New Year, New Pests: This is your sign for a January clear out

Common January pest issues in London homes

London Pest Control | January Pests London | Winter Pest Problems

January in London always starts the same way for most residents as we bring down the Christmas decorations. We do a big house clear out, cupboards get emptied, rubbish piles up outside flats and houses, and many of us return to homes and workplaces that have been quiet and/or empty for days, sometimes even weeks. It’s time to reset London, feel fresh, ready for the New Year.

But while we’re decluttering, renovating and starting our new year’s resolutions, London pests are doing something else entirely, they are revealing themselves.

At Mercury Pest Control, January is one of our busiest months. Not because pests suddenly appear out of nowhere, but because this is when hidden infestations finally come to light. Cold weather, post-Christmas waste, and the shift from empty cold homes to heated buildings create the perfect storm for pest activity across London.

Here’s what’s really going on behind the walls this January and which pests you as a Londoner should be watching for.

Why January always exposes the need for London Pest Control, at home and commercially 

During December, our homes are busy and noisy and full of distractions. Guests coming and going, food everywhere, in this environment, pests can easily stay hidden. Or on the flip side, our homes and businesses lie empty as we leave the city to visit our families.

In January, we see a return to the normal every day;

• People return to London from visiting families
• January clear out, new year new me
• Furniture gets moved and removed
• Renovations begin or restart
• Offices reopen after being closed for the holidays

Suddenly, the signs that were easy to miss become impossible to ignore, or, a new problem all together has entered our homes. With this comes the cold weather, overflowing bins, and central heating running constantly, encouraging pests to come out of hiding and deeper into London properties.

Rats and mice: winter survival mode and London pest control

Few things ruin a New Year reset faster than spotting rodent droppings in the kitchen.

Rats and mice don’t hibernate. When temperatures drop, their entire focus shifts to warmth, food and shelter and London homes provide all three.

What they’re doing in January

• 

  Looking for a warm winter home: Rodents, rats and mice alike, move from gardens, alleyways and bin stores into wall cavities, lofts and boiler cupboards

• Finding food in our waste: Post-Christmas rubbish buildup across boroughs like Newham, Lambeth and Haringey gives rodents easy access to food
• Adaptable & quick: Once inside, they build nests using insulation, cardboard and wiring

In flats and terraced victorian homes, especially in areas like Clapham, Hackney or Camden, rodents can move between properties with alarming ease. One infestation rarely stays contained to one address, and spreads easily across flats and down streets.

If you’re hearing scratching at night, finding shredded packaging, or noticing droppings during a January clear-out, it’s a strong sign rodents moved in over the festive period.

Have a think about what you’re putting back into storage too, is it washed and cleaned? Do you really need it? You may be causing more problems down the road.

Cockroaches that are thriving in heated buildings, time for pest control

Cockroaches still love January. While London streets are cold and quiet, centrally heated flats, restaurants and office buildings stay warm and undisturbed.

Why cockroach activity increases

• Consistent heat: Heating systems create perfect breeding conditions
• Reduced disturbance: Closed businesses over Christmas allow infestations to grow unnoticed
• Hidden harbourage: Behind fridges, dishwashers, cupboards and pipework

We often receive calls when offices reopen in January and staff notice unusual smells, droppings, or live cockroaches around kitchens and bathrooms, as these buildings have been closed for 2+ weeks.

In residential blocks, cockroaches can spread between flats through the shared plumbing and any empty wall spaces, making early detection critical. The longer they staym the worse it gets.

You discover Meal moths during the January cupboard clear-outs  and in your cereals

Tie for your annual January kitchen clear out. The rusty old pans and the never used baking items. This is why we also still often get January call outs for Meal Moths as it is the prime time for uncovering pantry pests, especially meal moths

When cupboards are emptied, you can often discover:

• Webbing inside flour bags, sometimes even insects
• Small beetles in rice or pasta
• Moths fluttering out of forgotten food packets

Stored-product pests are usually brought into homes unknowingly through shopping bags or festive food items. Once inside, they spread quickly, chewing through soft packaging and contaminating multiple cupboards and food items, especially those things left forgotten at the back.

Across London flats, these infestations can escalate fast due to close quarters, especially when kitchens are warm and food storage is inconsistent.

Offices reopening: a January hotspot for pest infestations and London pest control

Office buildings across London often sit empty or minimally staffed over the holiday period. For pests, this means peace and quiet, and an opportunity to spread unnoticed.

When staff return in January, they often discover;

• Rodent activity in kitchens and storage rooms, forgotten bins
• Cockroach infestations near vending machines and break areas
• Strong smells
• New droppings and signs of life

and once normal business activity resumes, pests come into the open and the problems becomes visible.

London’s businesses are unique, which is why we tailor our pest management approach for each commercial customer. Not only do we have significant experience providing commercial pest control in London but our skilled technicians also have what it takes to ensure your business is pest-free.

Why you need pest control this January, don’t ignore it 

The New Year feels like a fresh start, we all get ready with our new year’s resolutions and with a new refocused mind but pests don’t respect resolutions and don’t care about our spaces.

Left untreated, January infestations grow rapidly through winter, becoming harder and more expensive to control by spring. In London’s tightly packed housing and commercial buildings, pests rarely stay confined to one space.

So you have found pests in your home this this January, treat this as a sign they were already established in your home or business, just out of sight, so it is time to give us a call.

Winter doesn’t slow pests down it simply pushes them closer to us and this is your sign to clear out and check for pests.

 

London pest control services provided by Mercury Pest Control

Mercury Pest Control provide expert pest control across all of London for both residential and commercial properties.

The most common London pests include;

• Pest control surveys in London. Providing professional inspections, pest surveys, and commercial pest control contracts to identify pest activity and entry points
• Textile insect control in London | expert treatment for clothes moths, carpet beetles, and other fabric pests, including moth and carpet beetle surveys & treatments
• Rat control in London | effective rat control & prevention, rodent control, and removal for residential and commercial properties
• Mouse control in London | safe mouse control & proofing and rodent control treatment solutions
• Squirrel control in London | humane squirrel control removal and loft protection services
• Wasp and fly control in London | fast and reliable wasp control, wasp nest removal, and fly control treatments
• Bed bug treatment in London | thorough bed bug control treatments and ongoing monitoring
• Drainage surveys for rats in London | specialist CCTV drain surveys, drain surveys, drainage cleaning/high pressure jetting, and drainage no dig repairs/relining to trace and block rat access routes
• Commercial pest management in London | tailored commercial pest management, commercial pest control contracts, and pest prevention plans for all businesses including restaurants, offices, warehouses, and retail spaces
• Integrated pest management in London | long-term, environmentally responsible pest control solutions
• Flea control in London | targeted flea control treatments for residential and commercial properties
• Cockroach control in London | professional treatments for cockroaches and ongoing monitoring for all species
• Ant control in London | effective solutions for ant control and eradication of various species
• Bird control & pigeon proofing in London | professional bird deterrents and pigeon control & proofing systems for commercial properties

📞 Call: 0208 166 5110
📩 Email: info@mercurypestcontrol.co.uk
📍 Serving homes and businesses across all London postcodes | London Pest Control Winter | London Pest Control January