The first few weeks of Waveney District Council’s new pest control service arrangements are being hailed a success.

The Council has made special arrangements with its “preferred provider” Command Pest Control - a Suffolk-based professional pest control company - to provide treatments for range of pests, greatly extended beyond the service previously provided by the Council.

This new arrangement began on 1st April 2008. Callers to the Council are now given the choice of organising their own treatment - with their personal choice of pest controller - or alternatively, they can be directed to Command Pest Control.

The Council also gives a £20 subsidy against rat treatments by Command Pest Control on domestic premises where the householders are in receipt of certain income or disability related benefits. Command has also improved response times for Waveney residents. In the first seven weeks of operation, Command Pest Control dealt with 65 rat treatments plus a range of other pest species, including mice, bed bugs, ants and rabbits!

Cllr Ken Sale, Waveney’s Portfolio Holder for The Environment said: "Although it is early days, these new arrangements are proving to be a success. We have extended choice, while still making sure that pests are controlled by professional technicians with local knowledge and experience. Householders recognise the value of this new service and are making good use of it. We will continue to monitor the situation but, so far, we have received no complaints from the public about the new service and we are very pleased with an arrangement which is now commonplace in councils across Suffolk.”