Pest Control in Coniston

Coniston is a village at the northern end of Coniston Water, sitting beneath the dramatic bulk of the Old Man of Coniston. The village is a cluster of slate and stone buildings along the main street, with the lake stretching southward and the fells rising steeply behind. Tourism is the main business here, with guest houses, holiday cottages and outdoor gear shops lining the roads and that visitor economy creates its own pest challenges. Food waste from cafes and restaurants draws rats and the older stone buildings in the centre have plenty of gaps and voids where mice can find a way in. We handle rat control and mouse control calls from Coniston throughout the year and the holiday lets keep us busy because any pest sighting can lead to lost bookings and bad reviews.

The stone construction of the older buildings is part of what gives Coniston its character, but it also means mice have an easy time of it. Thick stone walls are rarely solid all the way through and the voids inside give mice routes through the building that are almost impossible to block completely. Treatment has to be thorough and repeated checks are important to make sure the problem stays under control. The damp climate in this part of the Lakes also creates conditions that attract cluster flies, woodlice and silverfish into homes, especially in autumn and winter when insects look for warmer spots.

Wasps build nests in the slate roofs, stone walls and outbuildings across Coniston each summer and the old slate quarry workings above the village provide sheltered spots for nests too. The lakeside attracts midges in warm weather and the woodland around Tarn Hows and Grizedale brings squirrels close to the village. Coniston is a small village with a big reputation and keeping the properties here free of pests is important both for the people who live here and for the tourism that keeps the local economy going.