- 0191 7166647
- info@pest-shield.co.uk
- Pest Shield North East Ltd Unit 18 Wilden Road Pattinson Industrial Estate Washington NE38 8QB
Pest Shield attended a block of student accommodation in Sunderland SR1 following reports of extensive and long-term rat activity throughout the building.
The customer advised that another pest control company had attended approximately two months earlier. Despite treatment having been carried out, rodent activity continued to increase, with rats being reported in multiple areas of the property.
Due to the scale of the infestation and the failure of previous treatment, a comprehensive internal and external investigation was undertaken to establish exactly how the rats were entering the building.
A detailed inspection of the property’s drainage system identified significant rat activity within the drains.
Further investigation revealed an unusual and highly significant point of ingress.
Rather than exploiting damaged drain pipework, the rats had gnawed through the wall of a poorly fitted plastic inspection chamber, creating an opening large enough to leave the drainage system.
Once outside the chamber, the rodents followed the external waste pipework before burrowing beneath the foundations of the building, allowing them to gain access into the student accommodation without travelling through the drainage system itself.
The extent of the burrowing and the volume of rodent activity indicated the infestation had been developing over a prolonged period.
A structured rodent riddance programme was immediately commenced.
Professional break-back trapping and professional-use rodenticide were deployed both within the building and strategically throughout the drainage system to rapidly reduce the active rat population.
Although this successfully reduced rodent numbers, it was clear that permanent control would not be achieved until the structural defect had been addressed.
Once the infestation had been brought under control, a specialist drainage contractor was instructed to remove the defective inspection chamber and associated drainage infrastructure before installing a completely new inspection chamber and replacing the affected pipework.
Following completion of the drainage repairs, Pest Shield carried out a detailed inspection of the newly installed drainage system.
Every connection, chamber seal and pipe joint was carefully examined to ensure the installation was fully resistant to future rodent ingress.
The replacement drainage system passed inspection with no defects identified.
With the structural point of ingress permanently eliminated and no further evidence of rodent activity, the infestation was assessed as functionally over.
The customer had already employed another pest control contractor before contacting Pest Shield. Although treatment had been undertaken, the underlying cause of the infestation had not been identified, allowing rats to continue entering the building.
Rather than simply replenishing bait, Pest Shield carried out a thorough investigation of both the property and its drainage system.
This inspection identified an unusual point of ingress where rats had physically gnawed through the wall of a poorly fitted plastic inspection chamber before tunnelling beneath the building’s foundations.
Only once the rodent population had been reduced and the defective drainage infrastructure completely replaced could the infestation be resolved permanently.
This case demonstrates that successful rodent control depends on identifying and eliminating the source of ingress, not simply treating the symptoms.
Property Type: Student Accommodation
Location: Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR1
Services Provided: Rodent Investigation, Commercial Rat Control, Drain Investigation, Rodent Riddance Programme, Drainage Remediation, Post-Repair Inspection
