Pest Control Whiteley Village

Pest Control in Whiteley Village

Whiteley Village is a unique planned community near Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, built in the early 20th century as a retirement village with an octagonal layout of cottages and communal buildings set in extensive grounds. The village is surrounded by woodland and open land and this green setting shapes the pest picture strongly. Grey squirrels from the surrounding trees regularly move into the loft spaces of the cottages and communal buildings. Squirrel damage to wiring, insulation and stored items in roof spaces is one of the most common pest issues we deal with at Whiteley Village.

The cottages were built to a good standard but are now over a century old and time has created the small gaps that mice exploit. Gaps around pipe entries, aging air bricks and mortar joints that have softened all provide routes into the buildings. The extensive gardens and woodland around the village mean mice are always present outside and they move into the cottages looking for warmth during the autumn and winter. Rats are present in the woodland and along the edges of the grounds and they move closer to buildings when food draws them in.

Wasps nest in the roof spaces and outbuildings across the village during summer and wasp nest removal is a regular job here. The wooded setting also means moth activity can be higher than in more urban areas, with clothes moths and carpet moths finding their way into homes. The beautiful parkland setting of Whiteley Village is one of its greatest assets, but it brings the pest pressures that come with living surrounded by mature woodland and managing them is part of maintaining the estate.