West Norwood Drain Investigation
Drain-related rat infestation in West Norwood property requiring full drainage investigation, solved by Mercury Pest Control
Rat problem in house London | Residential rat control London | CCTV drain inspection for rats
Sometimes you need to look a little closer!
Mercury Pest Control were called to fix a rat infestation in an Edwardian house, in West Norwood, London. The customer was experiencing a substantial rat problem which had progressed. The issue was mainly with rats in cavity walls and rats underneath the house at the rear. Gnawing Rats scratching, rat smells of ammonia and frequent rodent sounds of movement were being reported and understandably causing concern for the customer.
After detailed inspections and, CCTV drainage inspections it was established that the rats were entering the property through drains. With drain related rat infestations, in this case, excavation work was key. The rodent infestation was identified and repaired, and rat blockers were installed to prevent further rat infestations in the drains.
Edwardian property in West Norwood with shared drainage system
The case relates to a customer living in an Edwardian property in West Norwood, London. The customer has lived there for 20 years and had never reported seeing a manhole chamber on the property.
Thames Water were contacted and blueprints suggested the drains were shared on the street, but unfortunately no further details of a manhole were present.
This drain-related rat infestation in West Norwood, South London required a full CCTV drain survey and excavation to stop rats entering the property through damaged pipework.
Rats in cavity walls caused by hidden drain defect and no visible entry points
During our initial pest control survey for rats, we found no external points of entry. We did locate a rat gnawed surface water gully cover, which tends to indicate that the rodent problem is drain related. The fact the customer had no rodent sightings in the Edwardian property also points to this. Rat infestations in London usually gather their main sources of food and water via the drainage system, then they use buildings and houses for nesting. Underfloor rat nests, cavity wall rats nests all contribute to this. Rats then start making appearances to gather food, which is when sightings increase across London kitchens and rodents are seen inside London homes.
After a thorough search, no manhole chamber was located for us to carry out a rodent CCTV inspection of the drains. We then used our CCTV inspection process in the downstairs toilet stack. This is good practice when trying to inspect the drainage system with limited access. Unfortunately, we could only survey downstream which led us directly out towards the main sewer line.
After slight frustration, we returned at a later date and, with permission, continued our search from the neighbour’s garden, who had a manhole present. This was grouted in, so we carefully removed the grout to gain access to the drainage system allowing us to carry out another CCTV inspection of the drains to find this rat infestation.
Rats nests can be hard to find, but once Mercury Pest Control know they are there, we exhaust all paths to find them.
Older West Norwood properties with shared drainage systems can be particularly vulnerable to hidden rats in drains and underground rat infestations.
CCTV drain inspection, manhole excavation and rat blocker installation
Continuing through the drainage system downstream, we entered a chamber 18 metres along which appeared to be in the location of the paved side return. This proved to be complex and not ideal, but we have a manhole. We advised our customer on the findings and went away to put a plan together. Complicated rat infestations in London drains like this one, need a detailed excavation plan to ensure the rodent’s nest does not return.
After careful planning, we returned using a specialist rat nest detection CAT scan, to implement our plan.
We mapped its location, checked for live cables which we isolated and used our drainage camera head with a SONDE transmitter to continue identification. After excavating around 1 foot of ground, we reached the manhole chamber. We took this up and located three drainage connections leading directly to and from the property.
We conducted another pipework drainage CCTV inspection and identified a defect in the drains directly below the foundation wall by the kitchen. The main location where kitchen rat activity and cavity wall rat activity was being reported in the property.
Mercury Pest Control repaired this drain defect and installed rat blockers onto the connections to help prevent any further rat ingress into the property. Mercury Pest Control left access to the manhole so the rat barriers can be serviced appropriately and the customer had access to their drains if ever needed in the future.
A full CCTV drain survey, manhole excavation and professional rat blocker installation were essential to resolving this West Norwood rat problem at its source.
Drain repair and three rat blockers installed to stop rat ingress
- Drain defect identified beneath the foundation wall causing rat infestation in West Norwood
- Broken drainage system repaired to stop rats entering the West Norwood property
- Three rat blockers installed to prevent rats entering through drains in this property
- Hidden manhole chamber located, exposed and made permanently accessible for future CCTV drain inspections
- Long-term rat prevention measures implemented to prevent further drain-related rat infestations
Mercury Pest Control resolved a substantial rat infestation through full drainage investigation, excavation and targeted repair, preventing further ingress into the property.
A hidden drain defect caused this rat infestation in West Norwood, which is a common issue in older South London properties with shared drainage systems.
By repairing the defective drain and installing rat blockers, the team delivered a long-term solution that prevented the rat infestation in West Norwood from returning.
Preventing rats in London homes through proper drain inspection and repair
Rat infestations in London can be complex, but with thorough inspections and treatment there is always a solution.
Do not block access to manhole chambers during building works (especially extensions). This will prevent delays in conducting inspections of the drains where issues may arise.
If you’re having a new plumbing system installed, you should cap redundant connections or branches. Back fill redundant pipes with rubble bags and concrete. Rats and rodents will breach after renovation work, as pipes are used to gain access into your London home. Fully remove the redundant branch or cap it off with nothing less than a stainless steel bung.
If you are experiencing;
- a rat infestation in West Norwood
- rats nests in cavities in Streatham
- rodents in homes in Crystal Palace
- rats under floorboards in South London
Professional rat control and expert drain inspection is often the only permanent solution.
Contact Mercury Pest Control today.
📞 Call: 0208 166 5110.
📩 Email: info@mercurypestcontrol.co.uk.
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