Can I get the council to pay for our pest control?

Question

Since the council replaced/were replacing Victorian water pipes in our area, we've had LOADS of bad mice. Lol, and by bad mice I mean they're filthy! We've had mice before, but they never pissed and these STINK the whole house out. And they've been getting everywhere - EVERYWHERE I tell you. Y'know the cupboard under the stairs right? We keep our hot water bottle there. I needed to use the hot water bottle. There were droppings INSIDE the bloody thing. Whoops, not inside the bottle, inside the cover and all over the bottle. That's how bad they are. We have spare kitchen paper in the store room. The kitchen paper is stained and they've weed all over 'em. The point is, they're in the store room, and we've never had 'em in there before! We've even seen white droppings, and that means they're over-eating.

Don't get me wrong. We HAVE cleaned it out - so many times, but to no avail.

Anyways, the point is, because of the council getting that work done and all the digging etc. it probably disturbed the filthy mice that were underground, and now they've decided to inhabit residential homes. Which I'm not too happy about, to be frank. They've already cost us so much, we've had to chuck so much food away because it might be contaminated. 15kg of rice and lots of flour, and random things - like kitchen paper. And WE'RE getting affected by the inflation as well you know! And don't forget those costly plug-ins which are SUPPOSED to get rid of the mice,(which I think are a load of bull, easy way to make money.) glue traps, poison etc.

I've asked the neighbours and they have the same complaints, so my question is, seeing as it is the councils fault that we have nasty mice in our lovely homes, can we get 'em to pay for the pest control?

The house is ours. And Lambeth (our borough) pest control are coming next Tuesday, and a rough estimate is around £98 to exterminate the problem.

But there is never a 100% guarantee that they mice will never come back init? I'm pretty cheesed off at the council, and I want them to pay. Can I make them?

Answer 1

well first and foremost there is a health and safety issue here-and i would report the matter to the health and safety authorities.

if the problem is as serious as you describe it will cost more than £98 to shift them beleive me (we would cover something like this over 5 parts-not just one treatment).

you are quite correct in saying the plug-ins don't get rid of vermin-they just get used to them.

an intensive treatment of poisoning is what's called for here and possibly rodent sticky-boards if the situation warrants it.

councils are told time and time again-whenever remedial works involve the sewers pest control measures should be put in place ready for any increase in activity-still they don't learn.

the measures (we call it "prepping the area) wouldn't completely wipe out any infestation-this can be a long drawn out affair-but it would bring any activity down to a level that can be dealt with by homeowners without the need for the rubbish you are putting up with now.

i work with serious infestation on a daily basis and am well aware of the sights and disgusting stink associated with such things-you have my sympathies.

as your neighbours are also affected the council cannot argue that it is an individual thing.

meet with your neighbours with a view to getting an independent expert in and also a health and safety inspector-tell the council you intend to do this and that it is expected to cover the entire cost of any pest control brought in as a direct result of it's actions.

Answer 2

if the mice are coming into your home from the outside, then it's the responsibility of the city or town or who ever is responsible for city services to supply an exterminator but not at the home owners cost. mice are considered a health problem and should be their number one priority.

Answer 3

no

Answer 4

IF You and your neighbours get together on this and have proof this infestation has only been like this because of Council disturbance, You might have a leg to stand on.

The problem here of course is it could prove costly.

Try All of you arranging an appointment with the Councils head of health and Safety, then take it from there.

Good Luck.  

Answer 5

my mother-in-law had also an awful problem with mice they were everywhere...eating through her kitchen and even into her hotpress.  We eventually had to get out pest control who told us that the plug in's which cost a fotune...only worked if we kept resetting the sound levels as the mice would get used to the sound and eventually this would not deter them from entering the property as it would most likely be the same mice that were coming back.  He then set down some posion which meant that they would have to go outside and get water from the sewage. Since Pest Control have came she has had never any more bother from the little pests.  And the Council paid for this as it was a health issue as she is elderly. If you have children you should contact them and put in a complaint that way they will have no other option but to pay for pest control..

Answer 6

i didnt read a bit of your story, however, the council will HELP you at least with a percentage IF you're on limited income or income support.

you have to go down to your nearest neighborhood office to apply a form of that

Answer 7

YUK you poor thing. You would think so if there is more than you complaining? Its only since they started repairing the pipes?. You pay your council tax and you get nowt in return!. Id start a petition if they don't do it free of charge. My mum lives on a railway embankment the railway company came to cut back all the overgrowth, weeds etc. This disturbed the rats and these things were the size of cat!.As my mum found as she was hanging out her washing. The railway company provided the people (free of charge) who lived along the embankment with poison to get rid of the dirty cretins.This was about 6 years ago. They now put poison down every 3 or 4 months to keep them at bay. So Iam guessing if the railway company do it for nowt the council should too?.      

Answer 8

Have you actually spoken to the Environmental Health people at the council?  If several of you do so, they'll do something about it, quickly too.

And I think they bad mice are actually rats. Init.