Pest control: find the cause, not just the pest

Rats and mice are the most frequent call-outs. A technician looks for droppings, runs, gnawing and entry points, then uses baits, traps or both, and returns to check. Rats often arrive through defective drains, so a drain survey may be part of the answer. Wasp nests in lofts, eaves or walls are treated with insecticide at the entrance; the nest does not always need removing once the colony is dead.

Bed bugs need thorough inspection of beds, furniture and skirting, several visits and preparation by the occupant, such as washing bedding at high temperatures. Cockroaches are usually treated with gel baits and monitoring over several weeks. Pigeon problems on buildings are mostly solved with proofing: netting, spikes, wires and cleaning of fouled areas.

• what you have seen, heard or found, and where
• how long it has been going on and any previous treatment
• children, pets or vulnerable people in the building
• whether the premises handle food
• access to lofts, cellars, drains and outbuildings

Some rodenticides and insecticides are authorised only for professional use and are not sold to the public. They can harm pets, children and wildlife if placed carelessly, and poisoned rodents can die in inaccessible places. A professional controller should use tamper-resistant bait stations, record where baits are placed, and remove them when the work is finished.

In England, using glue traps to catch rodents is against the law unless you hold a licence from Natural England. Only professional pest controllers can hold one, and licences are issued only in exceptional circumstances where other methods have failed or are not practical. Restaurants, pubs, takeaways and private houses are not likely to qualify. If someone offers glue boards for mice in your kitchen, that is a warning sign.

All wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected. In England, Natural England's general licence GL41 allows certain species, including feral pigeons, to be killed or taken to preserve public health or public safety, but only under its conditions, and non-lethal methods must be tried first. Nests in use must not be disturbed outside what a licence permits. That is why most bird control on buildings is proofing, not removal. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own licences.

Food businesses are inspected on the physical condition of their premises, and pest control is part of what the inspector checks. Evidence of pests can lower a food hygiene rating and, where there is a serious risk, lead to closure. The Food Standards Agency's templates for food safety management include pest control records, so a business should be able to show its procedures and what action it took.

Many businesses use a preventive contract with scheduled inspection visits, monitoring points, written reports and call-outs between visits. A good report lists findings, treatments, proofing recommendations and who is responsible for them; recommendations are useless if nobody in the business acts on them. Offices, hotels, warehouses and residential blocks use similar contracts.

Who pays for pest control in rented housing depends on the tenancy, the cause and where the problem starts. An infestation caused by disrepair, such as holes in walls or defective drains, generally points to the landlord; one caused by how the home is used may fall to the tenant. Some councils run their own pest control services for certain pests, sometimes at a charge. Check your council's website before booking.

You describe the pest, the property and how urgent it is, then confirm your phone number by text and your email by link. We offer the request anonymously to pest control firms near you, and only one firm can buy it. It pays Offrano; for you the service is free. We send you its name, address and phone number by email before it receives your details.

We cannot promise that every request will be bought; unsold requests are withdrawn after 21 days. You decide whether to accept the quote. Offrano checks that the buyer is a registered business, not how it works, so ask about the technician's training, the products used and what a follow-up visit includes.