Warning as rats seek a refuge after floods
A NATIONAL trade body is urging householders in Staffordshire to take steps to prevent rats seeking refuge in their homes from the winter flooding.
Areas across the UK have been hit by localised flooding after weeks of wet and mild weather were followed by heavy rain in January.
The British Pest Control Association is urging householders to take preventative steps now to avoid the risk of an infestation. Dee Wardthompson, BPCA technical manager, said: “Each year winter weather forces some rats to seek warmer, indoor spaces near a source of food, but flooding can drive even more rats out of their burrow, forcing them to find a new place to nest.
“Rats can travel along flooded drains, surviving even the most aggressive weather conditions.
“They may use pipes, as well as unscreened vents or gaps in the eaves and roof edges, to gain access.
“Rats are exceptionally agile and despite their size, even adult males can get through gaps and crevices as small as 2cm.”
BPCA recommends householders plug any gaps, holes or crevices in exterior walls in a bid to prevent rats gaining access. Drain covers should also be checked to ensure they fit properly and disused pipes sealed off.
Dee added: “Rats can have a devastating impact on householders. The sound of them scuttling around in the walls or roof can also be extremely distressing.
“Rats should be dealt with by a professional pest controller who can identify their likely habitat, and has the knowledge and experience to treat any particular issue.”
A DERBYSHIRE pilot helped a 19-year-old air cadet smile for the first time after being in a coma for 11 months – by treating him to a virtual flying lesson.
As we reported last week, Joseph Flavill, 19, from Tutbury, is awake and responding to loved ones after being involved in a collision with a car in March 2020.
He has started responding well to friends and family who have been streaming sound recordings of Will Flanagan’s course in flying an aircraft to his bedside. His family, who have been unable to visit him in his care home due to coronavirus restrictions, have been keeping his brain stimulated by streaming messages over Facetime, but the flying lessons have prompted a strong response from Joseph.
His aunt, Sally Flavill Smith, says Joseph immediately responded to the recorded flying lesson, and his recovery from the stage-two coma progressed even further when Mr Flanagan started sending video footage of the personal lessons.
She said: Joseph’s reaction was amazing, but Will has taken that one step further and actually done a filmed lesson. And because Joseph is now connecting with the Facetime when we use the ipad, he’ll be able to see Will, he’ll be able to hear, and it’s going to make such a difference to Joseph to have that different stimulation. Because he has no stimulation, because he’s in a care home, he’s not allowed any visitors, so what Will has done is incredibly important, and I know Joseph will absolutely love it.”
Mr Flanagan, a friend of the Joseph’s family, recorded the first audio knowing that he had already had three flying lessons before his accident, and he used Darley Moor Airfield near Ashbourne as a base for the first recording, which was all done sat on the runway.
He said: “I recorded an audio just as I would a flying lesson, and it’s actually quite difficult when you’re not flying. I just feel like I’m actually doing something, because, with Covid, you can’t go and visit the person, you can’t have any physical interaction, you can’t speak with them. But I can now do something, and flying is what I’ve got.
“That’s all I’ve got. I can teach somebody to fly. I’ve never taught somebody to fly just through audio. What a great way. And if it can help in a small way, or a big way, then that would make me feel so privileged to be part of the recovery process for Joseph.”
A few months after Joseph’s accident, in Burton, he was due to attend Buckingham Palace to receive his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. Ahead of his brain injury, his life was full of club hockey, county cricket, A Levels, surfing, skiing and other adventures. His family say he lived life with passion, energy, and a cheeky grin.
The story of Joseph’s recovery has been documented on a website at www.josephsjourney.co.uk and a fund-raising appeal to support his treatments has raised nearly £33,000.