Pest control questions

Most single-pest treatments for a home cost £100 to £300 in the UK in 2026, outside London. A wasp nest is typically £80 to £200 and rats £150 to £300 for a course of treatment. Bed bugs cost more because they need more work. You get a fixed price before any treatment.

Products are chosen and placed with them in mind. Rodent bait goes in locked, tamper-resistant boxes or out of reach, and we tell you exactly what's been used and where. For insect treatments, keep children and pets out of the treated rooms until surfaces are dry.

Yes. City of Doncaster Council runs a pest control service for homes and businesses, which you can request on its website. Its pest control pages don't list prices, so check its current charges and waiting times. We're a private company and not connected to the council. Our guide compares the two.

It depends on the pest. A wasp nest is usually one visit. Rats and mice usually take two or three visits over a few weeks. Insecticide treatment for bed bugs needs at least two visits about two weeks apart. Your price covers the visits the treatment needs.

We don't destroy honeybees. A local beekeeper may be able to collect a swarm, and the British Beekeepers Association can help you find one. Bumblebee nests are usually best left alone, as they die off naturally by the end of the summer. Wasps are different, and we do treat wasp nests.

Usually not. For most rat, mouse and wasp treatments you can stay at home. For bed bug and flea treatments you'll be asked to keep out of the treated rooms, with children and pets, for a few hours until surfaces are dry.

Tell your landlord or letting agent in writing first. Pests that get in because of the building's condition, such as damaged drains or gaps in walls, are usually the landlord's responsibility to fix. If you rent from the council, report it to St Leger Homes.

One rat seen now and then by a hedge or a road may just be passing through. Rats seen in daylight, fresh burrows, or rats around the house most days mean they're living nearby, and it's worth dealing with them before they find a way in.

No. Rodenticides are toxic to dogs, cats and wildlife, which is why professional bait goes in locked boxes, fixed in place and out of reach. We tell you exactly what's been used and where. If a pet does eat bait, call your vet straight away.

Rats don't respect fences, so it's best tackled together. Talk to your neighbour if you can and check your side for ways in. If the rats are on your property too, we can treat both sides at the same time.

Rarely. Once mice have found food and somewhere warm to nest, they breed quickly, and a pair can become a large infestation within a few months. It's quicker and cheaper to deal with early.

Usually, yes. Mice are good at staying out of sight, so if you've seen one there are often more. Droppings in several places are a good sign there's an established problem.

There's little reliable evidence that they work for long. Sealing the gaps mice use is far more effective.

Usually within 24 to 48 hours, as wasps returning to the nest carry the insecticide in. You might see a few for a day or so afterwards.

Usually not. Once the colony is dead, the nest won't be used again. Removing a nest from a roof space or wall often means more disruption than leaving it.

Queens start nests in spring and the nests grow through the summer. Late summer, around August and September, is when wasps are most numerous and most likely to sting. Nests die off over the winter.

Not to the same nest, but a new queen may pick a similar spot. Once the old nest is dead, blocking gaps under the eaves or in air bricks over the winter helps.

Usually not. Most mattresses can be treated. If one is badly damaged or heavily infested you'll be told, and it should be wrapped in plastic before it's moved.

With insecticide, you should see far fewer signs after the first visit, and the second visit about two weeks later deals with any that hatch from eggs. Heat treatment works on the day. Either way, keep an eye out for new bites or spots for a few weeks afterwards.

Yes, but you, your children and your pets will need to stay out of the treated rooms for a few hours until the surfaces are dry.

Fleas inside their cocoons aren't affected until they hatch. Vacuuming every day brings them out so they meet the treatment. Seeing some for up to two weeks is normal. If they're still around after that, call us.

Not for at least two weeks. Washing or shampooing carpets removes the treatment before it's done its job. Vacuuming is fine, and it helps.

Often from a previous occupant's pet, or from cats, foxes or birds getting into a loft, under a floor or around the house. We look for the source as well as treating.

Typically £150 to £300 for a course of treatment in 2026, outside London, with proofing priced separately. The number of visits and how far the rats have spread make the biggest difference.

Typically £80 to £200 for one nest in 2026, outside London. Ground-level nests are cheaper and high nests in the eaves cost more. Extra nests on the same visit are usually £30 to £60 each.

It's slow, careful work. Bed bugs hide in seams and cracks, eggs survive the first treatment, and insecticide treatment needs at least two visits. Heat treatment kills everything in one go but needs specialist equipment.

For many jobs, yes. Tell us the pest, where it is and roughly how long it's been going on, and we can usually give a fixed price. Larger or unclear jobs need a look first.