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"The best way to deal with rodent infestations is not to have them in the first place." - CRRU
One definition of 'proofing' is "the act or process of making a thing resistant."
When the pest control industry uses the term 'proofing' it means acting to make a property resistant to pests.
The photo above was taken to show a customer an obvious point of ingress to their property, which had rodent issues. When a property has internal pest ingress, be it rodents or wasps, it is always because in some way the property has defects that allow entry. Have a look at the case studies and accompanying photographs below:
A local small business with more than a couple of dozen employees called us out for a rat problem initially, but then mentioned that they possibly had mouse issues. An inspection of their server room revealed droppings and on the left of the photo you can see where they have gnawed at insulation material. The potential for serious business disruption is considerable. You don't have to look too hard to see clear daylight next to all that wiring. This is a low roof - you can reach up and touch it at ground level. A rodent doesn't need to try very hard to get in.
On our advice, the company are enlisting the help of a builder to proof along the whole length of the roof and also at a lower level.
A local customer, owning a holiday cottage was informed by the neighbour of wasp activity. The nest was treated from inside the loft and as you can see was built on top of a roll of carpet. The nest was merged into the carpet!
The client asked if we could return and remove the nest and the photo was taken prior to this. The original point of entry for the queen is clearly seen.
The owner was intending to adjust or replace the tiles to prevent a recurrence.
A young couple owning a newly converted property called to say the property had been flooded. It seems one rodent, probably a field mouse, had got in under the kitchen units and gnawed at plastic plumbing causing a flood in the basement.
It seemed implausible on first glance. It looked like a property in good condition. Things became clearer on inspection at the rear. The adjoining house is a shell and waiting for renovation and the photo shows clearly why they had a problem. The owner was practical and set about plugging a number of potential points of ingress that he hadn't been aware of.
Three Counties Pest Control make advice on proofing a vital part of our service to you. When you first call us out, our survey will include guidance on how to protect your property from invasion or re-invasion. We are able to provide small proofing works directly and can arrange for more substantial works if needed.
Caveat: the more work a property owner does to rectify defects clearly is going to be helpful in minimising the probability of invasion. It doesn't guarantee the prevention of re-invasion though! Some properties can be particularly vulnerable to invasion because of condition, environment or location. Once a property has had an infestation the scent trails remain in place for future visiting generations, unless they are removed. Rodents are persistent in exacerbating vulnerabilities. Some pest controllers are reluctant to perform proofing works, because of the reaction of customers blaming them for re-invasion. Even the company that guarantees 'rat free for life' say "if you have rats returning during your stay in the property we shall return for free and make you rat free again." It's not really free when the cost for the guarantee is over £2000. I do love this company though!
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