Rats Love Kitchen Extensions
Home renovations, particularly kitchen extensions, are a popular way to enhance the value and functionality of a home. However, these structural changes can sometimes lead to unforeseen complications, such as permitting unwelcome guests into your home—pests, specifically rats. In this blog article we take a look at a recent case of rat activity in a row of three houses and expose how home improvements can inadvertently lead to pest infestations.
The Hidden Consequence of Building Over Drains
In this instance we had three properties with rat activity, a pair of semi-detached homes and a standalone property. The one thing each home had in common was rather beautiful kitchen extensions. The homeowners were experiencing the usual signs of a rat infestation, droppings, noises, evidence of gnawing and even a physical sighting, but they had no idea how the rats were getting in! After an initial survey, Matt from iX5 Pest Control shared his suspicions that the rats were coming up from the sewers and accessing the homes via drains. This often occurs when extensions are built over existing drainage, or drainage alterations are made, without proper consideration for sealing or adapting these systems. To prove the theory a CCTV survey was conducted and exposed evidence of rat droppings and sure enough, exit points that permitted the rats entry below the kitchen floors. Without rectifying these structural issues, the rats will continue to enter the homes.
The Technicalities of Rat Intrusion
Rats are not just mere nuisances; they are highly adaptable creatures capable of exploiting the smallest vulnerabilities in a building’s structure. The survey highlighted how the rats could gain entry through the defects in the old drainage systems, with gaps smaller than a golf ball being sufficient for their passage. Rats are persistent, driven by their need to constantly gnaw due to their incisors continually growing, which can lead to further damage to plastic pipes, woodwork, wires and other susceptible materials in a home’s infrastructure.
A Costly Oversight
The financial and emotional toll on homeowners who discover that their newly renovated spaces are at risk due to pest infestations, is high. The necessity of rectifying these issues can be both invasive and expensive, often requiring significant work, in this case the need to remove the brand-new flooring to access and repair the affected drainage. In this instance, the old inspection chamber ran horizontally across each property. So, to seal off the drains to prevent access, sadly the beautiful new flooring will need to be lifted. Preventing rat access can sometimes be accomplished in-line (without excavation) using an inflatable fibreglass sleeve containing wire mesh, effectively blocking any further access into the homes. All of this could have been avoided, if the drains had been properly capped off when the home extensions had been built. This is something the Building Regulations actually requires, although often appears to be overlooked by those carrying out building works.
iX5 Pest Control: Your Defence Against Unseen Invaders
iX5 Pest Control offers a comprehensive approach to tackling such pest-related challenges. With extensive experience identifying the root cause of infestations, particularly those linked to structural and drainage issues, iX5 Pest Control employs methods like CCTV drainage surveys to identify the root cause. Depending on the issue, solutions can range from inline repairs with fibreglass sleeves to more extensive work if needed. This proactive approach helps to seal entry points and prevent future infestations, ensuring homes remain secure and pest-free.
For a more detailed exploration of iX5 Pest Control’s rat pest control services and our approach to solving these intricate issues, visit our dedicated rat pest control page here or call us on 01604 328545