Pest infestation is always a nuisance, and very stressful to boot. London is flooded with pests, and people are suffering from the potential damage they cause. It is absolutely vital to get as much knowledge about the cause of these creatures as possible. It can help when it comes to finding measures to cope with a pest infested home.
According to Ibis World, the amount of money people spend on pest control throughout the UK is well in excess of £300m. And this number looks set to increase by 6% every year. The startling thing is, that those numbers just concern domestic pests.
There are lots of factors that lead to the high level of pest infestation in London. In this post, we are going to look at a few of these in more detail.
Poor Sanitary Conditions
Londoners don’t tend to pay much attention to litter and food-related rubbish on the street. But this kind of poor sanitation is an endless source of nourishment for pests. Pigeons, mice, flies, cockroaches and other pests tend to thrive in these conditions.
We all consume more waste-creating products than ever before. And more waste means overflowing bins, crowded dumps and fly-tipping. London borough councils are notoriously slow to tackle these pest infested situations. And with them come pests like rats and foxes.
Older Architecture
Studies indicate that building condition is a major influence in pest infestation. Generally, areas that have a lot of older buildings have a greater tendency to pests. And, of course, London is full of older buildings that are simply getting older all the time. Older buildings have a greater susceptibility to becoming pest infested, it seems, due to the higher humidity levels and occurrences of damp. These are the perfect conditions for many pests to thrive in. Even if a property does not have these conditions, older houses have more holes and cracks in. This puts them in a vulnerable position to attract a lot of pest activity.
Climate Change
Whether you’re in the UK or anywhere else in the world, climate change is having a noticeable effect. But did you know that climate change could also be affecting pest populations? Pest behaviours are reported to be changing gradually due to the effects of global warming.
Particular type of pest favour certain types of environment. For instance, mice and cockroaches tend to increase with humidly. As our London summers get ever more hot and humid, pests are on the rise.
Population Saturation
London boroughs with the largest density of people are some of the hottest places for pests. The worst of those being Southwark, Wandsworth, Lambeth and Tower Hamlets. Don’t worry however, all pest issues in three areas are ably covered by our South London teams and the 4th by our east London’s team. Pests, it has been shown thrive in congested areas with more of everything packed into them.
One reason is that some London boroughs are heavily over-populated. And, because London‘s residents generate incredibly high amounts of wastes, pest infested areas are inevitable. The problem has definitely got worse over the years, though.
Pesticide Resistance
These are pesticide chemicals that pest controllers have used to kill pests in London homes and gardens over a long period of time. Because of their overuse, pests have gradually started to develop resistance against these, or related, chemicals. Instead of killing the pests, the immunity to these insecticides and rodenticides serves to increase their numbers. This is a good reason to consider opting for our services. We use eco-friendly approaches that are free from synthetic chemicals in as many situations as is feasible.
Keep An Eye on Pest Problems
When you live and work in a busy city like London, there are plenty of pests. And there are plenty of reasons why there are so many of them. The important point is preventing them from getting out of control as best you can.
Firstly, try and prevent your property from becoming pest infested by having it checked by a professional checked at regular intervals. There are quite a few pest infestations that can only be identified by a lay person once they have become a larger and more expensive problem. However, an expert will be able to spot and pre-empt a smaller problem at its inception.
Secondly, put a maintenance plan in place with a reputable pest control company like Empire. We can organise an appropriate pest prevention regime for you. This approach is often taken by business owners. However, residential customers also benefit from this kind of regular intervention. A lot more than people realise, in fact.
