Pest Control in London

The densely populated conurbation of urban London is a haven for pests like rats and mice. As commensal pests rodents have adapted to life in London with ease. Both rats and house mice are omnivorous, consuming anything from contents of rubbish bags and discarded left-overs to the contents of compost bins and fruits and seeds in London's gardens, parks and open spaces.

As London grows, so will its rat problem. The Capital is expected to reach 9.8 million people by 2025 (Office of National Statistics). More people will provide rats with more opportunities to scavenge food and find shelter, making it more important than ever to proof property against rodents and seek professional rat removal from pest exterminators.

Of the four most common types of mouse in the UK, the house mouse is by far London’s biggest little pest. As the name suggests they prefer to live indoors, making use of lofts, gaps under floors and cavity wall spaces to nest in. Qualified pest exterminators can offer advice on mouse proofing your home and eradicate an existing mouse infestation.

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  Urban Myths: Are you 6ft away from a rat in London

  This old adage about rats in London is based on estimations of rat and human populations in a book called The Rat Problem by WR Boelter in 1909. Although you may be unfortunate to find rats in your loft or attic, most rats are likely to be nesting in gardens, in compost heaps, under sheds or garages or burrows in nearby wasteland, visiting dwellings in search of food. Rodents are not evenly spread across Greater London so rat density calculations vary from 164 ft to 10 or 20 ft. However near or far you are from rats in London proofing your property, keeping vegetation away from your walls and not putting food scraps in compost heaps will help deter them.

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  What’s scampering around my home a mouse and a rat

  Rodents are commensal pests, which mean they live in close associations with people and are dependent upon us for food, water and shelter. In dense urban areas like Inner London rats and mice have plenty of opportunity to thrive, so trying to tell which rodent is running round your kitchen isn’t always easy! All rodents have a pair of incisor teeth in the upper jaw, short legs and a long tails, not making it easy to tell the difference between a house mouse and a young rat. The easiest distinguishing feature is the small size of the house mouse at 3-10 cm long. Other things to look for are: 

  • An adult mouse has larger ears and longer tail compared to its body length than a young rat. 
  • A young rat also has distinctly larger feet and head compared to the body than a mouse.

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  London Sewer rats – how they get into your toilet

  Rats are great swimmers, being able to hold their breath for up to three minutes. London’s aging Victorian sewer system gives rats the opportunity to enter properties where you least expect them. A rat's ribs are hinged at the spine, making it easy for them to squeeze through tight gaps, like the pipes draining your toilet. If you’re concerned keep your toilet lids shut when not in use and look to install a non-return valve in your toilet system.

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  Are Rodents roaming the London Underground?

  Any underground route that offers shelter, warmth and potential food will not be overlooked by rats. However tube passengers who are waiting for a train are more likely to notice scores of mice running along the tracks beneath them. Tube mice are a thing, and according to scientists they have to be a tough species to survive foraging for food on the tracks and survive the deafening noise of the tube trains.

Businesses in London often suffer the consequences of feral pigeons and gulls; such as excessive noise, or unwanted mess, which can in fact become a health hazard. Rentokil understand the difficulty of bird prevention in London and the complex implications of bird control legislation. Which is why we offer professional, tailored bird removal services to help your home or business get rid of bird problems quickly and effectively. Therefore, if you’ve spotted the signs of a bird infestation, please contact us today for an effective and discreet solution.

London’s popularity as a tourist destination draws in millions of visitors every year, luckily there is a vast array of London hotels, apartments, B&Bs and other to accommodation for them. Add to this the abundant and densely populated residents of Central London, this offers parasites like bed bugs - which thrive on close association with people – infinite opportunities to flourish and spread. Our years of experience in dealing with the complex issue of bed bug infestations means we can offer Londoners and businesses in the Capital the most effective bed bug treatments and comprehensive bed bug removal throughout London, to put your minds at ease.

Ants are often seen as a small issue and are not usually treated as a priority. If you have noticed any signs of ants or tried to get rid of ants yourself (unsuccessfully), then Rentokil are always here to help. We offer top of the range DIY products, services and expert advice in order to help any London based resident or business to fight their ant problem.  

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  Is there DIY solutions for pests in London?

  If you are hoping for the guaranteed removal of a pest infestation in London, we strongly suggest that you seek professional help from trained technicians - due to the fact that DIY products are not as effective as specialist treatments used to eradicate pest control problems. However, Rentokil do offer a wide range of reputable DIY products, ready to help you fight your issue. 

  • Rats DIY - These products are specifically designed for small scale infestations in your home or garden.
  • Mice DIY - We provide solutions for the trapping and removal of mice, as well as the removal of the bad odours they produce.
  • Ants DIY -  These are a range of sprays, powders and gels, all used to treat common ant infestations inside and outside your property.
  • Cockroach DIY - These include powders, sprays and traps - all effective for the removal of a cockroach infestation.

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  Do you provide free quotes?

  Our initial estimate over the phone is free and without obligation. However if a survey of your property is needed, our surveyor will call you to discuss any potential cost prior to arranging the survey.

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  What are your opening times?

  Our opening times are: 

  Mon - Fri

  08:30am - 18:00pm

  You can contact us on 020 3603 6424 or you can fill out our contact form here.

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  Where in London do you cover?

  As a nationwide company our pest control services and solutions are accessible across the entire Greater London region. Our pest controllers operate throughout the London Boroughs including Lewisham, Barnet, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Ealing, Harrow, Islington, Hounslow and Camden. In fact whether you are based in North, East, South, West or Central London we are on hand to solve your pest problem. Please get in touch with us today.

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  Can you be discreet with your services?

  We will always endeavour to tailor our visits to your premises to suit your business needs, scheduling treatments to fit around your customers, staff and clients. Our surveyors and technicians are uniformed and our vans liveried to avoid any ambiguity about our reasons for being at a location. We can attempt to park our vehicles discreetly upon request.