rats & mice | fleas | dust mites | ants | moles | squirrels | birds | wasps & hornets | rabbits |
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| Rats & Mice |
Rats and mice can contaminate and spread diseases, which can be harmful to humans as they live through their urine, droppings and hair. They can also cause damage by chewing cables and structures. |
| How do I identify it is a mouse? |
- Small browny/grey in colour
- Make little nests out of fibrous materials such as paper
- Active at night
- Small droppings
- Nibbled foods
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| How do I identify it is a rat? |
- Brown/Black in colour around 30-40cm long with the tail
- They leave droppings near food areas,
- Make burrows/tunnels in the ground causing structural damage to property/buildings
- Gnaw marks on cables etc.
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| Different way of controlling infestation of mice/rat: |
| House mice/rat infestation is most common when the colder weather comes. |
| Mice/rat problem occur where there is lack in hygiene and proofing. |
- Trapping
- Poison baiting
- Live catching
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| To reduce/prevent infestation of mice/rat: |
- ensure airbricks are in order
- inspect for access points around gas, electricity and water pipes
- that doors are proofed
- drainpipes have cone guards to prevent rats from climbing up the drain pipe
- store food carefully no traces of food sources in containers etc
- clean up any spillage
- remove rubbish
- clean on a regular basis
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| Fly & Fleas top |
| How do I identify it is a flea? |
| Adult fleas are between 1-3 mm long and brownish in colour. Their bodies are compressed from side to side which enables the flea to move through fur and feather with ease. The hind legs of a flea are relatively large and are used for jumping heights of up to 16 cm. |
| Flea eggs are pearl white in colour, oval shaped and approximately 0.5 mm long. |
| Adult fleas are visible to the naked eye, as brownish-red insects, that move quickly or jump. Fleas feed exclusively on warm blooded animals, drawing blood from their host by using their piercing mouth parts. As they pierce the skin they inject anti-blood clotting saliva to extract the blood of their host. As well as being found on the host, e.g. cat or dog, fleas and their eggs are frequently found in the animal's bedding or in carpets where the animal usually lies. |
| How do they affect me? |
| Fleas can be carriers of disease or may transmit parasitic worms. Both cat and dog fleas are intermediate hosts of the dog tapeworm which can sometimes be transmitted to man. Generally, in the UK fleas are not responsible for the transmission of disease. However, they are still objectionable due to the bites they inflict. Fleabites are identified as a small dark red spot surrounded by a reddened area. The bite persists for one or two days and maybe intensely irritating. Occasionally people become immune to fleabites. |
| The eggs hatch after one week into white thread-like larvae. The larvae thrive in dark, humid places such as carpets and animal bedding. |
| After two or three weeks when they are fully-grown the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate. The adult usually emerges within seven weeks but can remain as a pupa throughout the winter only emerging when triggered by the movement close by of a suitable host. This explains the occasional mass attacks which take place in homes that have been empty for a long time. The complete life cycle will normally last four weeks but may take longer at low temperatures. |
| Flea control measures depend to a large extent on the size of the infestation. In most instances infestations of well-kept houses can be easily traced to pets. Control measures must be directed at the brood as well as the adult flea. |
| Different ways of controlling infestation of fleas |
| Insecticidal Control |
| Insecticides can be used to treat premises infested by fleas and will help protect them from re-infestation. However, for the treatment to be successful the host animal must be treated as well. Insecticidal products are available which have been especially formulated for use on host animals and are available from most veterinary surgeries or pet shops. Care should be taken to follow the manufacturers instructions. |
| Please follow the instructions outlined below prior to having treatment domestic flea problems: |
- Remove all small items from the floor
- Thoroughly vacuum clean the house and throw away the bag. If using a bagless vacuum cleaner clean out the chamber with disinfectant.
- All the carpeted areas of the house will be sprayed.
- The property must then be vacated for at least 4 hours. All pets must be removed too.
- After the treatment do not vacuum for at least 14 days.
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| To reduce/prevent the risk of infestation of fleas |
- Provide your cat or dog with a flea collar.
- Check your animal for fleas on a regular basis.
- Treat your cat or dog with an approved flea product.
- Brush your cat or dog thoroughly with a flea comb.
- Don't forget to treat your pet's basket/bedding area.
- Maintain a good level of housekeeping.
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| Good Housekeeping |
| Regular and thorough cleaning will deny fleas a breeding site and make an important contribution towards their control. Infested beds and bedding should either be thoroughly cleaned or sealed in a polythene sack and disposed of with normal household refuse. Accumulations of dust and debris should be removed from cracks and crevices and carpets vacuumed paying particular attention to the edges or under the furniture e.g. chairs etc. If pets lie on furniture this should also be cleaned paying attention to under cushions, crevices etc. |
| Dust Mites top |
| The house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is about half the size of a dot or full stop. The mite has no eyes, no organised breathing system, cannot drink and lives for approximately 3-4 months. Twenty droppings a day may be produced by the mite, which means approximately 2000 during its lifetime. The house dust mites can get nourishment from its own droppings and may eat them up to three times over. The females can lay from 60-100 eggs depending upon living conditions, which ideally, are warm dark and damp for breeding mites. |
| Ways of controlling infestation of dust mites: |
- Freeze - Putting soft toys or small soft furnishings in the freezer overnight will kill the dust mites.
- Lower Humidity - Tumble dry soft furnishings on a hot setting or place in direct sunlight to kill the dust mites.
- Washing - Wash sheets and blankets at 60c
- Avoidance - Dust mites need damp areas to survive.
- Have a professional treatment
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| Ants top |
| Ants on the premises can infest and contaminate foodstuffs, contaminate sterile areas and invade hospitals or at home can have serious consequences: |
- Loss contaminated food and other products will have to be thrown away
- Fear hospital patients can be alarmed by the appearance of ants
- Reputation compromised health and hygiene can lead to lost trading revenue
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| Sign of ants |
- Live insects
- Ant pathways in and out of your premises
- Small heaps of earth or dirt indicating nest sites.
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| To reduce/prevent the risk of infestation of ants |
- Keep premises clean
- Identify the species youll require professional help here
- Proof access points against Garden Ants
- Deploy Luminos Units against Rogers Ant
- Set up regular ant control inspection visits by qualified technician.
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| Different ways of controlling infestation of ants |
| · Insecticide |
| · Insect Proofing |
| · Bait Station |
| · Luminos Range |
| · Insect Monitor Unit |
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| Moles top |
Moles damage lawns and agricultural land by digging hills and tunnels. The hills cause nuisance to lawns and flowerbeds while tunnels damage the roots of plants.
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| Methods used of controlling moles |
- Trapping locate the runs and set trap as required in the run/s.
- Gassing locate the runs and strategically place aluminium phosphate tablet in the mole run/s
- Live catching - a trap that catches the mole alive without harming it so it can be removed & released elsewhere. Requires to be checked on a daily basis.
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| How do I identify if it is a mole? |
- Moles very rarely come above ground.
- They leave tunnels just below the surface or dig deeper tunnels 10-40cm underground and leave a hill of soil.
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Grey Squirrels top |
Grey Squirrels can cause a lot of damage to loft spaces, woodlands, gardens etc.
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| Methods used of controlling squirrel |
- Trapping - suitable in loft spaces, gardens and woodlands
- Poison restricted to certain time of the year
- Shooting to our discretion depends on the location
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| Birds and Pigeons top |
| Birds can cause a lot of damage, their droppings damage buildings/premises and can spread diseases. |
| Methods used of controlling birds |
- Trapping - Larsen trap control Magpies/Jays and Rooks
- Bird repeller/spike - to prevent birds (pigeons, gulls and starlings etc) from roosting and leaving droppings on building and other premises.
- In some cases poisoning - only certain species and time of the year.
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Wasps and Hornets top |
| Being stung by a wasp, hornets or bee is not a pleasant experience. Some people are allergic to stings and can in some cases be life threatening. |
| We can offer same day service/callout for this type of control. |
| Methods used of controlling wasps and hornet |
- Specialist Insect Powder blown into the nest hide entrance, it is picked up and carried into the nest by returning wasps, killing the nest within a few days.
- Foam to be applied by customer same method used as powder but can be sprayed from a distance of 2 meter.
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| How do I identify it is a wasp or hornet? |
- Nest is made out of chewed wood approx 30 cm across or larger could be found under roof eaves, in lofts, in sheds or in other out buildings.
- They are more active at the end of the summer
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It is preferable to destroy a nest earlier in the year rather than later as the wasp become more aggressive in the warmer weather. |
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| Rabbits top |
Rabbits have increased considerably in number in the last few years, especially in the countryside.
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Rabbits cause a lot of damage to river/railway embankments, Trees, agricultural land, gardens etc.
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| Methods used of controlling rabbits |
- Trapping kill or live trapping
- Snaring used in rare situations, needs to be checked on a daily basis.
- Shooting to our discretion depends on location. To be combined with another method of controlling rabbits.
- Gassing Fumigation of burrows using poisonous gas
- Rabbit repellent painting or spraying vulnerable areas of the bark this method is seasonable.
- Ferreting this method is not the most effective one.
- Fencing/proofing Fencing is humane and environmentally friendly a suitable solution of reducing crop/garden losses caused by rabbits. Wire mesh and or electric fence is buried and/or covered with cut turves, plastic mesh tree guards can be put in place to protect bark or young trees.
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