Skip to Main Content
Maintenance

Pest Control

Rats & Mice

If you are worried there may be rodents in your home, it is very important that you contact Glasgow City Council (GCC) for assistance in dealing with the problem. GCC investigate and treat mice when they are inside your house or building. Rats are treated when they are inside or outside of your house or building. This is a free service to tenants:

Phone:  0141 287 1059

Email:  public.health@glasgow.gov.uk

Online:   https://www.glasgow.gov.uk

 

GCC, Pest Control Officers advise that holes (e.g. around skirting/floor-boards or in cupboards) should not be filled until treatment is complete to avoid pests being trapped in the building. 

When treatment is complete please contact us to arrange for holes and/or points of access to be blocked.

 Protect your home from mice or rats:

  • Don’t provide a source of food

  • Keep foodstuffs, including pet food, in sealed containers with tight fitting lids

  • Keep your house tidy. Less clutter means fewer places to hide

  • Put rubbish bags into the bins. Close the lid. Don’t leave anything lying around.

  • Clean up pet food and bird seed debris

  • Keep gardens free from debris and keep clutter to a minimum

Rat Waste

 Cockroaches

As horrific as an infestation of mice and rats is an infestation of cockroaches. In fact, it is possibly worse! When they get into a building they can go anywhere. If any house remains infected the cockroaches will not be eradicated. Every house must be treated on the same day.

 There are things that you can do to make sure that your house does not become infested. Cockroaches are scavengers. They will eat anything, even toothpaste and soap!

 Cockroaches often get into houses in the first instance inside sacks of rice, onions, potatoes, etc. Make sure you check them before taking them into your house.

 You can protect your home from infestation by making sure that:

  • your house is spotlessly clean

  • there are no crumbs around, e.g. in the gaps between flooring and kitchen base units

  • there are no foodstuff around

  • bins are sealed and have lids on them

  • the cockroaches do not have a source of food or water

  • there are no dirty dishes in the sink overnight. That gives the cockroaches something to eat and drink. 

  • you regularly pull out cookers and fridges and clean behind and around them, including any grease that has built up

  • food is in airtight containers

    Cockroaches 1 Cockroaches 2Cockroaches 5

Bugs and Insects

Warmer weather brings an increase in the number of insects to the garden and the home.  Flies, fleas, ants, beetles, spiders and other ‘bugs’ will be searching for food so here are some tips on how to control the most common creepy crawlies if you get some in your house.

Please note that neither Glasgow City Council Pest Control nor Blochairn Housing Association carry out work relating to insects as they are not caused by the property and do not cause any major health issues.  

Beetles are most likely to be found in the kitchen, close to available food, but they can be found elsewhere in the house, such as soft furnishings, where children may spill food crumbs, in a sofa for example. If you are unfortunate enough to find that you have an infestation of beetles your first course of action will be to clean the house thoroughly, paying particular attention to vacuuming the wall/floor junction, pull out the cooker and clear any food spillages/debris which you may find.

Garden Ants are not 'Public Health' pests. But they are a real nuisance and very difficult to get rid of. You can deal with ants yourself but you have to be thorough. Insecticide for crawling insects is available at most DIY supermarkets and garden centres. Apply it to wherever ants can enter your home. Inside your house apply the insecticide behind the sink unit, skirting boards, around doors and window frames. Make sure you read the label carefully and follow the instructions.