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Pest Control

Lambeth Pest Control Officer explaining form to customer
Picture of mouse pest control in Lambeth

Identifying mice

  • up to 10cm long
  • brown-grey fur on their back and lighter grey fur underneath
  • thin tails as long as their heads and bodies
  • smaller than rats
  • usually found inside
  • have droppings the size of a grain of rice
Bedbug for removal by Lambeth Council Pest Control Services

Identifying bed bugs

  • Bed bugs are wingless, oval-shaped, flattened insects usually just over 0.5cm long
  • When they have not eaten, they are pale brown in colour but become reddish brownwhen fully fed on blood
  • The head has large antennae and the mouthparts are well adapted for piercing the skin
  • young bugs (nymphs) are nearly colourless, becoming brownish as they mature.
  • Bed bugs can crawl up vertical surfaces of wood, paper and plaster, but are unable to crawl up smooth polished surfaces.

Treatments for bedbugs

  • two visits, three weeks apart
  • an advice sheet with information about the insecticide we used, where we placed it and any special precautions needed
  • taking measures to protect children and pets
  • Please ensure an adult is present at all times during the treatment.
Picture of rat for disposal by Lambeth Council Pest Control

Identifying rats

  • generally slender with pointed head, large eyes and long tails
  • significantly larger than mice
  • usually live outside
  • have kidney bean size droppings

Treatments for Rats

  • up to three visits, two weeks apart laying baits along any rats runs and in the drainage system (if required) information on the bait we have used, where they are, and if you need to take any special
  • precautions taking measures to protect children and pets for more serious infestations, a third visit may be required for an additional charge (see price list)

Please ensure an adult is present at all times during treatment.

Preventing rat infestations

To prevent rats from entering your home, you must:

  • fix any holes in your home
  • remove external sources of food such as fallen apples, pears, bird food or even water
  • clear old furnishings, wood and overgrowth
  • keep all refuse in your ‘wheelie’ bin and always close the lid
  • keep compost in a bin

Noises from the loft are often caused by squirrels or birds, rather than rats or mice.

Picture of wasp for disposal contact Lambeth Council

Identifying Wasps

  • black and bright yellow bands
  • narrow waist in the middle of a thin body
  • 10-15mm long
  • smooth, hairless body
  • often found around rubbish and food
  • feed on other insects
  • bees are rounder, fatter, slower moving and hairier than wasps; they only feed on pollen, so they are often found near flowers and plants.

Treatments for Wasps

  • one visit
  • injecting dust into the nest usually in lofts or outside under the eaves
  • an advice sheet with information about the insecticide used, where it was placed and any special precautions
  • taking measures to protect children and pets
  • the nest will be dead one or two days after the treatment
  • bees are rounder, fatter, slower moving and hairier than wasps; they only feed on pollen, so they are often found near flowers and plants.

Please ensure an adult is present at all times during the treatment.

Useful Facts

  • no need to remove a dead or dormant nest, as wasps will not return to the same nest.
  • during the bee season in May and June, you should take particular care to ensure that you correctly identify whether you have bees or wasps. If you book a wasp treatment and our pest controller discovers that you have bees, the law does not allow us to undertake a treatment.
  • wasps never return to last year’s nest – almost all nests discovered in early spring (March and early April) are dormant nests from a previous summer.
  • You can often avoid unnecessary expense in early spring by only booking a service if you see wasps using the nest. If not, it is almost certainly a dormant nest from a previous year.

Identifying what a wasp looks like

  • no need to remove a dead or dormant nest, as wasps will not return to the same nest.
  • during the bee season in May and June, you should take particular care to ensure that you correctly identify whether you have bees or wasps. If you book a wasp treatment and our pest controller discovers that you have bees, the law does not allow us to undertake a treatment.
  • wasps never return to last year’s nest – almost all nests discovered in early spring (March and early April) are dormant nests from a previous summer.
  • You can often avoid unnecessary expense in early spring by only booking a service if you see wasps using the nest. If not, it is almost certainly a dormant nest from a previous year.
Identifying a wasp
Cockroach removal by Lambeth Council

Identifying Cockroaches

Lambeth is commonly affected by Oriental or German cockroaches which are:

  • 10-25 mm long
  • light, dark brown or black

Treatments for Cockroaches

  • two visits, two weeks apart,
  • placing gel bait under sink cabinets, around door hinges and other affected areas
  • a spray for intensive infested areas
  • an advice sheet with information about the bait used, where it was placed, and any special precautions needed
  • measures to protect children and pets
  • for more serious infestations, a third visit may be required for an additional charge (see price list)

Please ensure an adult is present at all times during the treatment.

Preventing cockroach infestation

You can prevent cockroaches from entering your property by:

  • filling any obvious cracks and gaps
  • reducing clutter
  • cleaning pet droppings with detergents and disinfectant
  • putting dead cockroaches in a plastic bag and in an outside bin
  • cleaning up all food debris from floors, tables, cupboards, and drawers
flea control service

Identifying fleas

  • brown-black in colour
  • can jump but cannot fly
  • frequently originate from cats and dogs or their bedding
  • like carpet and central heating
  • Bites from fleas are usually restricted to below the knees, bites more evenly distributed on the human body are more frequently caused by bedbugs.

Treatments for fleas

  • two visits, two weeks apart
  • a spray treatment for carpets and soft furnishings
  • an advice sheet with information about the insecticide used
  • measures to protect children and pets
  • for more serious infestations, a third visit may be required for an additional charge (see price list)

Please ensure an adult is present at all times during the treatment.

To prepare your property before we arrive:

  • remove and get rid of all clutter
  • machine-wash all clothing and bedding at 60 degrees
  • vacuum carpets and soft furnishings
  • get pets de-fleaed and use a flea collar and/or flea tablets or drops
  • move furniture from edges of rooms

All treated areas should not be cleaned, polished or vacuumed for 2 weeks after the treatment.

Moth removal service

Identifying Clothes Moths

  • The clothes moth is the most common fabric moth.
  • Adults are golden with reddish golden hairs on top of the head.
  • Their wings span around half an inch and are fringed with a row of golden hairs.

Where are they found?

Because these moths are weak flyers and not attracted to light, you can find them close to the infested items, such as in dark areas of closets.

The larva is the damaging stage of the clothes moth and feeds on:

  • wool clothing
  • carpets
  • rugs
  • upholstered furniture
  • furs
  • stored wool
  • animal bristles in brushes
  • wool felts in pianos
  • fish meal in fish food
  • cotton, when blended with woolcotton, when blended with wool

Signs of clothes moths damages

Damage usually appears in hidden areas of your clothes such as:

  • under collars
  • under cuffs
  • in crevices of upholstered furniture
  • in carpet areas covered by furniture
  • in fabrics with food stains, perspiration, or urine

Treatments for Moths

You will have to leave your property during the treatment and return at least three hours later.

Treatments typically involve:

  • two visits, two weeks apart
  • treating all affected rooms
  • an advice sheet with information about the insecticide used, where we have placed it
  • taking measures to protect children and pets

Preparing your property for moth treatment

We may not be able to treat your property if you do not carry out the following preparations:

  • vacuum the whole house, especially areas where you have seen damages such as baseboards, cracks and crevices – dispose of the bag immediately after vacuuming
  • dry clean or launder items in hot water at more than 60 degrees Celsius for 20 to 30 minutes
  • put washed or dry-cleaned clothes in a sealed plastic bag
  • move wardrobes, cupboards, and beds away from the walls
  • unplug all non-essential electrical items

The above steps will also need to be repeated for the second visit.

Controlling a clothes moth infestation yourself

Clothes moths may hide on woollen garments or scraps stored for long periods. To prevent clothes moths, ensure your clothes are:

  • stored properly sealed if unused for long periods
  • periodically hung in the sun
  • brushed along the seams, in folds and pockets

Brushing destroys eggs and exposes larvae. Larvae are strongly repelled by light and will fall from clothing when they cannot find protection.

Lambeth Gold Rondel