Rats
The most numerous pest species of rats in the UK are ‘Common Rats’. They are carriers of diseases such as Salmonella, Weil’s Disease and Toxoplasmosis – hence the need for rat control.Rats came to reside in the UK through the shipping traffic from around the world in the 18th century and became one of the most detested pests because of problems they cause. Their constant gnawing can cause numerous problems from fires to structural damage and they also taint foodstuffs. A rat infestation in the home is an extremely serious problem and will need a qualified technician to remedy. Rats in the garden/surrounding areas are also a serious issue and will need the relevant steps taken to ensure they don’t enter the home /building.
Obvious signs of a rat infestation are as follows:
• 3-5mm rod shaped droppings
• Holes in walls & floors
• Footprints followed by tail dragging marks
• Smears on walls left by dirty fur after contact
Mice
Prior to treatment, a survey of the site should take place to decide on the extent and size of the mouse infestation. Our mouse control survey continues on to adjoining areas (as mice may travel from other areas to feed or drink then return to a harbourage). Housekeeping, stacking, proofing and cleaning etc all form part of an integral mouse pest control programme. We use a whole host of protective equipment in our service to remove mice as a pest.
The following are indicators of a mouse infestation:
1. Holes
2. Droppings
3. Runs
4. Smear marks
5. Damage
6. Tracks
7. Nests
8. Dead and live mice
Mice produce a distinct odour in nests sites and harbourages that once experienced will not be forgotten. Mice can cause extensive damage to property as a result of their gnawing. They are also carriers of fleas and a wide range of diseases, which can be passed on to humans and household pets.
Wasps
What do they look like?
All the wasps found in the United Kingdom, with the exception of the hornet, are very similar with black and yellow bands on their body and two pairs of wings.
Where do they live?
In Spring, the queen leaves her hibernating quarters to seek nesting sites. These could be holes in the ground, hollow trees, sheds, loft spaces etc. The queen starts to build her nest with a papery material that she makes by chewing wood mixed with saliva; this is known as wasp paper. She will raise the first few workers who will then enlarge the nest and care for the immature wasps to follow. The nest construction starts in Spring and will reach its maximum size in September, when up to 10,000 workers may be present. An old nest is not used in subsequent years
What do wasps eat?
Wasps usually eat insects, which are mainly garden or household pests. They also feed on dustbin waste and animal carcasses.
Pest Status
A wasp, unlike a bee, can sting many times. Although the wasp sting is not normally serious, it can be very painful, and in certain cases can cause a severe reaction. They can be beneficial to gardens.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are becoming an increasingly important problem in this country. Bedbugs spread very quickly and easily and are difficult to treat. This has caused an upsurge in the number of bedbug outbreaks.
Identifying Bedbugs
Adult bedbugs are 5mm long. They are usually found in bedrooms but hide in cracks and crevices during the day. Before feeding they are a flattened oval shape and light brown, but become rounder and darker after feeding. They are nocturnal and attracted to both the warmth of our bodies and the carbon dioxide in our breath. The most common shelters for bedbugs are in the seams of mattresses, in crevices in the bed frame, behind furniture surrounding the bed (especially the headboard) or where the wall meets the floor. An established infestation will also be associated with an unpleasant scent secreted by bed bugs – hence the need for bed bug control services.
Bed bug Bites
Bedbug bites are unlikely to wake up the victim. The bites can occur anywhere on the body but are in many cases close to blood vessels near the skin. One bed bug may bite more than once around the same area of the body. Bites on different parts of the body usually indicate being bitten by several bed bugs.
Treating Bed Bug Infestations
Bed bugs are an objectionable pest and one of the most difficult to eradicate. Deep cleaning, exceptional hygiene and the use of insecticides will help to keep bedbug numbers under control, however professional bed bug control treatment will be required to eradicate the infestation. At the beginning of a bed bug infestation, bites may not feel itchy, making the situation difficult to read. However, small droplets of blood on the sheets will definitely indicate the presence of bed bugs.
Things we require you to do before & after bedbug treatments
Bed Bug Preparation List:
• Bed sheets should be removed, divan drawers emptied, head boards and base sections separated.
• Cabinets, chests of drawers, cupboards and wardrobes should be emptied, and the contents sealed in strong plastic bags.
• Storage space inside sofas must be emptied.
• All items littering the floor should be picked up.
• Furniture should be pulled away from walls.
• Computer equipment should be unplugged and the cables tidied.
• All floor areas should be vacuumed clean, particularly under beds – it is not worth spraying a dusty floor as the insecticide will only lay on the dust and probably be removed before the room is reassembled.
• All clothing, bedding, cuddly toys and textiles need to either be cleaned in a 60 degree wash, put through a tumble dry cycle, be dry cleaned or be placed in a deep freeze for at least 3 days.
• Cleaned items must not be placed back into wardrobes or drawers until after treatment.
• Untreated items must be kept sealed and quarantined.
• Bed bugs can be harbouring in any object – the customer should set aside any items of concern for inspection by the pest control operative.
• Customers should not be present in a room while it is treated
After Treatment:
• Surfaces are safe once touch dry.
• Do not vacuum or mop for 14 days
• Bed bugs do not feed every day, therefore it can be up to a week before some come into contact with the insecticide.
• Eggs will continue to hatch, so you may see or feel them as they emerge.
• Treated rooms must remain in use to ensure the insects are drawn out.
Ants
The commonest species that invades houses is the Black Garden Ant, which is actually very dark brown. All ants have the main divisions of the body (head, thorax, and abdomen) distinctly separated by very narrow waists and have a sharp elbow joint in their antennae. They are highly organised social insects. It is the foraging worker ants that invade buildings in search of food. These are from 3 to 5 mm in length and are attracted to sweet foodstuffs, which they take back to the nest to feed to the larvae and queen.
The so-called ants eggs sold for aquaria fish are actually the pupae. Flying ants are the reproductive males and females. These mating ants are winged and have a nuptial swarming flight during only a few days in July or August. Mating takes place in the air, and the female then seeks out a nest site where she stays for the winter, laying eggs the following spring in order to start up a new colony.
REMEDY: First find the nest entrances. These are indicated by small piles of earth pellets or can be located by watching the ants moving back and forth from nest to food. Pouring a kettle of boiling water over the nest site is a first-aid measure. This should be followed up by puffing an insecticidal powder product into the hole. Select a powder product that lists ants on its label. An insecticidal lacquer can be applied around door thresholds or wall/floor junctions where ants run, or spray these areas with an insecticidal aerosol that is labelled for this use. Some products cause the workers to destroy their own nests, for example, sugar-based liquid bait containing borax. The workers are attracted to the bait and carry the insecticide back to the larvae and queen. Some centrally heated blocks of flats may be troubled by the much smaller tropical Pharaoh’s Ant (right), which prefers protein to sweet foods and has multiple—and often inaccessible—nests within the building structure.Ghost ants are becoming more common in heated buildings. These are a similar size to Pharaoh’s ants and are pale coloured with a dark thorax and head. Control must be left to professional operators.
Cockroaches
Sometimes confused with black beetles from the garden, cockroaches are distinguished by their very long whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies, and rapid, jerky gait. The adult German cockroach is 10 to 15 mm long. The common or oriental cockroach is 20 to 24 mm long. They are rarely able to survive out of doors in the British climate but thrive around the heating ducts and boiler rooms of large centrally heated buildings, e.g., hospitals, bakeries, hotel and restaurant kitchens, laundries, and blocks of flats. They cluster around pipes, stoves, and sinks, especially in humid areas. The German cockroach carries its egg case, a small brown purse-like capsule, until the 30 or more nymphs are ready to hatch from it. The Oriental cockroach deposits its 13-mm-long egg capsule on packaging, sacking, or in suitable dark crevices before the 16 or 18 nymphs hatch out. Cockroaches grow in stages—from nymphs to maturity in six to 12 months for the Oriental cockroach, but only in as many weeks in the case of the German cockroach. Both species eat any sort of food and are most active after dark, from their inaccessible harborages to forage, contaminating food and food utensils, or food preparation surfaces as they go. They taint food with an obnoxious smell and may be carriers of various diseases, including serious food poisoning.
REMEDY: Control of cockroaches is seldom easy because of the difficulty of getting the insecticide to the insect. The insecticide, ideally, should have sufficient persistence to kill the nymphs hatching later from unhatched egg capsules.
Apply an insecticide in aerosol form sprayed into all possible harbourages or an insecticide powder labelled for cockroach control. If the problem persists, call in a pest control contractor who is a member of the BPCA or your local authority environmental health department.
Flies
The common house fly is medium sized (1/6 to 1/4 inch long,) generally grey in color with the female usually large than the male. The thorax bears four narrow black stripes. The female fly has a much wider space between the eyes than the male. The house fly passes through four stages in its life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The female of the species can be seen depositing their eggs on suitable breeding materials. Often, the females can be seen in clusters of up to 50 individuals. The female house fly lays individual eggs that pile up in masses of 75 to 150 eggs; in her lifetime, a single female house fly may lay up to 900 eggs. The female fly begins laying her eggs anywhere from 4 to 12 days from emerging from her pupae. She may lay 5 or 6 batches at intervals of several days between each.
Maggots
In warm weather, the leg-less white pupae (or maggots) emerge from their eggs in 8 to 20 hours. This larvae goes through three instars (or stages of development) in 1 week or less during warmer seasons, up to 8 weeks during cooler times. The house fly maggot and eggs depend on damp organic material in which to develop and feed. When it has completed its last instar, the fly maggot will move to a cool dry area in which to pupate. These larvae have confused many people by showing up far away from any possible breeding site. They have been known to travel over 100 feet to locate a suitable place to pupate. The pupa transforms into an adult in as little as 3 days or as long as 5 weeks. This pupation period varies with temperature and
Birds
Love them or hate them, birds are an essential part of our natural environment. They maintain balance, control insects and other pests, perform vital roles in the germination of many plants, and fill the countryside with their joyous songs. But sometimes a need arises for bird pest control. When they enter the environment of man, especially in our cities, birds can be serious pests. Not only do they foul our buildings and monuments with their droppings, birds can also spread many serious diseases. At Pestrap, we adapt our approach to fit your real needs. It is very rare for any feral bird problem to have a single solution. In most cases, it requires the expert application of several complementary techniques to bring the problem under control. Using our enormous experience and individual analysis, we offer the most environmentally responsible and effective combination of bird control measures. These may include, amongst other control and management measures, the clearance of roof voids and the application of external deterrents.