Pest control
Our priority is providing customers with safe homes that they choose to live in. This includes ensuring homes are free from pest and vermin when you move in, and throughout your tenancy.
Homes can become infested due to various reasons, for example:
- A delay in reporting repairs to us when they are needed
- Lifestyle choices
- Incorrectly disposing of waste.
You can ensure that your home remains pest and vermin free, both inside and out, by following these top tips:
- Remove the food source: Keeping your floors clean and vacuumed regularly, quickly disposing of rubbish in the right way. Also keeping your garden areas clean, tidy, and free from household food and items such as mattresses, which could provide the perfect habitat for nesting vermin
- Bird feeders: Rats and mice are very agile. If you do have bird feeders in your garden, make sure they are away from any structures that could provide an access route.
If you do get an infestation of rats, mice or wasps in your home, or in a communal area or block, please report it straight away by calling us on 0345 065 5656. Reporting it quickly will prevent damage to your home or prevent the problem getting worse.
Here is a clear breakdown of responsibilities:
Inside your home
Beyond Housing is responsible for providing support to help you control and manage rat, mice, and wasp infestations inside your home and for pest control and management in communal areas and blocks.
Customers are responsible for pest and vermin infestations caused by lifestyle choices and all other types of pest infestations in their home including flies, fleas, bedbugs, silverfish, carpet beetles, ants, and cockroaches.
If you feel you need help or support after reading the advice below, our pest control team will be happy to provide further guidance on infestations that customers are responsible for.
Outside of your home
Customers are responsible for the control and management of pests outside of your home, but within the boundary fence.
Advice and guidance – treating infestations that you are responsible for
We have provided some advice and guidance on how to treat the most common types of pest and vermin infestations that are the customer’s responsibility. If you require further advice, please contact us as and member of the team will call you to offer further advice.
Pest control advice
- Ants
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You can get ants both inside and outside of your home. They can be treated by using products purchased at your local supermarket.
Prevention inside your home – Keep all surfaces clear of food debris and dispose of waste straight away. Ants only go where there is a readily available food source.
Treatment inside your home – You can buy bait stations to treat ants in your local supermarket or store. If using over the counter products, please ensure that you follow instructions carefully.
Prevention outside your home – Ant nests look like mounds of soil. These can be small or large, depending on the colony size. Restricting a food source will prevent an ant infestation, keeping rubbish and household waste in bins.
Treatment outside your home – You can buy bait stations to treat ants in your local supermarket or store. If using over the shelf products, please ensure that you follow instructions and stay safe.
- Bats
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Bats are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. You will know if you have bats as you will hear them chattering. If you think you have bats, please report it to Beyond Housing straight away. We will get in touch with the local bat experts on your behalf and work with you to resolve the issue.
- Bees
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Bees are not protected, though care should be taken because of their declining numbers. They are harmless and do not sting unless provoked. If you think you have bees, please get in touch and we will arrange for the pest control team to give you a call.
- Fleas
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The most common types of fleas are those found on animals. These can be treated in your home by using products from supermarkets or your vet.
- Rats
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Rats in your area?
Here’s what to look out for and how to protect your home.
Spot the signs:
- Droppings – Dark brown, bean-sized often in clusters
- Chew marks – One cables, wood, plastic, bricks and even waste bags
- Dusty areas – Footprints or tail marks
- Black smear marks – Greasy stains along walls, woodwork or around holes in the walls
- Noises – Scratching, gnawing, scuttling.
Rats eat:
- Bird seed, fruit, other animals, eggs
- Food waste, pet food, dog mess, used nappies.
Keep your home clean and tidy:
- Garden – Clear of food, dog mess, pet food and clutter
- Pet areas – Clean daily
- Food waste – Don’t leave food waste outside or overfeed birds
- Bins – Keep closed, bags off the ground
- Drains – Covered and in good condition. If drains within your property/garden need a repair, please call us on 0345 065 5656
- Fly-tipping – Reducing fly-tipping, littering and keeping gardens clear will create a lasting pest-free environment for everyone.
Seen a rat?
In a garden or open space – Follow the tips on keeping your home clean and tidy. Rats are attracted to birdseed. If you see evidence of rats in your garden, please refrain from feeding the birds until the problem is resolved. If you need further help, Beyond Housing can offer advice.
Inside your home – Call Beyond Housing immediately on 0345 065 5656.
Remember – Rats only come where there’s food or shelter.
- Wasps
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Wasp nests can be found anywhere. Wasps go into hibernation in winter and the nest will be the size of a small ping-pong ball and could be found in lofts, fascia boards, eaves, air bricks, sheds, compost bins, in the ground and at the base of bushes.
- Woodlice
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Woodlice are harmless and do not carry diseases. They’re usually found outside, where they tend to live in damp areas such as the bark of rotting wood and the underside of rocks and slabs.
