What Should I Do if My Neighbour Has Pests?
Pests of any kind are a nightmare to live with, and while we’re sure you’d take the necessary steps if you discovered your own property was under siege from rats, mice, wasps or other invasive creatures, there is always the question of what you should do if your neighbour has pests?
Not only does it create an environmental health issue if you see rats coming from a neighbours house, or neighbours’ rubbish attracting rats, but it also could spread to your property if left unchecked. A single rat or mouse passing through a garden isn’t worth too much worry, but when you want to know how to keep rats and mice out of your house, we’re here to help.
Firstly, let’s start off with the easiest solution to what to do if you see rats in your neighbours garden.
Have a polite conversation
We all want to maintain a good relationship with neighbours, so don’t assume the worst. Your neighbours may not be aware there is a rat or pest problem, so it’s always good to start off with a polite conversation. If you’re starting from a place of “how to complain about my neighbours garden” then you’ll likely end up in an argument, so try to keep a cool, calm head.
Knock on your neighbour’s door, explain what you’ve seen – especially if you can see the neighbour’s garden is overgrown or you can see they have chickens attracting rats – and ask if they’ve seen it too. They may say they’re aware and are on the case. If so, you can leave it at that and see if the problem gets resolved.
If they’re unaware, it might be because their rubbish is attracting pests. You might then be able to suggest that pests might be caused by this if you’ve seen them attracted to these things. The important thing is to not be demanding or confrontational. All you can do is make them aware as helpful, friendly neighbours.
Fill in any gaps or entrance points
Should you find that talking to your neighbours about a pest infestation doesn’t work, the next step to take is to tackle any gaps or entrance points on your property. This will prevent the pests from spreading to your property. If you have a property with a cellar or basement, ensure there isn’t a way they can enter these areas.
Also, think about what attracts rats to a garden. You should ensure your garden is kept tidy and free of rubbish, while also ensuring bins aren’t attracting nearby pests and making the situation worse.
By shutting down entry points and places for pests to live and feed, you’ll be able to protect your home.
Seek professional pest control services
If the pests have breached your home and you’re concerned that the steps you’ve already taken haven’t helped, you should seek professional pest control services. At Pest Defence, we understand it can be a frustrating and sometimes worrying time, which is why we provide swift and reliable service when you’re faced with any of the following:
We can take a number of different steps to help rid your home of pests and recommend action you can take to prevent these issues returning.
Ultimately, if the issue is stemming from a lack of action from your neighbour, you can only do so much to protect your home. Should your actions of engaging a professional pest controller not work – and you can always recommend us to your neighbour! – then your only option will be to contact your local authority if the problem of your neighbour having a rat problem persists.
Speak to your local authority
When all else fails, if problems with rats, wasps or any other pest are not dealt with by your neighbour, you should contact your local council. This should be a last resort if you feel that nothing is being done and that it poses an environmental health issue or a danger to people.
Your local council will then need to send an environmental health officer out to make an inspection and this can be dealt with by the local authority for your area.
Don’t let a pest issue become a major problem for your property. Contact us today to get professional pest control services for issues with rats, mice, wasps, bees and other insects which may be plaguing your home. We operate across a wide area, including locations such as Basildon, Billericay, Braintree, Central London, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping, Halstead, Harlow, Maldon, Outer London, Romford, Southend and Stansted.
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