- 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 four residential flats in Gateshead NE11 following reports of recurring rat activity affecting one of the ground floor properties.
The customer explained that the local authority had attended the property almost every year for close to a decade to carry out rodent treatments. Despite repeated visits, the infestation continued to return and no permanent source of ingress had ever been identified.
A comprehensive inspection was undertaken to determine why the problem continued to reoccur.
Inspection of the customer’s flat identified no obvious points of ingress either internally or around the immediate external elevations.
Rather than concluding the inspection there, neighbouring occupiers were engaged to determine whether the source of the infestation lay elsewhere within the block.
The adjoining ground floor resident kindly provided access, allowing further investigation to be carried out.
Inspection of the neighbouring property identified a collapsed section of drainage together with significant ground-level defects where external paving slabs had subsided against the building. The collapse had created direct access from the damaged drainage system into the surrounding ground, while the void beneath the dropped slabs provided rats with a sheltered route into the building’s sub-floor area.
The neighbouring resident was completely unaware that these defects existed or that they were likely contributing to the long-standing rodent problem affecting both properties.
A structured rodent riddance programme was completed while the drainage defect and associated ground-level voids were reported for permanent repair.
By extending the investigation beyond the original customer’s property, the true source of the infestation was identified rather than repeatedly treating the symptoms.
Following completion of the necessary repairs to the collapsed drain and reinstatement of the affected ground, the established routes of ingress were eliminated.
Following completion of the drainage repairs and proofing works, rodent activity ceased.
No further evidence of infestation was reported, resolving an issue that had persisted for many years despite repeated pest control treatments.
The infestation was assessed as functionally over.
This investigation demonstrates why successful rodent control often depends upon inspecting beyond the property where activity is being reported.
Had the inspection been limited to the customer’s flat alone, no obvious defects would have been identified and another routine treatment would likely have been carried out without addressing the underlying cause.
By engaging with neighbouring residents and extending the investigation across the adjoining property, the collapsed drain and associated ground-level defect were identified as the true source of the infestation.
Permanent resolution was only achieved because the investigation focused on finding the cause of the problem rather than simply carrying out another rodent treatment.
Property Type: Block of Four Residential Flats
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11
Services Provided: Rat Control, Rodent Investigation, Neighbouring Property Inspection, Drain Defect Investigation, Rodent Proofing, Permanent Ingress Identification
