Pest Control in Peterlee

Peterlee was built as a new town in the 1940s and 1950s to house the mining communities of east Durham and the town still has that planned layout with its distinct neighbourhoods, green spaces between estates and the town centre at the heart. The housing is mainly from that original post-war period, with system-built houses, concrete panel construction and some non-traditional building types that present their own pest control challenges. These houses often have flat roofs on garages and extensions, poorly sealed wall joints and airbricks that have deteriorated over seventy years. Mice exploit every one of these weaknesses and mouse control in Peterlee is one of the most frequent jobs we do here. The style of construction means mice can move through wall cavities and between properties more easily than in traditionally built houses.

The Castle Eden Dene national nature reserve runs along the southern edge of Peterlee and while it is a beautiful asset for the town it also provides habitat for rats and other wildlife. The dene is a deep, wooded valley with streams running through it and rats use this corridor to move between the countryside and the built-up areas. The estates at Shotton, Horden and the edges of Peterlee that are closest to the dene tend to see the most rat activity, with rats coming in from the wooded valley to feed in gardens and around bins.

The green spaces between the housing estates within the town also play a role. These were designed to give the town a spacious feel, but they also create corridors for pests to move along. Wasp nests are a summer regular and the flat-roofed garages and the concrete panel wall construction of many Peterlee houses provide straightforward access for wasps looking for a sheltered nesting site. The town's unique construction history means the pest control approach here is different from the older towns nearby and understanding the building types is key to getting good results.