It might not be at the forefront of your mind as you’re getting excited about moving out of home and beginning your studies, but pest control is as important for university students as it is for everyone else.
Annually thousands of young people to pack their bags, give their parents an embarrassing public hug goodbye and head off to the big wide world of university.
However, before the parties and classes begin, there’s a ton of stuff freshers are going to need to get their heads around. For most of this will be their first time living away from the warm embrace of casa Mum and Dad, and it’s going to be a bit of a culture shock. For possibly the first time in their lives they are going to have to pay rent, as well as other bills, and budget for food, toiletries and other groceries.
Now, whilst financial dire-straits are a practical inevitability of the student experience, the one thing you don’t want to have to deal with is an invasion of pests. With this being their first time in charge of a house, they may not be clued up on which pitfalls to avoid, or what to do if the worst should happen.
With this in mind, let’s have a look at two of the most common questions about dealing with pest control at university.
How can I avoid pest control issues?
This is really your top priority when it comes to pest control. After all, it’s better to prevent pests from taking up residence in your home in the first place.
First and foremost, you need to keep the place clean. It can be as simple as keeping an eye on the amount of food. Cleaning up and doing the dishes may not be top of your list of priorities, but it’s worth getting into the habit.
Rats and similar vermin love food refuse, so you need to make sure you’re getting rid of food waste appropriately. Buy heavy duty bin bags to reduce the chances of animals chewing through them to get to the food inside. Make sure you also know and stick to your refuse collection schedule so you don’t get a build-up of waste.
Working out a rota for cleaning with your new housemates is a great way to make sure all the jobs are being taken care of and everyone is contributing.
As a student, it’s probably unlikely you’ll have pets, but, if you do, make sure to keep up to date with flea prevention. Fleas are particularly hard to get rid of once they have begun their breeding cycle, so you want to avoid the situation completely.
What should I do if I have a pest control problem?
Whether the pests are teeny-tiny fleas, great big rats or anything in-between, you are unfortunately going to have to deal with it.
At first you may want to try and tackle the issue yourself, but we wouldn’t advise this. As a tenant – whether you are residing in halls, or in a house – your landlord/letting agent will have policies in place. Almost every tenancy agreement states you should report pest infestations as soon as you become aware of them. Whomever you lease the property from will more than likely have a contract with a pest control company who they will dispatch to deal with the issue.
Once infested it is incredibly difficult to remove pests from a property, but the earlier you report it, the easier the job will be. When you are getting settled into your new accommodation, it is worth taking ten minutes to familiarise yourself with all your rights and responsibilities as a tenant, so you know the correct action to take.
In conclusion
Have fun at university, but make sure you are staying on top of the cleaning. If you have a pest related issue please ask your university or halls of residence Operations Manager to get in touch via our online contact form or call us on 0800 328 4931.
