Mice under the floorboards of an Edwardian terrace in Hither Green, rats in a garden backing onto the Pool River, or a problem in a shop on Rushey Green? We provide pest control for homes and businesses across Catford, Hither Green and Bellingham. I’ll inspect the property, show you how the pests are getting in and seal those routes as well as treating the problem itself. Call me for a price over the phone.
The Corbett Estate, between Catford and Hither Green, is one of the largest planned estates of Edwardian terraced housing in London: street after street of near-identical houses built in the early 1900s. They’re popular family homes, but they share a feature that suits mice perfectly. Each house sits over a suspended timber floor, the floor voids run along the terrace, and party walls, chimney breasts and shared roof spaces connect one house to the next.
Once mice are in the terrace, they can move along it from house to house, which is why neighbours on the same street often notice them in the same autumn. Treating your own house clears the mice that are there, but the gaps they use to get in from next door and from outside need closing too, or they’ll be back. Our mice control page explains the signs to look for.
The routes are usually the same: cracked or missing air bricks at the front and back of the house, gaps around gas and water pipes, holes behind kitchen units left by refits, worn back door thresholds, and the joint where a rear extension meets the original wall. Under the stairs and around the old chimney breast in the front room are also common spots.
Proofing is the step that stops the cycle of mice every autumn. We seal each entry point with materials mice can’t chew through, and proof air bricks with mesh rather than blocking them, so the space under the floor stays ventilated and dry. In terraced streets, it’s worth mentioning to your neighbours that you’ve had the work done, as they may well have the same gaps. Our rodent proofing page explains the process in detail.
South of the town centre, Bellingham was built in the 1920s as a cottage estate, with brick houses set around greens and generous back gardens. These homes have their own weak points: air bricks, coal holes and flues that were later blocked up, and gardens that back onto each other, the railway and open land. Mice move in from the gardens in autumn, and garden rats are drawn to compost bins, bird feeders and the space under sheds.
The River Ravensbourne and the Pool River meet just south of Catford, and their banks run through Ladywell Fields, the Pool River Linear Park and the green corridor towards Bellingham. Together with the railway lines through Catford, Catford Bridge and Hither Green stations, they give rats water, cover and easy routes between gardens. Homes that back onto any of these see more rat activity than streets further away.
Rats usually settle under sheds, decking and compost heaps first, then look for a way into the house, often through damaged air bricks or a defect in an old drain. Our rat control service finds where they’re living and how they’re getting in, rather than just putting bait down.
When the rivers rise, burrows along the banks flood and rats move to higher ground, which often means nearby gardens and outbuildings. If you notice new activity after a spell of wet weather, that’s usually why.
Rushey Green, Catford Broadway and the streets around the town centre have a busy mix of cafes, takeaways, restaurants, grocers and shops, many in older buildings with storerooms and shared walls. Mice and rats move between units through these voids, and kitchens can see cockroaches and flies. Redevelopment around the town centre can also disturb rats living in the ground nearby. Our commercial pest control contracts include regular visits arranged around your trading hours.
Plenty of houses and flats in the area change hands or tenants every year, and moving is one of the most common times for pest problems to start. Bed bugs can be left behind by previous occupants or arrive in second-hand furniture, mattresses and luggage, and they’re usually noticed as itchy bites in lines after a few nights. Fleas often hatch from the carpets a few days after moving into a home where the last owners had cats or dogs, because the cocoons wait in the floor until they sense someone nearby.
Our bed bug treatment and flea treatment pages explain the signs and how we treat them. If you’re about to move, a new property pest inspection can check the house before your furniture goes in.
Mountsfield Park, Blythe Hill Fields and the mature trees along many residential streets mean plenty of grey squirrels, and they often get into lofts through gaps at the eaves. Our squirrel control service removes them and seals the roof. In older family homes with wool carpets and stored clothes, carpet and clothes moths can also cause damage, usually in rooms and wardrobes that aren’t used every day.
We cover Catford town centre, Rushey Green, the Corbett Estate, Hither Green, Bellingham, Southend and the streets around Mountsfield Park, across the SE6 and SE13 postcodes. Catford is part of the borough of Lewisham, and our Lewisham pest control page covers Brockley, Deptford, Forest Hill and the rest of the borough.
We also cover neighbouring Eltham, Beckenham and Bromley. See all the areas we cover.
Yes, as long as the gaps into your house are sealed. Mice may still live next door, but proofing your side stops them reaching your rooms.
No. Air bricks ventilate the floor void, and blocking them can cause damp and rot. They should be fitted with mesh that keeps mice out but lets air through.
Rising water floods burrows along the rivers, so rats move to drier ground, which often means nearby gardens and sheds.
Yes. We cover the whole area, including the Corbett Estate, Hither Green, Bellingham, Southend and Catford town centre.
We aim to respond quickly and can arrange evening and weekend visits when needed. Call us and we’ll tell you when we can be with you.
Rentokil-trained and Level 2 certified, so you know you’re in safe hands.
We don’t just show up, treat, and leave. We walk you through exactly what we found, why it happened, and what we’re doing to fix it.
Pests don’t work 9 to 5, and neither do we. We’re available when you need us most.
We are Level 2 certified technicians, fully insured, and members of BPCA, BASIS Prompt and RSPH. You’re in safe, qualified hands.
Hundreds of satisfied clients across South London have trusted us to get the job done right, and we back every job with a satisfaction guarantee.
We’re not a faceless national company. We’re local, we care about our community, and we treat every property as if it were our own.
Call us or fill out the contact form. We’ll assess your situation and give you a straight, honest estimate over the phone.
Our technician visits your property, carries out a thorough on-site inspection, and begins treatment right away.
We carry out a 3-visit treatment programme to make sure the problem is fully resolved, not just temporarily patched.
Job done. Your property is protected, and you’ll know exactly what was done and why every step of the way.
Same-day response available
Out-of-hours and weekends
Rodent proofing specialists
