Pest Control Burnt Oak

Pest Control in Burnt Oak

Burnt Oak is a residential area straddling the border of Barnet and Harrow in north-west London, built mostly in the 1920s and 30s when the Tube line extended out this far. The housing is predominantly inter-war semis and terraces, with some post-war council estates and a few newer builds mixed in. The Silk Stream runs through the area and Burnt Oak Broadway provides a busy local high street. The density of housing and the mix of food businesses along the Broadway create conditions that suit pests. Rats follow the Silk Stream corridor and use the network of back gardens, alleyways and old drainage to move through the residential streets. We deal with rat control across Burnt Oak regularly and the properties closest to the stream see the most activity.

Mice are one of the most common calls from this area. The inter-war houses share party walls and have cavity wall construction that gives mice routes between properties. A gap around a gas pipe, behind a kitchen unit or under a door is enough for a mouse to get through and once they are in one house they can travel along the terrace. Mouse control in these streets often needs work across more than one property to get a lasting result. The council estates have their own challenges, with communal bin stores and service risers creating pathways for both mice and cockroaches.

Wasps nest in the eaves and soffits of the inter-war houses every summer and the garden sheds and garages across the area provide plenty of alternative sites. Wasp removal is a steady call from June through to September. Foxes are common in the gardens and the fleas they carry can become a household problem, especially for pet owners. Bed bugs turn up in the flats and shared houses and the busy high street generates enough food waste to keep both rats and mice well supplied throughout the year.