A pest is defined as insects, animal, or any living organism for that matter that cause harm or create a nuisance on a piece of property. The most common household pests in the UK include mice, rats, bedbugs, flies
It is extremely vital to be able to identify the difference between a pest and a harmless organism. There are three main categories that pests fall under these are. Firstly, there are medical Pests. These pests are harmful to humans and other animals; one example of medical pests would be fleas. Secondly, there are urban pests. These are the pests that infest homes and other areas commonly occupied by humans; an example of urban pests would be pigeons. Lastly, there are agricultural pests. These are pests that pose a threat to crops. Despite this categorisation, there is quite some overlap. For instance, rats can be classed as both medical and urban due to their notoriety of carrying diseases and infesting public spaces. It is worth noting that the extent to which an animal contributes to the ecosystem can exclude them from being classed a pest or treated with usual pest control methods. An example of this is bees; they are described as pests as they are prone to stinging. However, they have an integral role in the development of our ecosystem
Out of the aforementioned categories of pests, urban pests will be the main pests that cause damage to properties, the damage they can produce will include but is not limited to – structural damage, for example, many houses have a wooden structure, and this is prone to damage caused by pests such as termites. Electrical damage will arise from rodent pests chewing on and dismantling wires, potentially cause a fire hazard. Fabric damage, for instance, baby moths feed on fabric, can cause damage to the carpeting and décor of a house.
Lastly, furniture damage is often caused by pests since most pests tend to reside in furniture and use it as a food source. Aside from urban pests, the infestation of medical pests could potentially cause harm to humans and their respective domestic pets due to their nature of carrying and spreading diseases. If this is not dealt with liability to pay damages may arise.
The safest option concerning getting rid of pests would be to contact pest control. The reasoning behind this suggestion is because there is a possibility of facing a fine or even worse imprisonment if unnecessary harm is caused to any animal. If however you still want to get rid of pests independently it must be done within certain parameters. For instance, you can only trap or kill permitted animals, you can only use permitted methods to kill animals, and you can only use traps that have been approved for use with the pests you desire to control (following instructions for use)
A full list of permissible animals is available upon contacting the British Pest Control Association (BPCA)
Under the terms of your tenancy agreement, it will state what can be done regarding pests, some will be down to the tenant (flies, maggots, moths, mice and so on) because of unhygienic living then it’s not the landlord’s fault if you choose to live in such an environment. If you feel the matter is because of the building itself (ie through damp and so on) then you should contact your landlord to make a suitable booking with a registered pest control company. Ultimately should you get nowhere then give us a call and we will investigate liability on your behalf.
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