Pest control

Although we don't provide a pest control service, we will investigate issues relating to rats or mice occurring due to land and property owners not carrying out adequate pest proofing or treatment.

You can email us at publicprotection@sholland.gov.uk  if you have concerns about pest control. Local pest controllers may also be found on the Yellow Pages website (opens new window), you may also find further helpful advice on the British Pest Control Association website (opens new window) or the National Pest Technicians Association (opens new window).

Advice for South Holland District Council Tenants can be found here Bonfires, rubbish and pests

Pest control advice

How to prevent mice and rats on your land or property:

• get rid of food sources that attract rodents. You may need to temporarily stop feeding birds.
• clean up refuse areas and spilled rubbish.
• store pet food and pet bedding such as straw in sealed containers.
• keep refuse sacks in dustbins with lids. Seeds stored in garden sheds should be stored in containers.
• get rid of piles of scrap wood, gathered leaves, and redundant equipment where rodents can hide. Cut back weeds and clutter around buildings.
• to stop rodents entering a building, fix and replace cracked or broken doors and windows and keep drains and drain covers in a good state of repair.

You are required by law to deal with any rodent problems on your property. If you suspect that you have a rodent problem, we would strongly recommend that you obtain professional advice rather than tackle the problem yourself, as this can often fail and these creatures constitute a health hazard.

Insects

Large numbers of insects can become a statutory nuisance if the increased population interferes with the comfort and enjoyment of a persons home and occurs as a result of a commercial activity. Although we may be able to consider action where the cause or source of the insects is from some industrial, trade or business premises, we are unable to take action if the source of the problem is a domestic property. Certain types of land are also excluded from the legislation and some premises are more likely to be a source of nuisance for example:

• poultry houses/farms
• sewage treatment works
• manure/silage storage areas
• animal housing
• stagnant ditches and drains.

Visit GOV.UK for how to report mosquitoes (opens new window).