Home goal for Max, Max 1 - Rat 0

When called into a local football club due to a rat being thought to be on the premises, Max my faithful Jack Russell went straight to work.  Now this was not the first time we had visited the property, previously Max had detected with his keen nose some rat 'odours' under the bar/skittle alley, unfortunately this time it got away.

 

On this visit, Max was less interested in the bar (unlike me) but this time made a direct bee line for the lounge and paid particular interest in one sofa, on turning this sofa over a hole was noted.  In a desperate act a rat made a dash for freedom, the scene was set with only one outcome in my opinion.  A chase was on, myself, Max and a keen regular to the football club.  After several minutes of chasing the rat made its way back to the same sofa - its home! so out came the Stanley knife and the base removed revealing the rat but not for long.  Max was straight on it and with a quick shake the rat was dispatched swiftly by Max.  Also in the sofa was a hole pile of large chopped potatoes collected that night by the rat - he had been busy!

Considering that this was not my first visit to the club, I had already inspected the building looking for ingress points, it all looked fine in principle, so the drains are often the obvious ingress access points for rats.  Due to the club having had various extensions, in particular a new cellar, I was particularly interested in a very dirty unused 4" drain apparently leading from and old cellar area to a modern manhole, no one new what purpose it served!  This has now been capped off with a pressure bung and no rats have frequented the bar or club house.  Max in now a highly praised member and Kapow Pest Control are supporters of the club.  hopefully some work will come my way due to the successful outcome!

Cluster fly update

Now we have had a few frosts, the majority of the cluster flies will be in their clustering locations, be it: lofts, window frames; sash boxes etc.  So even though you may not be seeing so many, now is a good time to treat loft spaces.  First though a thorough examination of the loft needs to be carried out to check that: there are no bats prescent or signs of bats; and, all water tanks are covered before any smoke bombs or Ultra Low Volume (ULV) foggers are used.

This week I have Cluster Fly jobs in Evercreech, and Whatley, Chantry and Limpley Stoke.  Also I have a interesting moth job, the poor lady has had her 18 month old wool carpet eaten to bits by these destructive moths.  Watch this space...

Update - Rats at the Royal

Well its been a while since carrying out the Proofing work at the Flat in the Royal Crescent Bath.  The customers/guests in the holiday rental property have neither seen nor heard from the rat since this work was carried out.  This demonstrates that if you call in a professional registered with the BPCA you get a thorough job, not just a 'rat catcher'!

Another happy Kapow customer

There's nothing pretty about mink.

I have a new pest to sort out... a MINK has made its way into a roof space in a house close to Warminster in the Wylye Valley.  These are a major pest and endanger many native species, such as the water vole.  Watch this space to see if we can Kapow the mink! I think this is one for me not for Max! I will save the rats for him.

Moles are also becoming a nuisance, I have mole jobs in Mells, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster.  Traps (not gas) are used (the traditional way) to control these pests.

Cluster Flies are still proving to be a major pest this year, hotels, houses are being plagued.  If you wish to rid yourselves of Cluster Flies, please call Chris at KAPOW Pest Control.

Cluster Fly Season

Today seems to be the start of the Cluster Fly Season.  Do not be alarmed you are not an extras in a Stephen Kin novel 'The Flies' ear seems to be particularly bad for these flies.  Today I have had 11 calls regarding Cluster flies, from Great Elm, Frome, Buckland Dingham, Midsomer Norton and Bath.  All these folk have been inundated with Cluster Flies.  All is not lost, Kapow Pest Control can help by: A quick knock down to flying and alighted flies using a variety of professional methods; also, treat windows, sash boxes, timber frames (indoors only); walls etc. with residual insecticides to control any future flies.  I also have 100% organic pesticides at my disposal if you have any concerns regarding pesticides.  So call Chris at Kapow for a safe and professional treatment.

 

Chris Raithby - British Pest Control Association (BPCA) Member

As of the 1st July I am a fully compliant BPCA member, this demonstrates that I am fully compliant with the leading authority in pest control in the UK, setting me above many other operatives.  So anyone wishing for a fully accredited Pest Control Officer to visit, look no further than Kapow Pest Control, serving: Bath; Trowbridge; Westbury; Frome; Warminster; Bruton; Wells; Radstock; Midsomer Norton; Mells , plus all villages in between! Also Being one of the few technicians in the South West Kapow is a Acceddited Member of the Campaign For Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) again demonstrating Kapow's commitment to the welfare of the environment whilst carrying out pest control duties in a responsible manner.

Rats at The Royal

Last week I had a rat job at a garden flat in The Royal Crescent, Bath, the residents had seen a huge rat in the yard, Max was very interested indeed. The rat was sighted often running up a shrub on the back wall where there just happened to be a soil vent pipe and the rat was heard running up this.  Well I was just about to leave after laying rodenticide in Tamper Resistant Bait Stations (due to pets and children present) when the resident heard the rat in the pipe, I brought this to the attention of Max, he went berserk and tried to eat the pipe to get to the rat - bless him, well I think the rat took fright and legged it back down the sewers.  Next visit I will cap off the branch so that the rats stay in the sewers!!

 

Wasps are here

After last years rotten weather which disrupted nearly every species (including us humans!), very few wasps nests were reported.  So far this year I have done 1 wasp nest in Frome (the landlord had tried to block up the holes with silicone and used wasp foam killer and even fly spray - to no avail - so he eventually called in Kapow Pest Control to do a professional job!) I have also done 2 wasp jobs in Bath, so the wasp season is truly on its way.

 

Bumble Bees - again, and again

WOW – I have never had so many calls about wasps – turning out as expected to be bumble bees.  I like many pest controllers have good ethics when it comes to wildlife conservation and now being a member of the British Pest Control Association I feel more than ever the need to do ‘ the right thing’.  One bumble bee nest was in a bird box next to a well used garden gate.  The customer from Frome, Somerset was adamant that it ‘had to go’, so, at night time when tha bumble had gone to bed, I covered the hole, took down the nest box and relocated to a lovely garden in Mells, Somerset. Next morning I removed the tape and let them fly, what lucky bees they are now! My friend has now gained some good pollinators, joyful things to watch, but also a free nest box – bonus!  All happy.

So if you don’t mind the bumbles – leave em bee!!

 

Moth Clean up

Called out to a house yesterday as they had a flying insect problem in their garage.  It turned out to be a heavy house moth infestation.  The problem was due to pure wool underlay being stored (that useful off cut - that never gets used!). Due to allergy problems, I plan to firstly to give the garage a good once over with a industrial hover then use moth traps to monitor any additional infestations.  Now  the underlay has been removed, the house moth will struggle to find a new food sourced.  It was the keratin in the wool that has given the moth a supermarket to live breed and thrive off.  I will keep you posted with the treatment.  Funny enough the underlay was put outside on the pavement, ants soon moved in to have a feast on the moth larvae – the circle of life, what a wonderful thing.

Nothing nice about chocolate mice...

I was called by a lady in Bath who knew she had rodent trouble in the shape of  mice or rats.  I soon found evidence that mice had found a hidden chocolate bar in a tuba instrument case.  there was a pile of shredded wrappings and mice droppings.  Also found in kitchen and loft.  Outside inspection found that all the air vents had holes larger than 6mm thus allowing the pesky mice to invade the ladies house again.  This lady in Bath will be safe soon a I have planned to proof all the air vents.


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Prevention, prevention, prevention.

Today I have been continuing with my Pest Control Contracts, visiting a school in Beckington near Frome to proof a few doors to prevent rats gaining entry, a hotel to check traps, insect monitors and to service the fly killers ready for the fly season approaching.  I then went to the rat job in Bath where rats had gained access to the house via a missing air brick and getting into the kitchen.  Max found the hole and I treated the rats, giving advise and placing rodenticide beneath the plinths safely in the kitchen.  

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