Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the questions we hear most often from households and businesses around Bristol before booking a treatment. If you cannot find what you are looking for here, our contact page has direct phone and email details and someone will usually get back to you within an hour during working hours.
How a typical job is organised, step by step
- You get in touch by phone or through the enquiry form, describing what you have seen (droppings, live insects, damage to wood or fabric) and roughly where the activity is.
- One of our team asks a few follow-up questions to work out whether this looks like a routine case or something that needs a same-day visit, then books a time slot that suits you.
- A technician visits the property, inspects the affected areas plus likely entry points, and explains what species is involved and how bad the infestation appears to be.
- You are given a written quote before any treatment starts, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
- Treatment is carried out using the method agreed in the quote, whether that is baiting, spraying, trapping, or a proofing job to block entry points.
- Where the species requires it (for example rodents or certain moths), a follow-up visit is scheduled to check bait uptake or confirm the problem has cleared.
- You receive a short written summary of what was done and, where relevant, advice on preventing a repeat visit.
It depends on the method used. Gel baiting for cockroaches or ants does not usually require you to leave, since the products are applied to cracks, skirting boards and cupboard corners rather than sprayed into the air. Spray treatments for fleas or bed bugs sometimes call for the room to be left empty for two to four hours while the product dries, and pets or fish tanks may need to be moved beforehand. Your technician will tell you exactly what applies to your job before starting, and will confirm timings in writing as part of the quote.
Wasp nests are one of the more time-sensitive jobs we take on, particularly through the warmer months when a nest can grow quickly. We aim to respond to any enquiry within an hour, and where a nest is close to a doorway, garden seating area or a route children use, we try to prioritise a same-day or next-day visit. If the nest is in a loft or wall cavity and not causing immediate risk, we can usually offer a slightly later slot without any real downside.
Yes, terraced properties are a large part of our workload, since shared walls and older brickwork around areas such as Bedminster or Totterdown often give mice easy routes between neighbouring houses. Treatment usually combines bait stations in roof spaces or under floors with proofing work at obvious entry points like gaps around pipework or airbricks. Because mice can move between adjoining properties, we sometimes suggest speaking to a neighbour if the activity looks like it is coming from next door, though we only ever work on the property we have been asked to treat.
A survey is an inspection only: a technician looks at the property, identifies the pest and the likely cause, and puts together a written quote. No chemicals or traps are applied at this stage. A treatment visit is the actual work, carried out once you have accepted the quote. For simple, clearly identified problems, such as an obvious wasp nest, we can often combine both into a single visit. For less obvious cases, such as scratching noises with no visible droppings, a separate survey first can save you paying for a treatment method that turns out not to match the actual pest.
We select the method based on who lives in the property. Gel baits and enclosed bait stations are designed so that the active ingredient is not exposed to accidental contact, which makes them a common choice in homes with young children or curious pets. Where a spray treatment is genuinely the better option, we will tell you clearly how long to keep people and animals out of the treated area and whether surfaces need wiping down afterwards. If you keep fish, reptiles or birds, mention this when booking, since some treatments require covering tanks or temporarily moving cages.
Bed bug bites often appear in small clusters or lines, usually on skin exposed while sleeping, but bites alone are not enough to confirm the pest since fleas and some mites cause similar marks. Stronger signs are small dark spots on mattress seams or bed frames, a faint musty smell in the bedroom, or finding tiny pale shed skins near the bed. If you are unsure, a technician can inspect the mattress, bed frame and nearby furniture and usually confirm within a few minutes which insect is responsible, which then determines whether we recommend heat treatment, spraying, or a combination of both.
We do not promise a fixed outcome, since pest behaviour varies and factors outside our control, such as a neighbouring property, can affect results. What we do offer is a follow-up visit within an agreed period for treatments where a repeat check makes practical sense, such as rodent baiting or moth treatments, at no extra call-out charge if the original problem is still present. This is set out clearly on your quote so you know exactly what is included before work starts.
For food businesses we usually try to schedule around service times, either early morning before opening or after closing, so that treatment does not disrupt trade. Kitchens, storerooms and bin areas are the most common focus points for cafes and restaurants in busier parts of Bristol such as Gloucester Road or Stokes Croft, where activity from other nearby premises can sometimes contribute to the problem. Let us know your hours when booking and we will build the visit around them where possible.
It happens occasionally, particularly with rodents where an entry point was missed or a neighbouring property has its own untreated problem. If activity returns within the follow-up window set out in your original quote, get in touch and we will arrange a further visit to reassess the situation, often at reduced or no extra cost depending on the circumstances. About one in five of our clients come back to us for a second, unrelated job later on, which is usually a sign that the first visit was handled to their satisfaction.
Yes, mixed-use buildings with a shop or takeaway below residential flats are a fairly common source of recurring cockroach activity, since warmth and food waste from the ground floor unit can draw insects upward through service ducts and pipework gaps. Treatment usually needs to address both the flat and, where possible, the source premises, otherwise the problem tends to return within a few weeks. We can talk you through how to approach this if the building has multiple tenants or a managing agent involved.
For urgent cases such as an active wasp nest or a sudden rodent sighting, we try to offer a slot within a day or two of your enquiry. For less urgent work, such as a proofing survey or moth treatment where there is no immediate risk, booking a few days ahead gives more flexibility on timing. Our typical reply time to any enquiry, by phone or online, is around one hour during working hours, so you will usually know your options quickly even if the visit itself is booked for later in the week.
We currently cover six areas across Bristol and the surrounding suburbs, including districts such as Bishopston, Kingswood and Bedminster alongside the city centre. If you are just outside this range, it is still worth getting in touch, since we sometimes group visits by area on a given day and may be able to fit in a nearby job. Mention your postcode when you enquire and we can confirm straightaway whether it falls within our current coverage.
Yes, every completed job comes with a short written summary covering what was found during inspection, the method used, any products applied, and recommendations for preventing a repeat problem, such as sealing a gap under a door or storing food waste differently. This is useful to keep on file, particularly for landlords or businesses that may need to show a record of pest control work to a tenant, buyer, or environmental health officer at a later date.
If your question is not covered here, send us the details and we will reply within about an hour during working hours.
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