Dear Customer,

We hope this letter finds you well and that you have had a productive winter. With Spring quickly approaching, we wanted to let you know about some upcoming tasks that will help you prevent pests and keep your homes and business rodent free.

At this time of year, we are keen to see wildlife enter our gardens and would like to encourage native birds by putting bird feeders out, however, did you know that having a bird feeder is well known to attract rodents into your garden, which feed off the scraps dropped by birds?  Once they have found a steady and reliable food supply, they are more likely to nest near it. This means a possible rodent activity on your premises.

Hillbans encourage cultivating native species of plants and trees that naturally feed the local birds. Plants and bushes that provide berries, fruit and seeds are a natural food source, such as, ivy, crab apple trees, wild cherry, honeysuckle, sunflowers, pyracantha, and holly will get birds rushing to your outdoor space. Shrubs such as buddleia and hawthorn attract insects that birds thrive on.  Not only will this help the birds it will also help you!

A good idea is to regularly turn compost heaps and clear leaves and shrubs from the perimeter of the external walls of your home or business, rodents love to hide as they travel about and having these areas clear really discourages their movements.

If you have livestock or pets in your garden, you might need to think about your feeding schedule for them. Try to feed them earlier in the day and remove any unwanted food before dusk. Less feed out will minimise rodent activity. A great idea is to store their feed in metal securely sealed bins with lids, if it is kept outdoors, if you do not already do so.

Spring is also a wonderful time of year to clear garages, sheds, and greenhouses ready for the upcoming season of growth, clearing areas will help reduce places for rats to build a nest but also will help you spot a pest issue quickly and get the professionals in to eradicate the problem before much damage is done.

We want to thank you for choosing Hillbans for your pest control. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us at any time.

Kind regards

Sandra & Patrick and the Hillbans Team