Pest control

What we can do

• We can arrange a survey to establish existence of rats/mice. If rats/mice activity is believed to be coming from a neighbouring property, public land or from council land we can confirm that any infestations found are dealt with by the (property) landowner.   
• We can give advice for taking appropriate measures to eradicate rats/mice for private property owners wishing to address pest problems. 
• We can give advice for proofing of buildings against pigeon/gulls. 
• We can give advice for who to contact should you require assistance with a honey bee hive/swarm.  
• We can give advice about wasp nests and other common pest species.

What we can't do

We will not investigate any complaints of rats that are from Council Housing or Housing Association tenants. Please report to your Housing Association or in the case of Council Housing report online by using MyPKC, email HousingRepairs@pkc.gov.uk or by calling Housing Repairs on 01738 476000.

Perth and Kinross Council will not carry out any treatment or preventative measure for the following:

• Rats
• Mice
• Birds (including pigeons and gulls)
• Wasps/Bees
• Bedbugs
• Cockroaches
• Any other pest species

Treatment and/or prevention of any pest species remains the responsibility of the property/landowner.

We cannot control the population of gulls due their protected species status. The licensing body that is involved in gull control is Naturescot. Perth and Kinross Council have not presently adopted deterrent programs around Perth city centre for gulls/pigeons. 

Information and identification of common pests

Rats and mice

Brown rat

Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus) are a group living rodent with a strong social system. Although they are not as well adapted for climbing as mice, they can scale rough walls and pipes. Although normally found in outdoor areas rats can also reside inside buildings if an entry point has been found. Rats are particularly concerning when inside properties as their need to "gnaw" to keep their ever-growing incisors worn down meaning that they target water pipes, electrical cables and wooden truss and beams within attics. Rats have also been known to carry disease so it's extremely important for infestations within properties to be managed effectively.

• Rats will make use of damaged air bricks and uncapped pipes to gain access to properties.
• Good building maintenance and sealing all damaged external entry points will help deter rats from gaining access to buildings.
• Rat droppings are a sign of activity and are often found in small piles and rats tend to use particular areas as "latrines" The below picture shows a typical dropping. These are usually 12-18mm in length and often pointed to one end are range from shiny black to dark brown.

People must also be aware of using bird feeders in gardens, especially around wintertime when rats will not find as much natural food to forage. Bird feeders should be removed if you become aware of rat activity. Commercial food businesses should be particularly careful to ensure that large waste bins are emptied regularly, and that rubbish is not accumulating at ground level which can attract rodents. Areas of dense vegetation that cover the ground provide good harbourage points for rats and should be cut back and well maintained to prevent this.

House mouse

House Mice (Mus domesticus) can be found in a wide range of urban and rural habitats and buildings. They do not survive well outdoors and require warm and dry environments to exist. Mice have an extraordinary sense of touch and as they are most active at night, when it is dark, they use their use of touch and smell, rather than eyesight, to navigate their surroundings. They are extremely good climbers as this has allowed them to access all levels of housing. Due to their small size adult mice can squeeze through gaps as little as 6mm.

• Treating mice is generally a multi-step approach where a Pest Control Contractor will decide to either use rodenticide or traps to target the mice along with recommending areas around your house that will require proofing to seal off access areas for mice.
• Common access points are the pipe entry and exit points under sinks, boiler units and radiators.
• Sealing as many entry points as possible will greatly reduce the instances of mice gaining entry to your property. As mice tend to produce droppings as they move, this is good way of identifying them. They are much smaller than rat droppings around 3-6mm in size.

Pigeons 

Feral pigeons can be found in large numbers in towns and cities, and this is predominantly down to the potential food sources that they can find within human populated areas. Feeding pigeons within your garden, the streets or other greenspaces encourages other pests, such as rodents, and will only serve to increase pigeon numbers as they become accustomed and dependent on the people feeding them. This associated human feeding often leads to neighbours being unhappy with the increased frequency of visiting birds and the fouling and damage to property which accompanies large volumes of pigeons can affect buildings by corroding the structures and causing a mess on cars and garden areas and line-washings. Pigeons are very capable of feeding for themselves with a diet of seeds, insects and worms. Please allow them to feed naturally. Pigeon guano can be harmful and build ups of guano cause corrosion to buildings and can be damaging to our health.

• As a homeowner/occupier it is your responsibility to ensure your property, especially roof spaces, are adequately sealed to prevent pigeons nesting within.
• If you have solar panels you may wish to engage with a Pest Control Contractor to discuss netting around the panels to stop pigeons from nesting underneath.
• Heavy fouling occurs at the places where the birds roost, such as monuments and large buildings with ledges. This is not only unsightly, but has a destructive effect, as the acidic droppings will erode the stonework over time. Gutters and down pipes often become blocked, leading to localised flooding and associated problems. The nests become more substantial with each brood raised.
• If you have issues with Pigeons around your property, please contact a Pest Control Contractor who can survey your property and offer a treatment plan

Gulls

Gulls are incredibly opportunistic and are found in almost all urban areas. They exploit all available food sources leading to increasing problems in towns and cities where conflict between humans and gulls occurs. The best way to deter gulls is to eliminate food sources, ensuring bags of waste are placed inside bins with closable lids and that no litter is dropped along with proofing your building to deter nesting.

• Gulls, like all other birds, are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
• While the Act does allow for the destruction of birds or removal of nests under certain circumstances, this action is only permissible where it can be demonstrated that the birds pose a risk to public safety or public health, and only when all other non-lethal methods of control have been investigated and discounted. A pest control contractor can talk you through this process or you can contact Naturescot who are the licensing body for gull control.
• It is readily accepted that these birds can often be a routine cause for considerable distress and annoyance, but great care must be exercised, and each case is dealt with on its own merits.
• If you are encountering problems with gulls at your property, please contact a Pest Control Contractor who can arrange for a survey of your property and offer information and treatment where possible.

You can find further information about Gulls using the relevant links.

• Urban gulls and their management in Scotland: review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) 
• Seagull Protection | Urban Gulls and the Law - The RSPB
• Guidance - gull management | NatureScot
• Gulls Health and Safety - Intro (nature.scot)

Wasps

Wasps can cause concern for many reasons however they do have their uses amongst our ecosystem and do their part to aid pollination of plants and flowers. When a wasp nest is within a property or outbuilding, this can cause some worry. A wasp nest is only active for one season, so come wintertime all the worker wasps die off and only the queens and reproductive males remain. This is so that the queens can be fertilised before their hibernation, leaving the remaining males to die off. Queen wasps entirely leave the nest at the end of the season so as to hibernate elsewhere. They will not return to the nest, so at the end of each summer season, the nest becomes redundant. You can leave old nests in place or choose to remove them in winter. You may wish to contact a pest control contractor to carry out removal for you.

• If you are the owner/occupier of a property where the wasp nest is located, it is your responsibility to eradicate the nest.
• Removing a wasp nest during the active season over summer can be dangerous and should ideally be left to professionals

Bees

Bees are our predominant pollinators, pollinating a third of the food we eat and 80% of flowering plants. Pollination is crucial because many of our vegetables, fruits and the crops that feed our livestock rely on it to be fertilised, so without pollination, we could go hungry. Bees are therefore an extremely important member of our ecosystem and we look to protect them wherever possible so with this in mind reputable Pest Control Contractors will not treat to kill any bee species. There may be some specialised Pest Control Companies who offer a removal service of beehives, if viable.

The most common bee species you will see are honeybees and bumble bees however all bee species have an important role to play in pollination. You can find more information about bees and how to identify them below:

• Honey bee | The Wildlife Trusts
• Bumblebee Conservation Trust
• What bee is this? | British Beekeepers Association (bbka.org.uk)

Honey Bees often relocate from an existing hive, either due to overcrowding or disturbance from predators and when this happens they move as a "swarm". This is spectacular to see but it may also prove concerning if they decide to rest within trees or shrubs closes to houses or other occupied buildings. It is possible for Beekeepers to collect these swarms so if you require advice about honeybee swarms please contact the Perth and District Beekeepers Association on 01738 718371 who may be able to organise to have a swarm collected and relocated. For more information please visit the Perth and District Beekeepers Association website (www.perthanddistrictbeekeepers.co.uk).

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are small oval shaped brown insects that require a blood feed to reproduce. They are approximately 1-7mm in length depending on the age of the insect. Their bites are known to cause itchy red bumps usually on the limbs or exposed areas of skin. Due to their preference for dark places they tend to be active at night and hide out through the day in the seams of mattresses, behind headboards and in the cracks in skirting boards. Bedbugs can be transferred between dwellings inside luggage, clothing and even second-hand furniture. A pest control contractor should be able to confirm the presence of bedbugs and carry out appropriate treatment. If you are concerned that you may have an infestation of bedbugs it's important to seek professional help as soon as possible.

Cockroaches

Oriental Cockroach	German Cockroach

There are two species of cockroach most commonly found in the UK. These are the German and Oriental Cockroach. The German species is light brown in colour and 12-15mm in length. The females carry their egg sack to their rear. Oriental cockroaches are black and larger at around 18-29mm in length. They deposit their egg sacks in cracks and crevices where food is available. Both species are very fast, aided by their long slender legs and they have long whip like antennae.

Cockroaches like warm, humid and dark conditions due to them being nocturnal. Domestic homes are a perfect place for them to shelter. They will utilise areas such as fridge motors, sinks and drains and at the back of cupboards.

Cockroaches have an unpleasant odour, and the numbers increase quickly before they can be noticed. They are harmful as they contaminate food and food prepare areas when moving across them and spreading bacteria from their feet caused by them walking on their excrement and decaying matter. If you are concerned, you have a cockroach infestation you should contact a Pest Control Contractor to survey and apply a treatment plan to target the insects.