Pest Control Services

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The Council no longer provides a pest control services. If you have a problem with mice, rats, or any other pests, at your property please contact a local contractor, of which many are available.

Please note: Contractors will charge for any call-out or action taken to eradicate pests in your home or premises.

Please find information below relating to vermin, what may attract them and ways of preventing them.

The life of rats

The ideal location for the common brown rat is somewhere that provides:

  • Food (general waste)
  • Water
  • Shelter (including roof spaces, wall cavities or under floorboards)

Rats tend to be seasonal visitors and will be more active during the winter whilst seeking warm shelter. Outside of a property a rat will burrow into grassy banks or under sheds, rat holes beside solid structures are sure signs of a nest. Excessively overgrown grass / waste land can also provide harbourage conditions.

Brown rats are also often found living in sewer systems and will use sewer systems to access other locations unobstructed and undetected. Sewers and drains can also give rats access to a property through open or faulty drains.

Signs of rats

There are a number of signs that rats are present in the area including their faeces, gnawing marks on electrical cables, woodwork, plastic, brick and lead pipes, as well as torn bags of foodstuff and materials, including burrows (holes) in grassy banks. Whilst in dusty unused areas of a building, rats often leave footprints or tail marks. 

Pathogens and disease

Rats communicate and mark their territory by urinating, representing a significant public health risk. Rats can carry a number of diseases, which can be spread to humans, normally through rats’ urine or coming into contact with food preparation areas.

Preventing vermin

  • Seal up holes inside and outside the property to prevent entry by rodents.
  • Introduce traps and bait.
  • Ensure areas area kept clean and clear; that all general waste and soft furnishings are disposed of correctly.
  • Ensure bird feeding is done responsibly.
  • Cut back overgrown vegetation.

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Contact Details

Pest Control,
Ipswich Borough Council, 
Grafton House, 
15-17 Russell Road,
Ipswich,
IP1 2DE

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01473 432000