Rodent control treatment

When making a booking for rat or mouse control you are authorising Stroud District Council to carry out the treatment and/or destruction of pests on the above premises. Please let us know well in advance if you are unable to keep your appointment. If you fail to keep an appointment or give less than one working days’ notice you may be charged for the full cost of the treatment.

The following information will help to clear up the infestation and prevent it happening again. The operator will lay traps and/or poison baits and these must not be touched. Rats are very wary and will take a while to become accustomed to the traps or bait points before they will start to feed.

The operator will remove any dead rats that he can easily find. On rare occasions you may notice a smell during the treatment, which will probably be due to a dead rat. Although this will eventually pass, you may need to use an air freshener until it does.  Please note that this is entirely beyond our control and we provide this service on the understanding that the Council accepts no liability for any odour or damage caused as a result of rodents dying in an inaccessible place. 

Before the visit you should ensure that the areas where the officer is likely to be working are unobstructed and free from known hazards (or make these known to the operative). Ensure that loft hatches and loft ladders are in good condition and preferably opened and ready to use.

Please note that all of the products we use are licensed for professional use only. We cannot supply you with poison bait for you to administer yourself.

Safety

The rodenticides we use contain an anticoagulant which is approved for use in domestic premises, e.g. houses and flats. However, your co-operation is requested in adopting the following precautions to further minimise any risks to occupants and pets.

Precautions

• DO NOT MOVE OR TAMPER WITH BAIT
• AVOID ALL CONTACT BY MOUTH.
• PREVENT ACCESS TO BAIT by children, birds and non-target animals (particularly dogs, cats, pigs and poultry).

• IN CASE OF ACCIDENT:
  • If swallowed, seek medical advice immediately. Rinse mouth with water. Do not induce vomiting, seek medical advice first.
  • In case of contact, do not eat, drink or smoke until you have washed skin thoroughly.
  • Eyes – rinse for at least 15 minutes, seek medical advice

Advice to Physicians if you think that bait has been eaten

Rodenticides typically contain Bromodiolone, Brodifacoum or Difenacoum. The product is an indirect anticoagulant. Phytomenadione, Vitamin K1, is antidotal.

For comprehensive medical advice on the treatment of poisoning, contact the National Poisons Information Service: www.npis.org

Preventing future infestations

Prevention is better than a cure. Rats need three things in order to thrive:-

1. Harbourage: somewhere to live under cover (access to buildings or rubbish and debris piles)
2. Free water: containers in gardens overflowing with water
3. Food: rubbish sacks containing food containers, bird feeding stations, open bins, compost bins/piles)

When the treatment has been completed and your Pest Officer advises:

• Clear away rubbish and keep the garden tidy
• If you feed the birds, do not put food on the ground, use a bird table or bird feeder with a tray underneath and clear up spilt food daily
• Put household refuse in a secure container
• Check your house to see where rats or mice could get in. Look for broken air bricks, badly fitted or rotted doors, holes around any pipes. (Mice can enter through gaps larger than 6mm)
• If you would like further advice or information please contact the Environmental Health Service on environmental.health@stroud.gov.uk