Nightmare
Pests and Neighbours
What
if the pest problem is caused by next door?
It is a question we are commonly
asked when we attend properties to help homeowners and tenants with a pest
problem.
It is a common concern. In towns
and cities, we live in close proximity to each other, sharing driveways and
walkways, and sometimes gardens too. What this means is, that providing
community spirit is united, keeping outside spaces clean and tidy will keep
most pests at bay.
But there are some pest problems
that can make their way into your home from next door, such as a large
infestation of bedbugs. No matter how many times you treat the problem, if you
neighbours are not doing the same, the pest problem will not go away.
Step
1 – Have a Chat with Your Neighbours
Pest problems are a delicate
subject to discuss with anyone, especially with people who you may not know
that well.
Pest infestations can be
embarrassing, which puts people on the defensive. So, pick your words
carefully. Informing your neighbours, for example, that you have contacted pest
control over a pest problem – rats in the garden, bugs and so on – is a way of
opening up the conversation. You could tell them that the pest control company
has suggested that gardens are cleared of rubbish and so on to prevent the
problem happening again.
Step
2 – Contact Environmental Health
The kindest words can fall on
deaf ears. But there are also occasions where your neighbour, such as someone
who is elderly or vulnerable, will not be able to deal with the problem
themselves. It may also be a case that they cannot afford the professional
services of a pest control company.
There are some pests that the
local council must deal with but there are some that they don’t and thus they
will charge for their services. However, if it is obvious there are other
issues causing the problem, the local Environmental Health department may be
able to step in.
Step
3 – Community Help
There have been cases in which
the local community has come together to make the outside of their properties a
nicer, safer and pest-free place for all concerned.
Residents helping other residents
to clear their gardens for example, are common stories. By doing so, they have
been able to remove possible nesting sites of many potential pests, but especially
rodents.
How
We Can Help
As part of our treatment service,
we also examine how pests can be prevented from becoming a problem in the
future.
As well as working with you, we
can also alert your neighbours to potential problems. We may be able to persuade
them to allow us to help them too.
With rented properties, you can
contact the landlord and under certain rules and regulations which the local
council can enforce, they may have to deal with pest problems – or face a fine.
The worst thing you can do, is to
do nothing. Pest problems rarely go away on their own. In fact, in most cases,
pest infestations simply grow and grow…