Bespoke Pest Control

03/10/2026

🐀 Rats in the kitchen and conservatory? The problem could be beneath your feet.

We recently attended a property in Hertford, Hertfordshire, where rats were active inside the home.

A drainage inspection using our Scanprobe X40 camera revealed:

• A significant blockage
• Live rodent activity
• Several breaks in the pipework

These damaged sections were allowing rats to travel through the drainage system towards the property and garden.

Our solution:

SOURCE: We inspected the drains to identify the cause.

EXCLUDE & RESTRICT: We fitted a 5-inch one-way rat valve to help prevent rats returning through the drain. This is a temporary measure until the blockage is cleared and damaged pipework is repaired.

MANAGE: Rodenticide bait was placed in high-risk areas to address the existing activity.

The key takeaway? Pest control isn’t just about putting down bait.

Find the source. Restrict access. Manage the infestation.

SEM. Three words. The whole job.

01/10/2026

Know your worth.

I visited a restaurant recently after the owner had become increasingly frustrated with their previous pest control company.

They had been paying for a service for months, but the pest controller simply hadn't been turning up. Eventually, the owner cancelled the contract and asked me to take a look.

What I found wasn't pretty.

There were rats actively running around the premises, along with some fairly substantial holes and access points that had clearly been there for some time.

I carried out my inspection, identified the problems and put together a pest management programme that I believed was appropriate for the site.

I gave the owner my price.

"That's too expensive."

We had a conversation about what the cost of a rat problem could actually be. If Environmental Health had walked through the door that day and found what I'd found, the consequences could potentially have been far more expensive than a pest control programme.

Still too expensive.

Then came the negotiation.

"What if I give you another restaurant as well?"

The answer was still the same.

I don't price my work simply on the number of visits.

You're paying for my time, my experience, the inspection, the knowledge of what I'm looking for, the reporting, the advice, the monitoring and, ultimately, the responsibility of making sure the problem is properly managed.

Could I have taken the job for less?

Yes.

Would I have been happy doing it?

No.

And that's the important bit.

Knowing your worth doesn't mean believing you're worth more than everyone else. It means understanding the value of what you provide and being prepared to walk away when the price being offered no longer makes the job worthwhile.

I've spent years building my business around doing things properly.

I'm not interested in simply turning up, putting some bait down and sending an invoice.

I want to understand why the rats are there, where they're getting in and what needs to change to stop the problem coming back.

Sometimes the right answer is a cheaper service.

Sometimes the right answer is a more comprehensive one.

And sometimes, you simply have to say:

"I'm sorry, but I can't do it for that price."

That's not being expensive.

That's knowing your worth.

11/09/2026

Autumn's here and the pests are moving in. Just had a piece in The Sun on what you can do about it, everything from rodents and wasps to carpet beetles and silverfish. Have a read, and if you're dealing with anything that won't shift, give me a shout. Bespoke Pest Control

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/40326631/banish-pests-home-rodents-moths-spiders/ -openweb-comments-container

28/08/2026

Strange place for a wasp nest

26/08/2026

1 Year. Two Vans. Countless clients helped. 🎉

It’s been an incredible 12 months since we put our second van on the road — one full‑time, one part‑time — and the workload keeps growing. Our SEM method (Source, Exclude, Manage) is working, our CCTV drain surveys are on the rise, and we’re so proud to be helping more homes and businesses across Hertfordshire, Essex & London than ever before.

Thank you to every single client who’s trusted us this year — we couldn’t have done it without you. 🙏

📞 07919 441895
🌐 www.bespokepestcontrol.co.uk

21/08/2026

Always great to get another 5-star review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a great example of why I developed my SEM method — Source, Exclude & Restrict, Manage.

The problem wasn’t simply about catching a rat. The important part was finding how it was getting into the property in the first place.

In this case, I traced the route from the drains, underneath the house and into the soil stack. From there, the rat had access to the cavity walls, kitchen cupboard and ceiling space.

Once the source and route had been identified, I could Exclude & Restrict access by installing a one-way valve in the drainage system, while also using a trap to confirm the rat was still present.

The result?

Rat problem fixed.

This is why I believe good pest control isn’t just about putting down bait or setting a trap. It’s about investigation, understanding the building and finding the route the pest is using.

The review even came with the line:

“Sneaky rat but good investigation skills.” 😂

I’ll take that!

16/08/2026

We could tell you we’re good… 👀

But it’s probably better if our customers tell you.

A few of our recent 5⭐ reviews for Bespoke Pest Control.

From rats coming up through drains to helping reassure a family with a young child, every job is about more than just dealing with the pest.

It’s about doing the job properly and looking after the customer.

Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to leave a review. ❤️

07/08/2026

06/08/2026

This week we were called out to Radlett to carry out a drain survey for an ongoing rat issue, referred to us by another pest control company that doesn’t offer this service.

We’re always happy to support other pest control companies with specialist work like CCTV drain surveys. It’s all about working together to get the right result for the customer.

The customer had been dealing with rats gaining access through a cupboard at the side of the property, so we carried out a full inspection using our SEM approach — Source, Exclude & Restrict, Manage.

We identified four inspection chambers around the property:

• Chamber 1 – No issues found
• Chamber 2 – Large gap beneath the drainage pipe at the top of the chamber. This is scheduled for repair
• Chamber 3 – Ingress points found beneath the benching, which could allow rodents into the property. As a precaution, we installed a one-way valve and recommended repairs to the benching
• Chamber 4 – Possible collapse at the end of the drain line. This has been reported to the homeowner for further investigation

🔍 Source
We carried out a full CCTV drain survey to find exactly where the rats were entering the system, identifying defects including gaps, damaged benching, and a possible collapse.

🚫 Exclude & Restrict
Once the entry points were identified, we took immediate action to stop access. A one-way valve was installed to prevent rats travelling back up the drain and into the property. We also highlighted the structural repairs needed to fully block access.

📊 Manage
We advised the homeowner on the next steps to resolve the issue long-term, including completing the repairs and monitoring the system to ensure it remains secure.

Installing the one-way valve will prevent further rat entry via the damaged benching and, once repairs are completed, should lead to a rat-free property.

06/08/2026

Just got quoted in Pest Magazine about cheap pest control and they weren’t wrong. £40 wasp nests exist. So do people treating pest problems without actually understanding them.

The problem isn’t just that it’s cheap. It’s that it doesn’t work.

Most pest jobs get rushed: spray something, leave, hope it doesn’t come back. Then it does, because nobody ever found out why it started in the first place.

That’s the difference with what we do. Every job starts with investigation. We look for the source, how are they getting in? What’s feeding them? Why is it happening now? Only then do we recommend treatment.

It’s why drain surveys are so important for rodent problems. A one-off rodenticide job is pointless if rats are coming in through a damaged drain. You’ve just wasted money and the problem returns.

Our approach is simple: Source, Exclude & Restrict, Manage. Find it, stop it, keep it stopped. No panic, no guesswork.

If you’ve had a pest problem come back, that’s probably why. Get in touch and we’ll actually work out what’s happening.

My question: Does that land? It’s putting your method up front without being preachy about it. Or are you worried it sounds defensive about the cheap end? Could go harder on the ROI angle too “you’ll pay more for repeated cheap treatments than one proper job.”