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Iain
Moderator
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Jan 2007 : 08:22:31
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Today sees the publication of the 7th Rodent Survey, compiled by the NPTA. You can view or download this from their website:
http://www.npta.org.uk/
All media outlets have received a Press Release about this and it will be interesting to see how many 'Shock! Horror!' headlines we see over the next few weeks as it is revealed to the general public that - yet again - the number of complaints to Local Authorities about rats and mice has risen, year on year.
There is little doubt that the NPTA Office will become very busy fielding calls from the public, as they become more aware of the existence of someone, who is commercially independent, that they can call for advice. And no doubt, as they are given the details of several NPTA members in their area, calls to those pest controllers will increase as a result.
Just one of the services offered by the NPTA, which whilst it will primarily benefit their Members, also benefits the whole industry.
Of special note this year will no doubt be the suggestions that 'over feeding of wild birds' and 'misuse of composting' are in part responsible for this rise.
Download and enjoy. |
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nigel
Senior Member
311 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2007 : 16:10:21
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When you analyse the causes of rat infestations at properties you will learn that there are only a very limited number of reasons why customers become infested and the vast majority of them are the authors of their own problems.
You can catogerise these in to three distinct groups;
1/FOOD (in what ever guise it may come)
2/MAINTENANCE (or lack of it in many cases).
And the only other logical reason I have come across is;
3/CATS (some are good at controlling rats others can and are the cause of the problem inside a property).
It will be interesting to read the report when my copy comes through.
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Iain
Moderator
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 18:08:09
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Nice to hear a significant report on Radio 4 tonight about the increase in rats 'as reported in the Rodent Survey for 2006', with a good interview with a pest controller from Glasgow about the situation as he saw it.
Any other reports from the media? |
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Jonathan Peck
Junior Member
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 18:10:02
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Congratulations to NPTA on the Report. It has certainlyt brought the problem to the public notice once again.
Interestingly enough the three main reasons for rat infestations in domestic premises, according to the research doen by the West of England Pest Liaison Group in 2004, is 1. Feeding birds in gardens; 2. Compost bins; 3. Keeping of pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs. The first non-behavoural reason is 4. broken drains.
This year the research is being repeated and the form will also include decking as a potential source of infestations.
Best wishes
Jonathan Peck
Killgerm Group |
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ABPest
Senior Member
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 18:39:41
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I have been unable to download the PDF file of the report, so am in the dark at present.
Iain, I receive a free copy of the BPCA magazine " Professional Pest Controller " as well as the " Pest Control News " magazine. But despite several requests, the NPTA do not supply their magazine free of charge. However, they do give it away free at Pest Tech. Can you explain this situation?
When I decide which organisation to join, this could have a bearing on my choice!
Regarding the media, Nick is apparently appearing on Meridian TV tonite ( I think! ). Is that a southern station? ( but I don't think he mentions UKPCO  )
Adrian. |
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NickA
Hyperactive Member
United Kingdom
700 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 18:54:36
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Adrian it was tonight, my copy of report downloaded OK.
Meridan southern TV station.
Why would I mention UKPCO? Even NPTA appears to be on cutting room floor, such is life.
Pests are smart - We're smarter |
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ABPest
Senior Member
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 19:08:42
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| It's very strange, I can download the press bulletin, but not the report! |
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nigel
Senior Member
311 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 19:41:29
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quote:
1. Feeding birds in gardens; 2. Compost bins; 3. Keeping of pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs. The first non-behavoural reason is 4. broken drains.
All the responcibility of the owner/occupier.
When you think about it logically, there is no reason why anyone should now have rats, as an industry, our understanding as to the reasons why customers find themselves infested has never been so good. Yet here we see each year more and more customers finding themselves infested, WHY?
As to this issue of "summer rats" as they are now referred too, you will kick yourselves when you work out why this happens. |
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nigel
Senior Member
311 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 20:47:03
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quote:
This year the research is being repeated and the form will also include decking as a potential source of infestations.
Never known rats eat decking, live under it YES but only because it provides a secure place to live, still need point one to encourage them in to a premise in the first place and a ready supply to keep them there.
I started looking in to this about 15 years ago, why should one property get just one or two mice or rats when another gets 100-200 mice or 10-20 rats? What I discovered completely changed my way of thinking about rodents and why it is people get them.
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Dookie
Junior Member
Fyro Macedonia
21 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2007 : 23:52:56
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If LA's such as 'Scotland's largest' sack 66% of their pesties in the midst of a huge upsurge in rat infestations and don't manage their refuse properly (ie collect it on a regular basis)I'm not in the least bit surprised. And if they also blatantly ignore advice from the people 'on the ground' then hell mend them.
I spoke to a guy from the big R (who Scotland's largest got in to (ahem!) help them out after they'd sacked the pesties)who was working in an area of the city and he said that he'd never seen a rat infestation like it in 25 years. The best of it was that what he was referring to was nowhere near the worst infestation they had! I had to laugh.
Scotland with style my erse! Scotland with rats and lots of them more like.
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Fenn Man
Senior Member
Ireland
208 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 01:43:20
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Adrian; RIGHT Click http://www.npta.org.uk/assets/documents/RodentReportJan07.pdf Then Left Click " Save Target As ". It'll down load the PDF direct to where ever ye send it. I always send stuff to my Desk Top for filing elsewhere later 
I suspect ye problem was that ye got the direct link and sat there, staring at a blank page? It takes a while to sort itself, depending on ye connection speed. This way the little box and bar graph reassures ye that it's coming. Then, " Dink! " it's there and ready to pop open and read.
Took me just over two minutes to get mine. I'd have sent a copy direct to ye, in a Zip. Only that would take me half the night! My connection's dead slow!
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Bob Newey
Member
87 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 03:22:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Iain
Nice to hear a significant report on Radio 4 tonight about the increase in rats 'as reported in the Rodent Survey for 2006', with a good interview with a pest controller from Glasgow about the situation as he saw it.
Any other reports from the media?
BBC News 24; Sky News - to be shown later today (Saturday);
Radio 5 Live; Various BBC & ITV local TV stations; BBC World Service; Radio Wales; Teletext.
Daily Mail (front page main headline); The Times (page 36); and some other newspapers which I haven't seen.
Had a call from my local ITV news - they wanted to send a camera team along to see me in action sorting some live rats. I told 'em they could probably see a few dead ones and plenty of evidence of rodent activity but not much chance of any live ones running about. From that point on they lost interest |
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Iain
Moderator
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 10:28:09
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Bob,
Thanks for that list. It's good to see that the Report is 'hitting' the headlines.
You might also want to see the BBC website at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ where John Davidson is quoted extensively. Just key in 'rats' and search.
Interestingly, the suggestion that composting may be adding to the problem has been 'savaged' by that well-known authority on rats, actress Jane Horrocks....
I have sent a suitable response to that in the 'comments' section, so it will be interesting to see whether it is published or not! 
I'm told that the rats in Florida are twice as big.... |
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Bob Newey
Member
87 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 10:44:05
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In BBC's usual interests of fair play, they wanted give a chance to another major pest control association to give their input, so on this morning's Breakfast News they interviewed a pest controller in Leeds by the name of Steven Hodgeson from the 'National Pet Controllers Association'
Well, at least they managed to get the last 2 words of their name right  |
Edited by - Bob Newey on 06 Jan 2007 10:45:50 |
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nigel
Senior Member
311 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 11:14:45
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quote:
Interestingly, the suggestion that composting may be adding to the problem has been 'savaged' by that well-known authority on rats, actress Jane Horrocks....
Just food to a rat, coupled with the fact as compost rots down it causes heat, in fact little rat incubators, who needs global warming |
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Dookie
Junior Member
Fyro Macedonia
21 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 12:56:24
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Bob - Tell yer TV folks that I can take them to a place where they can see all the wildlife that they desire. Where I used to work we would watch and film the rats in a David Attenborough stylee.
Still going on. |
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nigel
Senior Member
311 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 18:34:33
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| Are we now seeing the results in part, thanks to the GERSHON REVIEW? |
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NickA
Hyperactive Member
United Kingdom
700 Posts |
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Jonathan Peck
Junior Member
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 22:56:14
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Nigel
The rats are not eating the decking, they are living under it and feeding on the food which drops between the gaps in the timber. This is a plentiful source of food for them.
Best wishes
Jonathan Peck
Killgerm Group |
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Rodent Survey number 7
