Pest Control Romney Marsh

Pest Control in Romney Marsh

Romney Marsh is a flat expanse of reclaimed marshland stretching from the Kent coast inland towards Ashford and it has a character unlike anywhere else in the south east. The landscape is wide open, criss-crossed by drainage ditches and dotted with medieval churches and scattered farms. The water that defines the Marsh is also what makes it such productive ground for rats. The network of ditches, dykes and sluices gives them water and cover everywhere and the sheep farms that the Marsh is famous for provide food in the form of grain stores and livestock feed. The villages of Lydd, New Romney, Dymchurch and St Mary in the Marsh all deal with rats coming in from the surrounding land.

The houses across the Marsh are a real mix, from old stone and brick cottages to bungalows and more modern homes and mice find their way into all of them. The older buildings are most at risk, with gaps in their walls and around their doors and windows that let mice straight in. The flat, open landscape means the wind drives them to look for shelter and houses are the warmest option. The dampness of the Marsh can also attract moisture-loving pests into properties and ground-floor rooms can feel the effects of the high water table.

Wasps nest in the roof spaces and outbuildings of properties across the Marsh each summer. The grassland and wildflowers provide good foraging, though the exposed conditions mean nests tend to be in sheltered spots like lofts, wall cavities and garden sheds rather than in the open. Fleas can be an issue in homes with dogs and cats and the sheep farming on the Marsh means fleas and other parasites are present in the wider environment. The coastal villages also see seagulls nesting on rooftops and scavenging from bins, especially around the chip shops and tourist spots at Dymchurch and Littlestone.