Par, St Austell, CornwallOpen 24 hours, 7 days a week p.clarkey84@gmail.com07974 278830 AboutServices Areas ContactCall 07974 278830Call - Home/ - Pest control services/ - Air Rifle Pest Control # Air Rifle Pest ControlGrey Squirrels & RabbitsOn Cornish Grounds & Estates Quiet, discreet sub-12 ft/lb air rifle control carried out by Paul Clarke on hotel grounds, golf courses, lodge parks, farms, private estates and new woodland planting across Cornwall. Call 07974 278830Request an estimate Call Paul directly to talk through the site, the access and the times of day that suit you. - 15 years' hands-on experience◆ - Bees rehomed — never exterminated◆ - Poison-free methods used wherever possible◆ - Humane & legal techniques — live-trapping specialists◆ - Rats, mice, wasps, moles, squirrels, rabbits & pigeons◆ - Sub-12 ft/lb air rifle control on grounds, farms & estates◆ - Gull & bird proofing — netting, spikes & deterrents◆ - Homes & businesses — pubs, restaurants, farms, holiday lets & landlords◆ - One-off call-outs & ongoing prevention plans◆ - Locally owned & run by Paul Clarke◆ - Covering St Austell, Truro, Newquay, Bodmin, Fowey & across mid-Cornwall◆ - 15 years' hands-on experience◆ - Bees rehomed — never exterminated◆ - Poison-free methods used wherever possible◆ - Humane & legal techniques — live-trapping specialists◆ - Rats, mice, wasps, moles, squirrels, rabbits & pigeons◆ - Sub-12 ft/lb air rifle control on grounds, farms & estates◆ - Gull & bird proofing — netting, spikes & deterrents◆ - Homes & businesses — pubs, restaurants, farms, holiday lets & landlords◆ - One-off call-outs & ongoing prevention plans◆ - Locally owned & run by Paul Clarke◆ - Covering St Austell, Truro, Newquay, Bodmin, Fowey & across mid-Cornwall◆ ## Equipment Sub-12 ft/lb air rifle only ## Quarry Grey squirrels and rabbits ## Timing Evening and out-of-hours work available ## Suitability Quiet and discreet around guests and livestock The service ## Quiet control for grounds where damage is adding up Grey squirrels and rabbits cause a particular kind of damage on managed ground: bark stripped from young trees, tree guards chewed through, greens and lawns scraped and scratched, and burrows opening up under lodges, decking and outbuildings. By the time it is obvious, a planting scheme can have lost a season's growth or a grounds team can be repairing the same turf every week. Paul Clarke works this with a sub-12 ft/lb air rifle — legal, unlicensed equipment used within the law. It is quiet, it is precise, and it suits sites where a noisier approach simply is not an option. No shotguns, no firearms-certificate work: this is air rifle control only, and where live catch is the better answer on a site Paul will say so and use traps instead. Most of this work happens in the evening or outside normal hours, when the ground is quiet, guests are indoors and the animals are moving. Paul works alone, walks the site with you first, and agrees exactly where he will and will not be working before anything starts. ### Who it's for - Hotels and spas with grounds, lawns and guest views to protect - Golf courses losing greens, tees and banks to scraping and burrowing - Holiday lodge parks with rabbits burrowing under lodges and decking - Farms and smallholdings with squirrel and rabbit pressure on crops and buildings - Private estates and wedding venues that need the work done invisibly - New woodland and tree planting schemes losing young stock and tree guardsCall 07974 278830 Left alone ## What squirrels and rabbits cost a managed site New plantations are the clearest example. Grey squirrels strip bark from young broadleaf stems, often high up where it is not spotted from the track, and rabbits browse leaders and chew through guards at ground level. Losses tend to be counted a year late, when the trees that should be away are stunted, leaning or dead. On hotel and golf ground the damage is visible instead of hidden — scrapes across a green, holes appearing on a bank, spoil on a lawn in front of a wedding marquee. On lodge parks and farms it turns structural, with burrow systems undermining decking, bases and outbuilding footings. ### Young trees lost Bark stripping and browsing kill or deform young stems, and replacement planting means another season lost. ### Tree guards destroyed Chewed and dislodged guards stop protecting the stock they were paid for and need replacing across whole blocks. ### Greens and lawns damaged Scrapes, holes and spoil heaps mean constant repair for a grounds team and a poor first impression for guests. ### Burrowing under buildings Warren systems under lodges, decking and outbuildings undermine ground and become a trip and safety issue. ### Common mistakes worth avoiding - Waiting until the planting inspection to act, by which point the growing season is already gone - Replacing chewed guards repeatedly without reducing the animals doing the chewing - Booking work in the middle of the day, when the ground is busy and the animals are not moving - Assuming a site with guests, livestock or public access cannot have control work done at all Our process ## How the work is arranged Every site is walked before anything is agreed — access, sight lines, guest areas, livestock and the times that suit the operation. - 1 ### Site walk Paul walks the ground with you to see the damage, find where the animals are coming from and identify the areas where work is and is not appropriate. - 2 ### Plan and timings agreed Safe zones, boundaries, access arrangements and the hours of work are agreed in writing before a first visit. Evening and out-of-hours slots are usual. - 3 ### Control carried out Sub-12 ft/lb air rifle work, carried out quietly and on foot by Paul alone. Where live catch suits a spot better, traps are used instead. - 4 ### Report and review You get a plain account of what was seen and taken, plus what Paul recommends next — usually a repeat pattern of visits through the season rather than a single night. What you get ## Why this suits sites with guests on them ### Quiet by design A sub-12 ft/lb air rifle is far quieter than the alternatives, which is why it works on hotel grounds and lodge parks. ### One person, discreetly Paul works alone, on foot, in plain clothing — no vehicles parked across your entrance and no signage. ### Legal, unlicensed equipment Sub-12 ft/lb air rifle only, used within the law. No shotguns and no firearms-certificate work. ### Live catch where it is better Humane trapping is the default wherever it is the right tool; dispatch is carried out off site where a client prefers that. ### Out-of-hours availability Evening and late work is normal for this service, because that is when the ground is quiet and the animals are active. ### A builder's eye on the ground Ten-plus years restoring heritage buildings means burrowing under a lodge base or outbuilding is read properly, not just shot at. In detail ## Air rifle control in detail The detail behind how this work is run on different kinds of site across Cornwall. ### New woodland and tree planting schemes Planting schemes are where squirrel and rabbit pressure does the most financial damage and where it is most often noticed too late. Work is usually planned as a pattern of visits through establishment years rather than one night, focused on the blocks and edges taking the worst of it. - Bark-stripping damage on young broadleaf stems assessed block by block - Guard damage and browsing lines used to work out where pressure is coming from - Repeat visits timed through the establishment years, not a single call-out ### Hotels, spas and wedding venues On guest-facing ground, discretion is the whole job. Work is scheduled around arrivals, functions and quiet hours, and agreed zones are set so that nothing happens anywhere near guests. - Work timed around functions, changeovers and quiet hours - Agreed no-go zones around terraces, marquees and guest accommodation - No signage, no branding, no disruption to the grounds team's day ### Golf courses and sports grounds Greens, tees, bunker faces and banks take the visible damage, but the animals are usually living in the rough, treelines and boundary hedges. That is where the work needs to focus if the repairs are going to stop. - Treelines, rough and boundary hedges worked as the source, not just the damaged turf - Early morning and evening slots that fit around play - Ongoing seasonal arrangements available for greenkeeping teams ### Holiday lodge parks and outbuildings Rabbits burrowing under lodges, decking and storage buildings is both a maintenance and a safety problem. Paul assesses how far the burrowing has gone under a base before deciding what needs doing, and advises on proofing the void once numbers are down. - Burrow systems traced under lodge bases, decking and outbuildings - Advice on skirting and proofing voids once numbers are reduced - Work scheduled outside guest hours on occupied parks ### Farms, smallholdings and private estates On working land the aim is to keep numbers at a level where crops, fencing and buildings stop taking constant damage. Paul works around livestock and machinery movements and is used to being on farms without being in the way. - Work planned around livestock, grazing rotation and machinery movement - Squirrel pressure on feed stores, roof spaces and woodland edges included - Longer-term arrangements where neighbouring land keeps supplying animals ### Safety, permissions and how the site is left Nothing happens without the landowner's permission in place and clear agreement on boundaries, sight lines and safe backstops. Paul works quietly, alone, and leaves the ground as he found it. - Landowner permission and agreed boundaries confirmed before a first visit - Sight lines and safe backstops assessed on the site walk - Legal, humane practice throughout — no gassing and no unlicensed methods ### Related services - Squirrel Removal - Rabbit Control - Gull & Bird Proofing - All services ### Areas covered Air Rifle Pest Control across mid and south Cornwall, from the Par, St Austell base. - St Austell - Par - Charlestown - Lostwithiel - Polgooth - Fowey - Mevagissey - St Mawes - Truro - Newquay - St Columb Major - Bodmin FAQs ## Air Rifle Pest Control — your questions Still unsure? The line is open 24 hours, 7 days a week — call 07974 278830 and describe what you have seen. What equipment is actually used?A sub-12 ft/lb air rifle, which is legal, unlicensed equipment used within the law. There is no shotgun work, no rifle work and no firearms-certificate work of any kind. Where live catch suits a site better, humane traps are used instead. Which animals does this cover?Primarily grey squirrels and rabbits — the two that do the most damage to young trees, tree guards, greens, lawns and building bases. If you have a different problem, call and describe it and Paul will tell you honestly whether this is the right service or whether trapping or proofing is a better fit. Can this be done on a site with guests staying?Yes, and it is a large part of the work. Hotels, spas, lodge parks and wedding venues are exactly why a quiet, discreet approach exists. Work is scheduled in the evening or outside normal hours, agreed no-go zones are set around guest areas, and Paul works alone and on foot without signage. Do you work in the evening or out of hours?Yes — most of this work is evening or out-of-hours, because that is when the ground is quiet and squirrels and rabbits are moving. Times are agreed with you in advance so nobody on site is caught out. Is it safe around livestock?It is planned to be. Livestock, grazing rotation and machinery movements are all discussed on the site walk, and boundaries and safe backstops are agreed before the first visit. Paul has worked on Cornish farms for years, including organic holdings, and is used to working around stock. Are the animals dispatched on site?Where live catch is used, dispatch can be carried out off site if that is what you prefer — some clients, particularly guest-facing venues, ask for exactly that. Tell Paul what suits your site and he will work that way. How many visits does a planting scheme need?More than one. Squirrel and rabbit pressure on new woodland builds back through the establishment years, so this is normally a pattern of visits through the season rather than a single night. Paul will tell you what he thinks the ground needs after walking it rather than quoting a fixed number blind. How much does it cost?There is no published price, because a small lodge park and a several-hundred-acre estate are not the same job. Paul quotes after walking the site or hearing a clear description of the ground, the access and the damage. Which parts of Cornwall do you cover?Paul works from Par, near St Austell, covering St Austell, Charlestown, Lostwithiel, Polgooth, Fowey, Mevagissey, St Mawes, Truro, Newquay, St Columb Major, Bodmin and the ground between them. Call to check your site if you are outside that. ## Talk to Paul about your ground Call 07974 278830 and describe the site — the damage you are seeing, where guests or stock are, and the hours that work for you. Paul will walk it with you, agree the boundaries and timings, and quote for the ground as it actually is. Call 07974 278830Request an estimate - Open 24 hours, 7 days a week - Par, St Austell, Cornwall - p.clarkey84@gmail.com Owner-operated pest control across mid and south Cornwall. 15 years on the tools, poisons avoided wherever possible, bees rehomed rather than destroyed. ## Services - Rats, mice & rodents - Moles - Squirrels - Rabbits - Air rifle pest control - Wasp nest removal - Gull & bird proofing - Pigeons - Bees — rehomed, never killed - All services ## Areas covered - St Austell - Par - Charlestown - Lostwithiel - Polgooth - Fowey - Mevagissey - St Mawes - Truro - Newquay - St Columb Major - Bodmin - All areas covered ## Get in touch - 07974 278830 - p.clarkey84@gmail.com - 74 Polgover Way, St BlazeyPar, St AustellCornwall PL24 2RD - Open 24 hours, 7 days a week ## Popular pest control searches in Cornwall - Rat control St Austell - Wasp nest removal Cornwall - Mole catcher Cornwall - Bee removal and rehoming Cornwall - Seagull proofing Cornwall - Air rifle squirrel & rabbit control Cornwall - Pest control St Austell - Pest control Truro - Pest control Newquay - Pest control Bodmin © 2026 Pest Management Cornwall. 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