Pied Piper of Loughborough

A Charnwood rat-catcher is set to deliver key lectures to Scottish and Irish pest busters on how the council in Loughborough is flushing out rodents.

John Davison, Charnwood Borough Council's senior pest control officer, will tell members of the National Pest Technicians Association in Scotland and Ireland how to stop rats and mice exploiting drainage systems to enter homes.

John has been a thorn in the side of rodents for 27 years and has been recognised nationally for his services to the pest control industry. "It's good to get invited to do these kinds of talks because it's important to share knowledge and techniques to improve the industry and the service we provide," he said.

"When I go on a job and there is no obvious way into a property for a rodent, I always check the drainage system. In one case, a lady reported 22 rat infestations in five years. I went around, looked at the drainage and found an unused pipe leading straight under her bathroom so I was able to seal it and solve the problem there and then. A lot of technicians wouldn't even think to check."

Tackling the drainage issue in the beginning means that instead of going to the same job year after year, you only have to go once which is a very important consideration for a local authority in this financial climate.

John will deliver a lecture in Scotland in March and is scheduled to speak in Ireland in May.

John is a rodent's worst nightmare. He has learned to 'think' like rodents so he knows exactly where and how to hunt them down. He said: "I have a great respect for them as they are a very intelligent animal. It also makes them a very troublesome foe! But I have learned to think like them so I can look at an area and instantly pick out which routes rats will take."

John is part of a three-man pest control team at Charnwood Borough Council which also includes John Powell and Andrew Bamford.

Councillor John Bush, Charnwood Borough Council's cabinet member for environmental health, said: "We're very proud of John whose expertise is now being used to help other pest control officers in Scotland and Ireland tackle the very unpleasant issue of rodent infestations and drainage. The council strives to employ the best possible people to help provide the best possible service to Charnwood taxpayers and John is a shining example of that."

Statistics show visits to tackle a range of pests increased last year from 3,727 visits in 2008/09 to 4,037 in 2009/10. Rats, both in homes and outside properties, accounted for 971 of last year's total requests for service with 310 calls for mice, 901 for wasps, 15 for bed bugs, 38 for fleas, 3 for cockroaches and 49 for grey squirrels.

If you have a pest control problem, don't hesitate to call your local pest control team.