Granted, it’s not something you hear every day – but that’s how the conversation went when I took a call from a customer in north London the other day.
Now that spring had arrived and the weather was starting to pick up, she decided it was time to get out in the garden. She went into the shed, only to be greeted by a nasty surprise – a rat infestation.
They’d gnawed away at her lawnmower, indicated by the red lines in the photo. Not only had the rats been dining on the machinery, they’d also decided to take up residence over the winter. They’d filled the inside of the collection box-up with earth and rubble to make a nice warm refuge from the harsh outdoors.
With any job, we always undertake a full survey first to identify the pest we’re dealing with. Inspecting the marks left by the gnawing, we knew straight away that rats were to blame. And if there had been any doubt, we soon found more evidence in the form of rats’ droppings, which are around five times bigger than mice droppings and usually banana-shaped
Rats have very powerful jaws and are quite capable of making their own entry point. So we wanted to check the customer’s house to ensure that the rodents hadn’t made their way into the attic or loft space, where they could cause major damage to electrical wires and cabling. Thankfully, it was all clear.
After carrying out three visits to lay bait for the rats, we had good news for our customer – her shed and garden were pest free. And to ensure things stayed that way, we proofed the shed with wire mesh to prevent any future rate infestations. No more rat pest control problem!
