It’s been a while since we shared some recent work so here’s a round-up of the last few months, from Summer 2024 onwards.

Garden Pests

Last year, we saw a significant increase in garden pest activity, with many customers seeking our help to protect their plants. A particular concern was the surge in fruit tree damage caused by slugs and codling moth caterpillars. These pests have a voracious appetite for apples and pears, potentially ruining your entire harvest.

Look out for tell-tale signs of infestation, such as exit holes in ripe fruit, often near the stem and opposite the ‘eye’. We can provide you with expert advice and treatment options to safeguard your fruit trees from these and other garden pests.

We also spotted slug damage to a number of plants which can be seen below.

Bird Proofing

Our Bird Proofing Supervisor Luke was busy, firstly with a project in West Wittering where he installed a custom-built, galvanised steel cage to stop gulls from nesting behind the chimney breast at the roof apex.

The cage was secured with durable, corrosion-resistant brackets to bridge the gap between the chimney and the roof ridge. We also cleared out all old nest debris, leaving this part of the roof completely gull-free!

Another job we attended was at a property in Westhampnett where we fitted wire mesh to prevent housemartins nesting in the gables. We needed a 9 metre scaffold tower to gain access to the areas we needed to install the bird proofing measures.

For businesses like car showrooms, retail stores and warehouses, birds can cause a problem when they gather on the roof. Our high quality netting is shown in the job below, which discreetly deters birds from nesting and roosting, protecting the property and maintaining a clean and safe environment.

Most birdproofing services need to be completed by February or March, depending on which breed is involved, as we can’t disturb them once they start nesting. We assess each job on a case-by-case basis to ensure we comply with regulations of the Wildlife & Countryside Act, 1981.

We offer a wide range of bird proofing services and you can find out more on our dedicated Bird Proofing Page.

Box Blight

Box blight is a fungal disease that attacks Buxus plants (commonly known as boxwood), leading to defoliation and dieback. The photos below are from a recent job and show the damage caused by box blight to boxwood hedges.

Box blight thrives in warm, wet weather and can spread quickly. Symptoms include dark brown spots on leaves, black streaks along stems and bare patches or thinning foliage.

We treat box blight with a specialised fungicide treatment, using industry-approved products that target and control fungal infections effectively. Our application methods are safe and precise, ensuring thorough coverage while minimising environmental impact.

Drone Work

Our drone gives us unique access to properties, allowing us to perform a survey of hard-to-reach areas in a fraction of the time, without the need for ladders or scaffolding. Here is a perfect example, where we were able to inspect a roof area for bird ingress. We can see into all the nooks and crannies, pinpointing issues really quickly. We can see where wildlife are gaining access as well as property maintenance issues such as broken roof tiles, blocked gutters and chewed lead flashings.

In the job below, our drone operator Kieran captured footage of the roof, showing where birds were pecking at felt and squirrels scratched thatch, which could both be rectified before they caused further damage.

Squirrel Tunnel Traps

We fitted squirrel tunnel traps to these trees as a humane and effective way to deter them from visiting this property.

Rodent Proofing

We’ve been busy with rodent proofing this winter, having seen a surge in rat activity in recent months.

Evidence of rats includes smear marks on switches and cables from their greasy bodies, droppings in inspection chambers and on property lintels. Lintels are designed for sewer pipe access but they can become rodent highways. Rats hear running water so they dig down, and use the lintel to enter wall cavities.

Here are some tell-tale signs that rats are active on a property, with smear marks on a light switch and cable, and droppings in drain inspection chambers.

For this particular job we dug down and fitted rodent-proof mesh over lintels, to stop rats entering the wall cavities.

New QR Code System

We now use an innovative QR code system on our tamper-proof monitoring boxes, and customers can now scan them to give instant access to critical information, including:

• The type of treatment currently being used
• Updates on any activity detected

Customers who use our contract service will still receive a digital report with our findings and recommendations after every regular visit.

Do call us to find out more.