Pest control advice

You can - poison, traps and bait can be purchased from reputable hardware shops and garden centres. It is very important that you read any instructions carefully before you use any product(s) purchased.

If not used properly and correctly, pesticides or rodenticides can damage your health, the health of any pets you have, and the environment.

If you have a serious infestation, or you feel you cannot deal with the problem yourself, you will need to contact a professional pest control contractor.

However, before you contact a contractor, we would advise that you try and understand where the source of the problem exists. There may be a simple, low cost measure that you can take to prevent its return.

Many contractors will be a member of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) or the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) - both are organisations which seek to promote industry standards of professionalism.

If you have treated a rat or mice problem yourself, they will need to be bagged and placed in your refuse (general rubbish) bin. Please note that both rats and mice will often return to their nests to die.

The tenant may be responsible for dealing with pests if the problem was caused by something the tenant has done (or failed to do) - for example, rubbish has not been dealt with, or the property has not been cleaned.

The landlord may be responsible for dealing with pests if the problem was caused by a structural defect or disrepair which was not caused by the tenant.

Unless the tenancy is a fixed term of more than seven years, the landlord is responsible for:

• keeping in repair the structure and exterior of the property
• keeping in repair and good working order the installations for the supply of water, heating and sanitation

As we no longer provide a pest control service, the advice we can provide is limited.

We use a third party to carry out any necessary pest treatments on property or land that we own.

We are aware that snares are used informally by some landowners or gamekeepers. However we do not use, permit or encourage the use of snares on our land, in any circumstance.

Snares

There are legalities associated with the use of snares. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust have published guidance on the legalities of snaring.

They have also - alongside the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and others - co-published separate codes of practice for England and Wales.

The Trust states that:

"In all parts of the UK, snares may be set to catch foxes, rabbits and brown hares, provided you are the landowner or have the landowner's permission. (You can also legally snare a few other species such as rats and mink, though we would generally advocate other methods for controlling these species.)"

If you have any concerns at all, about the way(s) in which pest control is being carried out, you can report wildlife crime to Suffolk Police.

The Crown Prosecution Services have also published detailed guidance on wildlife offences.

Bats and their roosts are protected by law.  Natural England and the Bat Conservation Trust provide specific advice on the conservation of bats, and the landscapes that they rely on.

Bees

Currently, bees are endangered, but not protected.

If you have a swarm of honey bees, The British Beekeepers Association can collect the swarm and rehome the bees for you.

The Association have also published identification guidance on bees. Once you have identified which bees you have on your property or land, you are able to establish who you will need to contact for help.