Everyone, it seems, wants to be in a nice warm house this time of year – and that has the pest control business hopping....
Case Studies
As the temperature plummeted, animals – especially mice and squirrels – began looking to move into residences across the region. Some were successful.
"As soon as it got really, really cold, that's when the phones really got going," said Pete Jameson of Dynamic Pest Control in Cheshire.
Pests, especially mice, can sense heat and will follow a heat trail right into your house, provided they can fit through the opening. "They like to get in and stay warm just like we do," said Pete. "It's like clockwork," he said of increased wildlife activity once autumn and winter arrive.
Each winter, rodents invade an estimated 3 million homes in the United Kingdom. It's a very interesting issue because everybody's involved, nobody's immune to it really, unless you live on the 20th floor of a tower development.
About 800 wildlife control companies exist in the UK, and in 2008, Brits spent around £4 million on pest control. That includes ants and stinging insects. For just rodent control, we spent £560,000.
If pests decide they want to come in, they usually figure out a way. Squirrels and mice are rodents, so they have the dental equipment and jaw strength to actually open a hole if there isn't one there.
In one particular case, a family of grey squirrels had chewed right through the fascias and soffits an extension. Once in, they made themselves at home – a combination of noises from the rodents running around and tearing through insulation to make a nest certainly didn't conceal their presence.
Certain setups make things easier for pests to gain access. "If you have tree branches that overhang a roof, that's like a highway for rodents," said Pete. And once in, damage usually follows. "Most of the time the noises customers will complain about hearing are the pitter-patter of feet running back and forth, or gnawing, and usually it's gnawing on wood, whether it's a truss or a two-by-four."
They are simply making themselves at home. Many times they are creating a den to their liking, and they aren't paying rent! Animals will use any opening they can to get inside, with chimneys being a preferred entry method.
The pest control business has remained steady despite the economic downturn. If residents have a duck or bat or squirrel flying around their living room, they get it removed. Paying a professional to do that work isn't exactly discretionary spending.
"For the most part, I was very surprised that the economy really did not have a real big negative effect on our business this past year," Pete said.
Despite some fairly unusual occupational hazards – Pete has been bitten by most types of rodent in his career – the job is fairly rewarding. "There's a degree of personal satisfaction at solving a problem and removing that animal." The hours may be long and unpredictable, but there is job security.
And as long as we're sharing the environment with rats, squirrels and mice, homeowners will have to continue to deal with them.
Article provided by Dynamic Pest Control