Pest Control ?

[Observer II]

Anyone tried ringing the Council recently ?   After going through the automated screening to get the service your after, your then treated to half an hour of classical music, by which time most folk no doubt give up.  So trying the more modern approach of seeking the service on-line, you discover that a basic public health issue like rat control is a chargable service (£85);  so you give up.  No one would think given the history of various plagues,  that such a service was not only difficult to engage, but chargable too.  Such is the state of our cash strapped Councils.     

[Davy51]

They probably farm the service out to rentokil.

 

[Dizzy]

I've lost count of the number of times I've tried ringing the council about various things and like you say obs you go through the long automated 'press this button/that button' routinr then find yourself on hold for eternity other than Mr's Automates saying 'we are sorry for the delay someone will be with you shortly'.  I usually give up too and longest I persevered for was 32 minutes as I timed it but still no human answered.  Blummin' ridiculous !!!!

As for rats I've often wondered why Warrington council charge such a high price for domestic  as the same service is FREE from other councils like Halton, Salford, Liverpool.  Manchester City Council do charge though but theirs is only £32 for a full course of treatment to rid the blighters which to me seems reasonable.

So were are your rats?  Inside our out and are they native or foreign 

A rat trap baited with a big blob of peanut butter works a treat although I have to say when I caught the one who'd been blighting our back yard and outhouse I felt really bad apparently it was a lone juvenile male most probably ousted by the male members of its family (as that's what males do according to my pest controller friend) and not half as big dead as it looked when it was running around our yard scaring the life out of me.   In 26 years of living near the canal that's the only one we've ever had...or seen anyway.
 

[Observer II]

They say there's a rat within 20m of every human;  and no doubt sloppy waste disposal by some attracts them.  It was actually a neighbour that raised the scare, as they seem to come from a local stream. I don't like cats usually, but they seem to be doing a good job in keeping them down.  But my point is, that given the historical role of rats (Black Death etc) as carriers of disease, one would think that their suppression would be a preventative function by enviromental health services and thus free, and easily accessible..  

[Davy51]

Rats are definitely cringeworthy neighbours on our planet earth but ,taken in the context of nature & life on earth, every creature, including the rat, has a part to play in ensuring the smooth running of the planet in natural terms. The only aberration that has stuck a big spanner in the workings of nature is  Man.

I believe Jack Russells are good ratters & a couple of cats should keep on top of the job.  

[Evil Sid]

tub of poison bait from b&q and soon sorted. all you need to do is make sure no other animals can get at it. You can even get ready baited boxes to help with that problem as well.

[Bill]

Last year we had what looked like honey bees trying to make a nest under the roof tiles. Someone suggested that rather than call the council, to try spraying Jeys Fluid over the afected area as it dosn't harm them but they really dont like the smell of it.

Wrong! they loved the stuff and invited all their mates to come and have a sniff. The whole house then stunk like the old toilets in Orford Park and it stayed that way for about six months. The bees eventually left but to this day I'm not sure if they just lost interest or were actually missing the smell of Jeys Fluid.

The area of the roof where I'd thrown this stuff now stood out like a sore thumb because it was completly free of moss and algie so under wife pressure I end up having to try to clean the whole roof.

Next time maybe I will ring the council.

Bill

[asperity]

Last year I had bees in my cavity wall where there was a gap in the brickwork. As it happens I had started decorating, and when I started glossing the bees vamoosed. I don't think they liked the VOCs . (Dulux brilliant white if you're interested. Other paint brands are available).

[Evil Sid]

according to the council website they will do wasps but not bees.

i had a swarm of bumble take up residence in the roof space over my bathroom. consulted the council website to see what i could find out and if they would charge to shift the nest.

They don't do bees.

If they are bumble bees the advice was to leave them alone as they only nest for one season and then go away.

If they are honey bees then they list several local bee keepers who could be contacted. They will come and remove the nest to one of their hives and thus increase their own bee population with the resultant honey yield make a few bob as well, which is probably why they do not charge for doing it.

So if they did not stay around they were probably bumble bees. The ones i had stayed about two months and then left. Quite odd really to hear the hum from the ceiling when it was hot as they cooled the nest.

[Latchford Locks]

On 20/06/2018 at 2:56 PM, Observer II said:

Anyone tried ringing the Council recently ?   After going through the automated screening to get the service your after, your then treated to half an hour of classical music, by which time most folk no doubt give up.  So trying the more modern approach of seeking the service on-line, you discover that a basic public health issue like rat control is a chargable service (£85);  so you give up.  No one would think given the history of various plagues,  that such a service was not only difficult to engage, but chargable too.  Such is the state of our cash strapped Councils.     

OK so a pensioner living on £140 a week. see's they have a rat , what do they do...

Pay £85 for some rodent operative to lay some bait.

or

 Eat ??????

[asperity]

6 hours ago, Latchford Locks said:

OK so a pensioner living on £140 a week. see's they have a rat , what do they do...

Pay £85 for some rodent operative to lay some bait.

or

 Eat ??????

What? Eat the rat? There's probably some EU directive against that

[Evil Sid]

what have you never had ratatouille ?

[Dizzy]

sorry I know I shouldn't be laughing but those comments really made me giggle.

Joking aside though I just re-googled Warrington Councils pest control fee page and I don't remember all this...has it been updated for all other critters ?   Seems rats are cheap compared to some others.  Fleas for example £111.50...really ?    Bed bugs..well I'm trying to ignore reading or thinking about those or I wont sleep tonight EEK.

Ants...£57 ??  Blimey you can buy ant powder or bait traps for a few quid at DIY centres..or better still  sprinkle inexpensive bicarb of soda down as they wont cross.  

 

Domestic properties*

• Rats - £83.50
• Mice - £83.50
• Cockroaches - £111.50
• Bed bugs - £167.00
• Fleas - £111.50
• Wasps* - £62.00
• Bees - £62.00
• Ants - £57.00
• Squirrels - £167.00

 

[Evil Sid]

nippon gel was always my choice for getting shut of ants in the house.

Never had squirrels though despite living close to sankey valley park (did once try squirrel flavoured crisps though, not bad but not a patch on cheese and onion)

[asperity]

Do they contain nuts Sid?

[Evil Sid]

no idea what a cajun squirrel eats.