Scenario – You have an on-going rat problem and your pest controller has advised you to carry out a drain survey. Your existing pest control company does not have the ability to carry out a drain survey.
Should you commission a drain survey company or another pest control company? Does it matter? They are all drain surveys, right?
Well yes and no.
What is a drain survey?
A drain survey should include a comprehensive inspection of your drainage system. The purpose of the drain survey is to identify any damage to the drains which could allow rodents access into your building. Common signs are when rodents are seen or damage is identified in toilets or bathrooms.
Recent studies in Denmark found that 90% of rat activity came from the sewage systems.
Following the drain survey, you should expect to receive a full written report with pictures showing the state of the drainage system. Some of these reports can be very technical and quite incomprehensible to the layperson. It is important that reports are clear and pinpoint any issues. It is also important that the remedial issues are identified and costed. Drain repairs can be very costly so it’s important that the correct issues are identified within the report.
Pest control company or drain company?
It’s true to say that both the drain company and the pest control company will use similar equipment to survey the drainage system. These include sonde’s which map the drainage system and any redundant inlets. They will both use drain cameras and will probably also use dye testing if required.
However, the pest control company will better understand the behaviour of rats and the likely points of ingress. This knowledge is key to making sure the correct areas of concern in the drainage system are identified and fixed. Missing them can be very costly.
We would recommend that you ask the following questions before commissioning a drain survey:
- Can I see an example report?
- How long will the survey take?
- How are your engineers trained to identify rodent activity?
If you would like further advice on drain surveys, please contact 0208 355 3443 and speak to one of our friendly customer service team.
