The charge for a call-out is now £120.
By Ryan Bembridge, Laura Mitchell and Sam Morgan
Pest control charges increased in Lambeth this month despite the National Rodent Survey showing infestation numbers are on the rise.
The council website still states that they charge £100 for a pest related call-out between 8am and 6pm, but the amount has risen to £120 in the past few weeks.
Such changes could make people less inclined to ring for professional help, and instead try to solve the problem themselves.
Mark Deegan, from Rodent Specialists, said: “People purchase cheap kits from shops that falsely promise to help in pest removal.”
If the problem is not dealt with properly the infestation can increase at alarming rates, as one mating pair of rats can have five litters of 7-15 pups every year.
Monica Orlebar, who works for London-wide Beaver Pest Control, said: “If they know what they are doing it’s okay but the poisons will be very weak and not very effective.”
Pests such as rats also pose a serious health threat.
They can cause food poisoning and carry diseases such as Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, which causes vomiting and joint and chest pains.
Mark Deegan, from Rodent Specialists, said: “Sometimes we get phone calls where we have a very terrified woman stressing we need to get there as soon as possible.”
As well as being expensive some residents in South West London feel council services are unreliable.
A Hammersmith resident, who had an infestation of mice, said: “I called the council and they didn’t turn up. I was furious, so in the end I dealt with it myself but we still have mice.”
Independent businesses are angry that councils such as Merton are advertising their pest control and not providing adequate services.
“Their standard of work is sometimes lacking,” said Jason Stockham, owner of Pest-A-Lance.
He said he felt angry that councils charge people more for out-of-hours calls.
He added: “If something is in their house in the middle of the night the last thing you want to do is rob them because they are fearful of something.”
Photo courtesy of Ted Silveira, with thanks.
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