Humane Wildlife Policy

1.Our policy in short

Urgent Pest Control Ltd deals with wildlife only where it is legal, necessary and can be done humanely. We prefer proofing and deterrence to catching animals, we avoid unnecessary suffering, and we never disturb or harm protected species such as bats and badgers.

2.The law we work to

• The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects wild birds, their nests and eggs, and many other species, and controls which methods of killing or taking animals are allowed.
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal under a person’s control, which includes an animal caught in a trap.
• The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 makes certain cruel acts against any wild mammal an offence.
• Some birds, including feral pigeons, can only be controlled under the conditions of the government’s general licences. Where we can, we use proofing such as netting and spikes instead.

3.Grey squirrels

Grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species. It is illegal to release a grey squirrel into the wild once it has been caught, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. See the gov.uk rules on invasive non-native animal species.

So we can’t catch a squirrel in your loft and let it go elsewhere. We use live-capture traps over three to seven days, check them regularly, and dispatch any grey squirrel caught quickly and humanely. We then proof the entry point with mesh and steel plates. Red squirrels are protected and we never trap them. See squirrel control.

4.Protected species we never touch

• Bats. All bat species and their roosts are protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If we find bats or signs of a roost, we stop work in that area and advise you to contact the Bat Conservation Trust or Natural England.
• Badgers. Badgers and their setts are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. We do not trap, disturb or block setts. Interfering with a sett needs a licence from Natural England.
• Nesting wild birds. Active nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so bird-proofing is planned around the nesting season.
• Other protected species, such as hedgehogs, dormice, great crested newts and red squirrels, are left alone.

If a protected animal is causing a problem, we will point you to the right organisation rather than act ourselves.

5.Humane methods

• Proofing and deterrence come first: netting, spikes, mesh, solar panel guards and blocking entry points.
• Where a trap is needed, we use only legal, approved traps, set by trained technicians in a way that reduces the risk of catching other animals.
• Live-capture traps are checked regularly so no animal is left in one longer than necessary.
• Any animal that has to be dispatched is dispatched quickly and humanely by a competent person.
• We never use glue boards on wildlife.

6.Foxes and moles

For foxes, we focus on deterrence and proofing: removing food sources and blocking access under sheds and decking. For moles, we advise on the options and use legal methods only. See fox control and mole catching.

7.Review

We review this policy at least once a year, and whenever wildlife law or licences change. See also our environmental policy and bee relocation policy.