Scratching under the floorboards of a Brockley conversion, bites in a shared house in New Cross, or rats along the river in Ladywell? We provide pest control for homes and businesses across the borough of Lewisham, from Deptford and Lee to Forest Hill and Sydenham. I’ll find out where the problem is coming from, explain it in plain terms and treat it properly the first time. Call me for a price over the phone.
Large parts of the borough, especially Brockley, Ladywell, Crofton Park and Lee, are made up of Victorian and Edwardian houses that have been split into flats. Conversions like these are one of the most common places we find mice. Floors, ceilings and walls that were once inside a single house now separate two or three homes, and the voids between them, along with the gaps left around pipes, cables and soil stacks during conversion, give mice a network of routes through the whole building.
That’s why mice often reappear after one flat has been treated: they are still living in the shared spaces or in the flat upstairs. The most effective approach is to find where they are getting into the building, treat the affected flats and close off the gaps they use. Our mice control page explains the signs to look for, and our rodent proofing service deals with the entry points.
Droppings behind the kitchen units or in the boiler cupboard, scratching in the ceiling at night, and nibbled food in cupboards are the usual first signs. If a neighbour in the same building mentions mice, it’s worth checking your own flat too, even if you haven’t seen anything yet.
With Goldsmiths in New Cross and good transport links across the borough, there are a lot of shared houses, HMOs and student lets, particularly around New Cross, Deptford and Brockley. Pests travel easily in these homes: bed bugs move in on luggage, second-hand furniture and bedding, then spread from room to room, while German cockroaches settle in shared kitchens where food is left out and cleaning is irregular.
In shared homes, treating one room on its own rarely works. We inspect the whole property, treat every affected room and explain to landlords and tenants what they need to do to help the treatment work. Our cockroach control page covers how we deal with cockroaches in shared kitchens.
The River Ravensbourne and the River Quaggy meet near Lewisham town centre, and the Pool River runs through the south of the borough. Riverbanks, culverts and the green corridors beside them, along with the many railway embankments that cross the borough, give rats cover and easy routes between gardens. Homes that back onto a river path, park or railway line tend to see more rat activity, and so do properties near the big regeneration sites, where ground and old drains are being dug up.
Rats usually start in the garden, under sheds, decking and compost bins, and move indoors through damaged air bricks or defects in older drains. Our rat control service finds where they are living and how they are getting in, rather than just putting down bait. In the garden, keeping bird feeders on a tray, using closed compost bins and clearing the space under sheds and decking all make it less attractive to rats once the treatment is finished.
Lewisham Market, Deptford Market and Deptford High Street, and the busy shopping streets in the town centre, Lee and Forest Hill, are full of food stalls, restaurants, cafes and takeaways. Open markets and food waste attract rats, and kitchens and storerooms can see mice, cockroaches and flies. Food businesses have to show environmental health officers that pests are under control, and our commercial pest control contracts include regular visits, with early morning, evening and weekend times so trading isn’t disrupted.
The south-west of the borough is much greener, with Sydenham Hill Wood, One Tree Hill, Blythe Hill Fields, Hilly Fields and large, tree-lined gardens around the big Victorian houses of Forest Hill and Sydenham. Grey squirrels are common here, and they get into lofts through gaps at the eaves and under roof tiles, often using overhanging branches to reach the roof. Thumping and scratching overhead early in the morning is the usual sign. Our squirrel control page explains how we remove them and seal the roof.
A lot of our work in the borough is with landlords, letting agents and managing agents looking after flats, conversions and shared houses. Pests often come to light at the start or end of a tenancy, or when one tenant reports a problem that turns out to affect the whole building. We inspect, explain the cause so the right person can deal with it, and treat the affected properties together wherever possible. Before new tenants move in, a new property pest inspection can confirm the property is clear.
We cover Lewisham town centre, Ladywell, Brockley, Crofton Park, Honor Oak, Deptford, New Cross, Lee, Grove Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham and Downham, across the SE4, SE8, SE12, SE13, SE14, SE23 and SE26 postcodes. Catford, also in the borough, has its own page: see pest control in Catford.
We also cover neighbouring Greenwich, Southwark and Bromley. See all the areas we cover.
It can reduce the problem, but mice and bed bugs often live in shared spaces or neighbouring flats. For a lasting result, we recommend inspecting the building and treating affected flats together, then sealing the gaps between them.
It usually depends on the cause and your tenancy agreement. Problems caused by the building, such as gaps in the structure or damaged drains, are generally the landlord’s responsibility. We explain what caused the problem so it’s clear who should deal with it.
Yes. For bed bugs and cockroaches in particular, treating every affected room at the same time gives much better results than treating rooms one by one.
Rivers, culverts and railway embankments give rats water, shelter and routes between gardens. Bird feeders, compost bins and the space under sheds and decking then give them food and somewhere to nest.
We aim to respond quickly across the borough 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
