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About Rats

In the UK there are two types of rat which have a tendency to cause problems for homes and businesses – brown (common) rats and black rats. Although black rats (Rattus rattus) are more rare, they are excellent climbers and tend not to burrow. Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are more common, spend their time burrowing outside and can also be found in sewers. Rats are persistent animals and once they gain access to your property, they can spread bacteria, diseases and cause a lot of damage.

How do you know if you have a Rat problem?

Although you may not have seen any rats, you may have heard scratching noises or found some small dark brown droppings. There may also be greasy rub marks on smooth surfaces, rat holes where they have created shelter, rat nests made from soft materials or footprints in dusty areas. Rats are mainly active at night so it’s possible that you may never actually see them.

Why control Rats?

There are a few issues to consider if you discover a rat infestation:

• Property damage – rats will gnaw their way through wires, insulation, pipes, woodwork and more. They also tend to make nests out of any soft material they can find such as insulation or fabrics
• Contamination – pathogens found in rat droppings and urine can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases such as Leptospirosis, commonly known as Weil’s Disease and Salmonellosis.
• Fire safety – the insurance sector have estimated that rodent damage to wiring is responsible for 25% of all electrical fires in buildings (info from BPCA)
• Reputation – if you have a rodent infestation, it doesn’t reflect well on your business. Customers could spot evidence of rats on your premises and no longer work with you
• Legal obligation – property owners have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises rodent free or to report infestations to the local authority (info from BPCA).

About Mice 

In the UK there are many species of mice but only a few are considered as pests and are therefore subject to control. The main species you may encounter in your home, garden or business are:

Field mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) rarely go into houses but will find sheds and barns during the winter. They have a passion for fruit and vegetables so are a particular threat to farms and small holdings.

House mice (Mus domesticus) are active all year round and often be found making themselves comfortable within your home or business premises.

Yellow necked field mice (Apodemus flavicollis) are mostly found in rural areas, however, they’re also well known to cause a fire risk by chewing through electrical wiring.

How do you know if you have a problem?

• Mice are mainly active at night so they can search for food and hide themselves during the day. Some common signs of mice to look out for include:
• Small, dark droppings on or inside cupboards and also along skirting boards
• Grease marks along walls, floors and skirtings which mark out the mouse’s regular travel routes
• Urine pillars, which are a combination of dirt, urine and body grease which can be up to 4cm high and 1cm wide
• You may hear scratching noises at night when mice are at their most active. They tend to be found in walls, under floorboards, in basements or lofts
• Nests are built using easy to shred materials such as cardboard and fabrics. They can be found in lofts, walls, under floorboards, in airing cupboards and behind appliances
• Footprints may be seen in unused areas where floors and walls are dusty
• Spotting a live or dead mouse during the day can be a sign of a heavy infestation
• Strong ammonia smells may be present because mice urinate frequently

How do you know if you have Bed Bugs on your property?

If you notice dark or black stains on a bed mattress, linen or surrounding area, these could be bed bug excrement. There may be an unpleasant sweet smell, small dark blood spots (‘faecal pellets’) or you may even see actual live bugs. Although individual bed bug bites may not be very noticeable to begin with, they can continue to occur in rows along the skin as the insects travel along blood vessels to feed.

Why control Bed Bugs?

There are a few issues to consider if you discover an infestation:

• Although bed bugs may not spread disease they can cause irritation and distress to children and adults
• The presence of bed bugs does not reflect well on a business and may cause reputation damage alongside financial costs
• If you live in a flat or terraced house, bed bugs can easily spread into your neighbours’ living areas so it’s important to take action fast
• Bed bugs can also hide in furniture as well as mattresses and bed linen – the whole bedroom area should be thoroughly checked (including walls and floors)
• If you buy second hand furniture, this should also be checked before you take it home
• If you have stayed in an infested room, immediately check your luggage and clothing for bugs when you return home (infested clothes and linen will need to be dry cleaned or washed at a very hot temperature)
• For accommodation providers, a professional can monitor and evaluate property for early signs of bed bug infestation before the problem spreads
• Self-treatment of a bed bug infestation doesn’t usually work. A trained professional has the skills and knowledge to deal with the correct species, using the heating methods or most appropriate insecticides

How do you know if you have ants on your property?

If you see lots of ants inside your house or business premises, then you will know that you have a problem. If you find them in your kitchen, then the infestation must be dealt with quickly to avoid contamination. Outside, you may see small piles of earth around holes in soil, in the cracks between paving slabs and at the base of walls which indicate entry and exit points to the ants’ nest.

Why control Ants?

There are a few issues to consider if you discover an infestation:

• Although ants are not generally thought to carry diseases, they will travel long distances and may have trodden in a variety of contaminants before trailing them across your floors and walls
• Ants travel a long way and are attracted by food! If you run a restaurant, contaminated stock will need to be disposed of to meet strict UK health & safety standards
• Business reputations (and financial budgets) may suffer if large numbers of ants are seen on the premises or are found in an area that should be maintaining high levels of hygiene
• Pharaoh ants - Unlike the majority of other insect pest species, insecticides are not always a suitable treatment for control. This is because when they sense danger, they will split their colony off into smaller groups and disperse away from the threat. Since there are typically multiple queens in each nest, this behaviour won’t have any long-term impact on their chances of survival. Instead, they can stay hidden until the danger has passed, before regrouping with the rest of the colony. Pharaoh ants will often split into 'satellite' colonies and spread into neighbouring properties. 
• Rather than attempting to directly poison the pharaoh we will instead often use a special formula gel and grain that prevents the ant larvae from maturing into adults. This also sterilizes the queens to stop them from breeding anymore. In this manner, the ant population will gradually drop off of its own accord. Using DIY sprays will always make the pest problem worse. 

Here in the UK, wasps are mainly classed as common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) or German wasps (Vespula germanica). Both are yellow and black striped and are known for their painful stings which can cause allergic and sometimes dangerous reactions. Often seen as an aggressive insect, the wasp will only attack when threatened but it tends to emit a distress pheromone which can make other members of its colony highly defensive and more prone to sting. When wasps are causing problems in a public area or are endangering human health, it may be necessary to prepare for wasp nest removal.

How do you know if you have a wasp nest on your land or property?

If you see a large number of wasps in and around your house, garden or office, there’s probably a wasp nest nearby. Queen wasps emerge from hibernation in the Spring and start working on a new wasp nest, which is made from chewed wood and saliva. She is joined by hundreds of “worker” wasps who continue to build the wasp nest and by the Summer, 300 eggs can be produced daily with up to 5,000 adults feeding grubs and maintaining the wasp nest. Wasps are likely to make their nests in sheltered spots so you’re likely to find them under trees, in bushes, in wall cavities, under eaves or in your shed or garage. They are at their peak in August and September when their work in the wasp nest is done and they start to become a nuisance!

Why control wasps?

There are a few issues to consider if you discover a wasp nest:

• Wasp stings are painful and can be fatal. For people who are allergic to wasp stings, anaphylactic shock can occur and this is a life-threatening reaction
• If you run a business and customers are bombarded by wasps they are likely to complain or even worse, stop visiting you
• You have a duty to protect your customers and staff as well as minimising the disruption to your business
• Wasps should only be treated if they pose a risk to public health and safety
• The earlier you treat a wasp nest, the less aggressive the colony is going to be
• Wasps do not die after one sting – they can sting you multiple times! Remember that when they feel threatened, wasps can become aggressive very quickly.

Flea control

The cat flea causes the most problems for British home owners and if an animal is not around or there are a lot of fleas, they resort to biting humans, usually around the ankles and legs.

Once fleas have established themselves within a home, animals will need to be carefully treated as well as the home itself by a flea control technician. Off the shelf aerosol products are not normally effective.