The Council's pest control treatment service is provided by Elston Environmental Services, who are the Council's pest control contractor.

Elston Environmental Services offers treatments for rats, mice, ants, fleas, bedbugs and wasps and the charges (as listed below) are very good value for money. Treatments will be carried out within 2 working days of receipt of request.

If you require a pest control treatment it can be arranged by telephoning free phone number 0800 046 7644 between the hours of 8.00am - 8.00pm, Monday to Friday, or emailing info@elstonenvironmentalservices.co.uk and their staff will provide advice and make an appointment for treatment.

A Pest Control Officer will call by prior appointment and apply the most effective treatment. If for any reason the problem persists Elston Environmental Services will return and make every effort to ensure the pest is eradicated.

Domestic premises charges

Charges for domestic premises from 1st January 2010, inclusive of V.A.T (at 17.5%) are as follows:

Service	Charges	Notes
Wasps and Hornets	£47.00	Per nest and 1/2 price for each subsequent nest. See note below regarding Bees.
Rats	£35.00	Includes a follow up visit to ensure successful treatment
Mice	£41.99	Includes a follow up visit to ensure successful treatment
Fleas, Ants and Bedbugs	£53.00	See notes below
Hardship criteria	50% reduction	If the customer receives 100% Council Tax Benefit; Job Seekers Allowance; or 100% Housing Benefit then they qualify for the council's hardship criteria. Full payment is required at the time of treatment and a 50% refund will be arranged after treatment, through a Council One-Stop-Shop on presentation of the signed Elston Environmental Services receipt. Payment will be by cheque, normally no more than 14 days afterwards. If the service you require is not covered above, contact telephone 0800 046 7644.

To assist with completing a treatment the following points should be noted:

• Fleas - it is important when dealing with fleas to carry out a two stage control programme, i.e. for a vet to treat the pet and for the property to be treated for re-infestation. Elston Environmental Service's treatments for properties incorporate insecticide and, if needed, Insect Growth Regulator treatment. All floor space must be cleared prior to treatment and fish tanks covered or removed.
• Ants - treatment for ants is available for indoor infestations. When spraying, the Pest Control Officer needs access to all wall/floor joints. Items on floor areas to be treated need to be moved before the visit.

Rented accommodation and void properties

Where a private tenant (including Housing Associations) is requesting a chargeable service they must first obtain a purchase order, which their Landlord must forward to Elston Environmental Services, or pay for the service in advance.

Void Properties in the management of Estate Agents - contact Elston Environmental Services, telephone 0800 046 7644 for a no obligation quote.

Non-domestic premises

Contact Elston Environmental Services on 0800 046 7644 for advice and a quote for treatments at non-domestic premises.

Other pests

For advice on other pests, you may ring a contractor in commercial directories such as the Yellow Pages, or contact Elston Environmental Services for a no obligation free survey and quotation.

Elston Environmental Services will give a quotation for carpet beetles, textile pests, silverfish, flies, stored product insects, cockroaches, squirrels, rabbits, woodworm, and pigeon control.

Non-pests and limitations to pest control

Bees

Fenland District Council discourages the treatment of bees for environmental reasons. Bees have a beneficial role as pollinators and predators to garden pests. A swarm is usually the male worker bees following the queen; they may disperse after an hour or so. If left alone they will usually move on. However, for health and safety reasons it may be necessary to complete a treatment, normally this will only be considered if there are vulnerable people at risk. Please contact Elston Environmental Services for further advice. Elston Environmental Services also hold a list of names and addresses of bee keepers who may, for a fee, collect the bees - telephone 0800 046 7644.

Bats

Certain animals, including all UK bats, are protected by law. It is a criminal offence to injury or kill bats. It is also an offence to destroy or obstruct access to their roosts. Contact Natural England for advice on what to do if you need to move bats or a bat roost by telephoning 0845 600 3078.

Birds

It is a criminal offence to kill, injury or take any wild birds in the UK. It is also an offence to damage or remove their nests or to disturb them while they are breeding. The bird breeding season typically lasts from March to August and work can usually be done outside of this season, after the young birds have left their nests. Contact Elston Environmental Services on how to deal with nuisance birds, telephone 0800 046 7644.

Methods of pest control 

There are legal restrictions on methods used to kill animals and wild birds, including the use of poisons and trapping, or methods that cause their unnecessary suffering. There are exceptions to this, for example the use of poison or poison bait in controlling insects, rats and mice in the interest of public health. If controlling pests yourself, you must make sure all reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury to other animals and people. Contact Elston Environmental Services for free advice pest control or treatments (at the charges listed above).

If you are at all unsure about what is considered to be a pest or how to deal with pests, contact Elston Environmental Services for advice, telephone 0800 046 7644.

Feedback

Should you wish to comment on any aspect of our pest control services, or if you have any pest control queries, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing PestControl@fenland.gov.uk Alternatively telephone 01354 654321, and ask to speak to Environmental Health Support Team.