Pest control
Pests include ants, mice, rats and wasps. Sunderland City Council has a pest control service that is free.
Booking a pest control appointment
If you have pests inside or outside of your home, you can:
Find out more about pest control in your home from Sunderland City Council.
We work in partnership with Sunderland City Council and the pest control service is free. They will first visit your property on our behalf and if your home needs a repair to resolve the problem, the council will tell us. We may need to do this repair before the council can do any pest control work but it will be done quickly.
Blocked and broken drains
Blocked and broken drains are one of the major causes of pest problems. To help keep pipes and drains clear:
- only flush toilet paper down the toilet
- put sanitary products, nappies, incontinence pads and bandages in the bin
- put grease, cooking fat and oil in the bin, not the sink
- clean plugs, plugholes and drain holes regularly but avoid using acid-based cleaning products
- remove leaves, litter and larger objects from your gully, which is outside and has a grating or grid on top
If you have a blocked or broken drain or gully, you can:
- use My Gentoo to report a repair online
- call 0191 525 5000 and select option 2, Monday to Thursday, from 8:30am to 5pm, and Friday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm
If you call us outside of these times, you will only be able to report an emergency repair.
Mondays and Tuesdays are the days when we get the most calls about repairs. This means call waiting times are less on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.