Soil pipe break

[DIDO.1 22,845]

I find myself now almost on a daily basis struggling to explain that rats are leaving sewers through breaks then entering homes and buildings via the footings. Councils and landlords just won't except its happening and are convinced that rats are coming from local empty houses, demolition sites, takeaways etc. They then spend time and money blocking any places they see light in lofts, convinced rats are climbing up the drain pipes. 

Today I sorted a semi detached bungalow. Obviously it's harder in terraced houses, especially when the houses are all owed by different landlords. The problem is made worse by incompitant council pest controllers because the fact they work for an authority automatically makes them experts it seems. The fact they couldn't give a shiit, are in a rush to get to the next job and were working a library 6 month before doesn't seem to register. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by DIDO.1

[leegreen 2,209]

Yeah, but are ya any good at patio's? 

 

[leegreen 2,209]

Incompetent council workers are there to make you shine keep up the good work. 

[Ratmanwan3 86]

I know how you feel there Dido. Had one recently where they were hearing them daily in a single story extension. Just to prove a point the only place I baited was the manhole next to it. Dead rat, no more noises. 

[DIDO.1 22,845]

8 hours ago, leegreen said:

Yeah, but are ya any good at patio's? 

 

I did consider giving a price for the drive

[patterdale 674]

On 23/10/2019 at 23:38, leegreen said:

Yeah, but are ya any good at patio's? 

 

Ask that question to Fred West!!

[budgie123 163]

Hi I can assure you not all local Authority Pest Control Staff lack the knowledge or experience to investigate drainage systems to determine points of entry.

The other issue is what is your goal when attending a rodent problem.

We have always strived to find the route cause not just lay rodenticide with no investigation into points of entry.

We have a drainage camera and we spend a significant amount of time each year investigating drainage systems to determine where the issue is and we also work very closely with Yorkshire Water on joint investigations where there is the potential for a fault to be on their assets.

What you have found is very straight forward and plainly obvious to see from somebody who has knowledge and experience.

Unfortunately there is a lot more complex issues which we regularly investigate.

There is good and bad in every industry.

[Nicepix 5,650]

I had a call out about this a couple of weeks ago in a holiday home. The contract gardeners had found a hole alongside the house wall just like in those photos. I dug it out and the tunnel lead straight to a couple of conduits bringing electricity cables out of the basement. Fortunately one pipe was to small for a rat to access and the other had been blocked with concrete so the rat hadn't got access. But the little bugger must have known there was a breach there. Nowhere else had been dug.

I dug a trench all along the wall and turned the soil over so it was too loose to support a tunnel. Went back last week and it had tried and failed to have another go.

Budgie123's point reminded me about our previous neighbours back in Sth. Yorkshire. She had a rat problem a year or so after we had left and contacted me about it. They had  a continuous problem for months and the local authority couldn't find any way the rats were getting in. I told my ex-neighbour about the route of the sewer pipes and as she works for Yorkshire Water she managed to borrow the right equipment to examine the pipes. Sure enough one of the soil pipes was cracked and the rats were getting into the house through the gap. Once the pipe was repaired they had no more problems. The council were useless.

[jiggy 3,209]

It's part of new building regulations here in Ireland now in foundations for up to 600mm wide holes in blockwork with concrete lintels over them for soil pipes. Easy access for rats to get under floors if they burrow under footpaths. The old method was a 120mm hole barely wide enough for pipe to run through and was pointed up with mortar. Simple and effective.

[DIDO.1 22,845]

22 hours ago, budgie123 said:

Hi I can assure you not all local Authority Pest Control Staff lack the knowledge or experience to investigate drainage systems to determine points of entry.

The other issue is what is your goal when attending a rodent problem.

We have always strived to find the route cause not just lay rodenticide with no investigation into points of entry.

We have a drainage camera and we spend a significant amount of time each year investigating drainage systems to determine where the issue is and we also work very closely with Yorkshire Water on joint investigations where there is the potential for a fault to be on their assets.

What you have found is very straight forward and plainly obvious to see from somebody who has knowledge and experience.

Unfortunately there is a lot more complex issues which we regularly investigate.

There is good and bad in every industry.

You are quite right. 

The councils that cover my areas are shocking though. Absolutely terrible at pest control