is used by many trusted companies to block holes to stop mice, only covers the visible area and rodents can chew through it quite easily. At Inoculand, we don’t just get rid of pests, we make sure they don’t come back! 

Mice-proofing at Inoculand involves fully sealing critical areas with wire wool, wood and sometimes even metal plates, which guarantees effectiveness for the long-term. I spend months monitoring results, so I can adapt our treatments to make sure they are the best on the market. 

Do hot summers like we had last year increase the likelihood of pests? 

The high season for Inoculand, and I would imagine the pest control industry at large, is the summer. This is mostly down to seasonal pests such as wasps and ants. The hotter the summer, the more likely the wasp and ant infestation problems. When the summers are cooler and wetter, people spend less time outdoors and ants and wasps are less active.

Are mice the single biggest pest issue we face in London?

Mice are the cornerstone of pest control – about half of our workload is linked to them. 

Mice are by far the most common pest complaint in London, along with rats. They are a year-round problem. 

In the warm season they breed more, and in winter they get more into buildings to seek shelter. We put a lot of effort into creating helpful online content and artwork to illustrate how to get rid of mice.  See here: how to get rid of mice.

Are rats a big issue?

Rats are also a year-round problem, often linked to the sewer drain system connected to houses. The rat treatment will deplete the stock of rats, but more will eventually come – and keep on coming. You need to keep them out, so you do not have them in the first place. 

The issue arises when the inspection chambers or manholes cannot be located. 

We often have to rely on Thames Water for the information, but every so often it leads to a dead end and therefore we cannot fit a no-return valve to stop rats from getting in. 

What are the other pest problems for landlords and homeowners?

The two other main pests we deal with are clothes moths and bed bugs. 

Moths can quickly run down a home, destroying carpets and woollen clothes. 

Bed bugs are also a major issue. When you realise you have them at home, your world really comes crashing down. They are so difficult to deal with that you do need a professional with the right products and the right tools.
I would discourage anyone from going DIY on bed bugs. 

Without commercial products, which include insect growth regulators, you are effectively just giving them a warm shower, and the strongest ones will stick around to continue the infestation. 

Once the bed bug population has been primed against pesticides, it only makes it more difficult to get rid of them. 

Simply replacing the bed or the mattress is a waste of money, as the bugs will reinfest – you need to call in a professional to sort the issue.

•   Details: www.inoculandpestcontrol.co.uk