Period dramas on television often depict Victorian London as a squalid slum where rats roamed the streets among the piles of rubbish. Well, it’s good to know the London of today is mostly clean and well serviced, but because of our wasteful modern lifestyles it is just like any other major city in that it is still susceptible to rodent problems.
In fact, the desire to keep public areas clean and clear has, over the years, led to the development of a whole refuse infrastructure of dumps, drains, and dust heaps. These areas are usually screened off behind walls or bushes, but they are a vital part of city life, and make a perfect breeding ground for pests of many sorts.
Such has been people’s concern with the problem that an urban myth grew up asserting, “In London you’re never more than six feet away from a rat.” While scientific estimates put that distance at a more conservative 150 feet, the discussion highlights that rodent control is still an issue in the capital.
The reason rodent control can be such a problem is that animals like rats love to make their homes in sheltered areas with a reliable and varied food supply, and don’t care too much about cleanliness. Given these factors, it’s easy to see why they love to bring up their families in refuse storage areas, garbage dumps, or pretty much anywhere else we humans throw away our surplus food and other items for them to feed on or nest in.
Apart from the discomfort many people feel when surrounded by such uninvited guests, rats have long been associated with the spread of diseases, either as carriers themselves or as hosts to disease carrying insects such as fleas and mites. Indeed, it is believed that the Black Death epidemic of the Middle Ages may have been spread by rats infested with tropical fleas migrating from one city to another. Foot and Mouth Disease is another of many ailments thought to be spread by rats.
While few of us would take pleasure in the suffering of any animal, it is clear that active rodent control is in the best interests of the residents of London and all other major cities around the world. In fact, as population centres become ever more crowded and infrastructures are stretched to the limit, disease pandemics may only be averted by having strict pest control measures in place.
For London companies like MR Pest Control, it is a daily challenge to keep their customers’ homes and premises free of unwanted guests. Aside from the damage that may result if an infestation goes untreated, local residents’ health may be at stake.
So whether you have a rodent, insect or bird problem, you can rely on MRPC to take care of the issue using the latest treatments and techniques. Or if you are responsible for a premises which requires regular preventative measures, we’ve got your back. Please see our website for more information and contact details.
