Pest ID Tools
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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, 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 5mm 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 which 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 which 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 is pale coloured with a dark thorax and head. Control must be left to professional operators.
Bats
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for all species of bat found in the United Kingdom. It is illegal to kill, or even disturb, bats in their roosts.
If bats are present, and there is a possibility of them being disturbed, you should consult:
- Natural England : Tel: 0114 241 8920
- Scottish Natural Heritage Tel: 0131 447 4784, or
- Countryside Council for Wales Tel: 08451 306229
They will arrange for a person to visit the site and advise on the best course of action.
Bats may only be handled by those licensed to do so.
Bedbugs
A once common pest of slum dwellings, now reduced by improved standards of hygiene. Still occur with regularity, particularly in multi-occupancy buildings with rapid resident turnover, for example, hostels, holiday camps and blocks of flats.
The adult bug resembles a small brown disc, about 3.5mm long – the size of a match head. It is wingless but the legs are well developed and it can crawl up most vertical surfaces, e.g. bed legs. The elongated eggs are cemented in cracks or crevices close to the hosts (which for bed-bugs are humans).
The young resemble the adult and grow by moulting. Each nymphal stage needs one full meal of blood before it proceeds to the next stage. Fully-grown bed bugs can endure starvation for up to a year in some cases.
Infested rooms may have bugs under wallpaper or in crevices in the furniture and joinery. They generally emerge to feed at night and their bite can cause severe local irritation. They also produce a characteristic unpleasant smell.
REMEDY: Treatment is less drastic than that recommended in 1680… "take gun powder, lay it about the crevices in the bedstead, light it and keep the smoke in."
Today insecticidal surface and space sprays, or heat treatment of premises, clothing and bedding will be necessary; but this is a job for a reputable pest control contractor.
Bees
Providers of honey and almost universally viewed with affection by the public, honey bees are one of the most well known insects. Many species of bee are found in the United Kingdom. Some produce honey, some do not. Some live in highly organised colonies, some on their own. Some sting, some do not.
Bees rarely present problems as pests. However, feral swarms can set up home in undesirable places such as chimneys and wall cavities. Bee keepers may be reluctant to take such swarms due to a parasitic mite which many swarms carry. Control may, therefore, be necessary. Bees are not protected and control is best left to professionals; honey bees have a barbed sting and die once they have used this.
They will sting when provoked. Attempts to kill them will provoke them.
Once the nest has been killed, efforts must be made to remove it or seal it in.
The honey within it will attract bees from other hives which may then themselves be poisoned, as well as their nests, by the pesticides used. Insects and mites will also thrive on the honey and dead grubs within the nest and may cause problems.
Masonry bees may occasionally cause problems. Unlike honey bees these are solitary insects. They nest in a wide range of cavities some of which they excavate themselves. The nest is constructed of sand grains and other particles glued together with saliva.
Masonry bees are normally harmless, their sting seemingly unable to penetrate human skin. On occasions though they can present a problem due to their ability to build nests by tunnelling through soft brick mortar, generally in older properties.
Only rarely do large numbers occur together but due to the fact that vulnerable buildings tend to be repeatedly attacked, quite severe damage can occur over several seasons. Modern houses are not immune either.
Small gaps left in otherwise sound mortar may be colonised. Although this is not a problem from a structural point of view, some householders are distressed by such activity.
In the long term, re-pointing with sound mortar is the only answer. This must be thorough however, as bees hunting for a nest site will soon locate areas that have been missed. Small individual holes are easily filled.
Treatment with insecticides is not normally necessary but where damage is serious or great distress is being caused, insecticides can be used. Application of an insecticide to the entry hole will quickly kill the occupants.
Birds
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds, their nests and eggs. However, specific exemptions permit certain species to be controlled by particular methods for specific reasons.
Control of birds through population reduction techniques is generally both less desirable and less effective than removing their food sources or blocking off sites where they perch or roost. The latter technique, known as proofing, is now used extensively with blunt spikes, sprung wires and nets installed on buildings to keep birds off without harming them.
The law relating to bird control is complex. An excellent explanatory booklet 'Wild Birds and the Law' is available from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL.
Tel: 01767 680551.
Biscuit Beetles
These are closely related to Common Furniture Beetles or Woodworm. They are small reddish-brown insects, only about 3mm long, which attack stored foods in domestic larders.
Flour, biscuits, cake mixes, cereals, spices, meat and soup powders will attract them, and they have even been found thriving on such poisonous substances as strychnine, belladonna and aconite – hence the beetle's American name; Drug Store Beetle.
They have been known to penetrate tin foil and lead, and have even bored through a shelf-full of books.
The white larvae are very small and quite active when they hatch. They feed and grow for about four months before knitting themselves cocoons of food particles in which to pupate.
REMEDY: Throw out any infested food and thoroughly clean out any food residues from areas where the beetles or their grubs are found; then use a puffer pack of insect powder or a household insecticide aerosol over the surfaces and into any crevices where they may lurk. Select a product labelled for the control of beetles.
Black Rats
The old English ship rat or roof rat that brought the Black Death across Europe in the 14th century and the Great Plague of London in the 17th century.
They are still occasionally to be found in seaport towns but have mostly been ousted by their voracious big cousin, the larger Brown Rat from central Europe.
See also Brown Rats and Rats
Blow Flies
Blow flies are so called because they were believed to "blow" their eggs, or larvae on to exposed meats. It is a general description of a number of species of large buzzing flies, which include the Bluebottle, the Greenbottle and the Flesh Fly. They all like sunlight and are attracted to meat or carrion, and all may be found around dustbins in hot summer weather.
Their feeding habits (they vomit onto food to soften it up) and filthy feet, infect food, especially meat products, as they feed or seek egg-laying sites. Their Latin names indicate their habits; Calliphora vomitoria, Sarcophaga carnaria and Cyanomyia cadaverina are but three members of the group with a great capacity for transmitting the bacterial agents of food poisoning.
See also Bluebottles and Flies
Bluebottles
The Bluebottle is a large buzzing fly with shiny, metallic blue body, 6-12mm long.
One Bluebottle can lay up to 600 eggs, which in warm weather will hatch in under 48 hours and produce maggots which can become fully developed in a week. These maggots burrow into meat or carrion as they feed on it, and then pupate, often in loose soil, for about ten days before emerging as adult flies from the brown pupal case.
Bluebottles, like other flies, are often found around refuse tips, rotting animal matter, dirt and dustbins. They commute from filth to food, and carry bacteria on their legs, feet and bodies.
REMEDY: Keep dustbins clean, with tight lids and away from doors or windows.
Keep meat and other food covered. Use an insecticidal dustbin powder. Indoors, use an aerosol flyspray. Consider fitting fly screens over kitchen and dining area windows.
Booklice
These fast moving, minute, cream-coloured or light brown insects, only 1mm long, occur in small numbers in many premises. There are several species, known collectively as Psocids. All have soft bodies. Very few species have wings. They are not related to the parasitic lice (see Lice).
Sticky, pearl-coloured eggs are cemented to damp surfaces and, instead of a larval stage, the insect matures through four recognisable nymphal stages, taking about a fortnight in total.
The adult booklice are believed to feed on microscopic moulds that grow on the glue of book-bindings or on damp cardboard, damp food (especially cereals) or on the surfaces of plaster, leather or wood inside buildings.
They can occur in huge numbers in new properties where the plaster is still damp. One species of booklouse produces an audible tapping noise by banging its abdomen against paper or wood.
REMEDY: Remove all infested food, wipe away any visible mould, thoroughly ventilate and dry the area where they are found. If possible, heat the room where they occur to a high temperature.
They survive poorly in dry cold or dry heat.
Brown House Moth
The commonest of the so-called clothes moths, with characteristic golden-bronze wings, flecked with black, folded flat along its back. The adult is about 8mm long and prefers to run rather than fly.
The related White Shouldered House Moth has mottled wings with a white head and "shoulders" where the wings join the body. Eggs are attached to fabric on which grubs will feed. The larvae are creamy-white caterpillars with brown heads.
They grow up to 18mm long, feeding on wool, hair, fur, feathers, cork or debris from food such as dried fruit or cereals, and are common scavengers in old birds' nests, from which they may enter buildings.
The caterpillars spin silken cocoons in which they pupate. The life cycle takes several months to complete. Only the larval stage feeds, as a general scavenger as well as a textile pest.
REMEDY: Man-made fibres have reduced the house moth problem, but sensible precautions include scrupulous cleaning of all woollens and storing them and furs in sealed polythene bags or closely wrapped in paper in tightly closed drawers or cupboards - preferably in a cool room.
Fold in a disc of moth repellent. Hang moth repellents in wardrobes. Before putting clothes in store, spray them with an aerosol mothproofer. Modern moth repellents do not all smell of naphthalene.
Clear out old birds' nests or pieces of fabric from the loft.
Clean carpets regularly paying special attention to the edges. Spray any affected garments, fabrics, wool or carpets with a proprietary aerosol mothproofer, especially along seams, folds and into any gaps in floors or shelves where fluff collects. Spray the underfelt (not rubberised underlays) and the carpet backing. Upholstery can be sprayed with moth-proofer or it can be fumigated by a suitably qualified contractor.
See also Clothes Moths
Brown Rats
The common or Norway rat, also known as the sewer rat. May weigh half a kilogram and measure 23cm long, exclusive of its tail.
Colour varies from brown to black but this species is distinguished from the true Black Rat by its small size, small blunt muzzle and its tail being shorter than its body length.
See also Rats
Carpet Beetles
The larvae (known as "woolly bears") of these small, oval beetles have outstripped the clothes moths as the major British textile pest. The Variegated Carpet Beetle is 2 to 4mm long, like a small, mottled brown, grey and cream ladybird. The related Fur Beetle is black with one spot on each wing case, and there is a rarer Black Carpet Beetle.
The larvae are small (about 4mm long), covered in brown hairs, and tend to roll up when disturbed.
As they grow, they moult - and the old cast-off skins may be the first sign of infestation. Adults are often seen in April, May and June, seeking egg-laying sites; and the grubs are most active in October before they hibernate.
The adult Carpet Beetle feeds only on pollen and nectar of garden flowers but lays its eggs in old birds' nests, felt, fabric or accumulated fluff in buildings. It is the larvae from these eggs that do the damage. They feed on feathers, fur, hair, or wool and tend to wander along the pipes from roofs into airing cupboards - which house the clothes and blankets which constitute the food.
The life cycle takes about a year, and the grubs can survive starvation in hard times for several months.
Carpet beetle damage consists of fairly well-defined round holes along the seams of fabric where the grubs bite through the thread.
REMEDY: Check the loft and eaves for old birds' nests or dead birds and remove them. Vacuum clean all fluff and debris from airing cupboards, shelves, floorboards, carpets and upholstery. Lift carpets and underlay and clean floor and carpet thoroughly.
An insecticide is needed to deal with woolly bears and affected items should be sprayed or dusted with a product labelled for carpet beetle control. Treat between floorboards, under carpets and underfelts and into crevices where fluff may collect and attract the insects.
Consider using a professional company as these pests can cause significant damage.
Cat Fleas
The commonest of the pest species of flea in Britain; it does not confine itself to cats.
Use only special veterinary products to treat affected domestic animals themselves. Pet bedding may be treated with any powder or aerosol product labelled for flea control. If the problem persists call a professional.
See also Fleas
Cats
As mouse-killers their efficiency varies enormously. Few of them really come up to scratch. They cannot often get into areas where mice can live in a building.
In addition most house cats have lost the hunting ability of a good farm "mouser" and may even bring live rodents into properties.
Cats are unacceptable in food preparation areas and, indeed, wild cats breeding under hotels and hospitals can be reservoirs of flea infestation as well as causing problems with noise and smell.
Cheese Skipper
A small shiny black fly with reddish eyes whose slender grubs "skip" by curving their body into a ring and releasing themselves.
The larvae burrow into cheese or ham and can cause internal irritation if eaten.
REMEDY: Keep storage shelves free from grease or cheese crumbs and keep meat and cheese covered in a cool place. If infestation occurs, remove food, thoroughly clean surfaces and spray or dust with a product labelled for fly control.
Clothes Moths
There are several species of clothes moths, all of them characterised by folding their wings tent-wise along their backs. The adult Common Clothes Moth is 6 to 7mm long with pale, plain golden-buff wings fringed with hair. The rarer Case-Bearing Clothes Moth, is duller and has three dark brown spots on each of its wings.
The adults do no damage when feeding.
It is the larvae which hatch from the sticky eggs that eat wool, hair, fur or feathers – with a preference for blankets, wool carpets, wool garments or upholstery that have been soiled with perspiration or food. The grubs are white caterpillars with golden-brown heads, which spin a hiding place of characteristic loose silk webbing, beneath which they feed.
They make irregular holes in textile fabrics and pupate as silken cocoons. The Case Bearing Clothes Moth grub produces an open ended cylindrical case of silk as it feeds, and attaches fibres of its food material to this in order to camouflage itself.
For control measures: See Brown House Moths
Cluster Flies
These are dark greyish flies about 8mm long with yellowish hairs on the back and with overlapping wings. In autumn they congregate in large numbers in upper rooms or roof spaces of houses to hibernate. A mass of cluster flies has a characteristic smell. They are sluggish in flight and are a nuisance in the house.
The larvae of one species are parasitic upon certain earthworms, so this species is more common in rural areas.
REMEDY: Cluster flies can often most easily be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Aerosol flykillers deal with smaller numbers. Pest control contractors may use insecticidal fogs or smoke generators to clear heavy infestations. Unless dealt with properly they will return year after year.
See also Yellow Swarming Flies
Cockchafers
Large blundering insects also known as May-bugs which are attracted to artificial light and fly into houses or collide with windows on warm evenings in May and June.
The adult is 20 to 25mm long with a heavily built brown body and wing cases with the tip of the abdomen bent downwards.
Despite a rather formidable appearance, the May bug is harmless and is only a minor agricultural pest.
REMEDY: Close windows if you leave lights on at night, or proof open windows with insect screens.
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 15mm long. The Common or Oriental cockroach is 20 to 24mm 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 13mm 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 harbourages, 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.
Crab Lice
A human parasite. This nasty little (3mm) parasitic louse feeds on blood and sets up home among the pubic hairs. Mercifully rare in Britain it is usually, but not always, acquired through sexual contact. With a characteristic brown crab-like appearance they produce severe irritation where they bite.
REMEDY: Easily treated with a pharmaceutical product, but seek a doctor's advice.
Crane Flies
The familiar Daddy-Longlegs. A large mosquito-like fly with a long narrow body, which enters buildings in late summer. Harmless, although unpleasant in appearance. Its larva is the "leather- jacket" which damages grass roots.
REMEDY: Any household flykiller aerosol will knockdown and kill crane flies.
Crickets
Closely related to the cockroaches, most species of cricket live outdoors, only rarely entering premises. One species, however; the House Cricket, may live within buildings throughout the year. 16mm long and yellow brown with darker markings on head and thorax it favours warm, humid locations such as the heating duct systems of hospitals.
They are less common in domestic households than they once were largely because of the loss of the traditional fireplace. They are nocturnal and are considered a pest mainly because of the chirping of the males, produced by their front wings being rubbed together. They may damage foodstuffs and fabrics.
REMEDY: Like cockroaches they can be difficult to eradicate. Suitably labelled sprays and powders applied to harbourages will help, but persistent problems should be dealt with by a BPCA member contractor or your local authority environmental health department.
Death Watch Beetles
A woodboring beetle whose grubs eat old hardwood structural timbers. Practically a status symbol for owners of stately homes in which the beetle family has probably lived since they were built.
Adults rarely fly, so infestations are diminishing as old buildings are either treated or demolished. The death watch beetle does not like modern softwood house timbers.
Grubs live up to ten years inside timber, emerging as mottled grey/brown beetles about 7mm long, through exit holes about 4mm in diameter. When adult, they produce a rapid tapping sound by beating their heads against the wood as a mating call.
REMEDY: Persistent and thorough use of a proprietary woodworm killer will deal with small outbreaks, or call in a wood preservation company.
See also Woodworm
Dust Mite Allergy
Asthmatic conditions in many people are worsened or induced by inhaling the microscopic bodies of the House Dust Mite.
REMEDY: This creature is present in virtually every home and those suffering allergic reactions to it must take steps to reduce the amount of dust in the home, for example, through the use of plastic filled pillows, special bedding and by working their vacuum cleaner overtime.
Improved ventilation and thorough airing of bedding is very important in modern, centrally-heated, double-glazed houses.
Seek medical advice if symptoms persist.
See also House Dust Mites and Mites
Earwigs
A long, narrow, brown insect 10 to 14mm long with characteristic "pincers" at one end, the earwig is often carried indoors in cut flowers or house plants and often invades from the garden through open windows, sometimes in large numbers.
Harmless in the house, but it can be discouraged by keeping creepers or vegetation cut back from walls near windows and dusting humid corners where they congregate with an insect powder.
A garden insecticide may be used outdoors and on vegetation.
Field Mice
Outdoor cousins of the House Mouse, which tend to move indoors in the winter seeking their creature comforts. The Wood Mouse or Long-Tailed Field Mouse has larger ears, more prominent eyes and a longer tail than the House Mouse and is brownish with a white underside. Fond of apples and stored food.
REMEDY: Use suitably labelled proprietary rodenticide. Block up any obvious holes by which the mouse may enter the house.
See also Mice
Fleas
Small (2mm) wingless insects, flattened side to side, red-brown with backwardly directed spines and legs designed for jumping. All adult fleas are parasitic on warm-blooded animals. Larval stages live in the nest of the host and feed on skin, feathers and, most importantly, the blood-rich faeces of the adult flea. When fully grown the larvae spin well camouflaged silken cocoons. When fully developed the adult waits within this until it detects the vibrations caused by a potential host. Only then does it emerge.
The complete lifecycle takes about a month in the summer. Adult fleas feed on blood. Their bites can cause intense irritation around the central bright red spot. Different people react differently to a bite, both in terms of degree of reaction and time taken to react.
The Cat Flea is by far the commonest species of flea and readily bites humans. The Human Flea and the Bird Flea are next in importance. Dog fleas are rare, although other species may become temporarily attached to dogs.
REMEDY: Always treat infested pets with a special veterinary aerosol, powder, shampoo or medication. Burn infested bedding and spray, or dust, a suitably labelled insecticide into all cracks and crevices in walls and floors. Remove any old birds' nests you find lurking in the eaves or the loft.
For rapid clearance of a badly infested building employ a pest control contractor, who is a BPCA member. Most wild animals have their own specific species of flea which tend to stay with them.
Flies
"God in his wisdom made the fly,
And then forgot to tell us why".
(Ogden Nash)
A family of two-winged polluters that is, too often, tolerated within our homes.
Apart from the biting flies, all species feed by vomiting saliva on to the food surface, and sucking up the resulting liquid. In the course of doing so, the fly contaminates the food with bacteria from its gut and its feet. Thus, it may transmit food poisoning, dysentery, typhoid or cholera in countries where these occur.
The eggs of parasitic worms may also be carried by flies.
REMEDY: Scrupulous hygiene and prompt disposal of all refuse will discourage flies. Windows may be fitted with fly screens. Food should be kept covered. Dustbins should be sited away from doors and windows, have tight-fitting lids and be sprayed or dusted inside and beneath with a household insecticide in warm weather.
Flykiller aerosols will kill flies quickly and sticky flypapers are also available.
There are also ultra-violet electric flykillers suitable for food premises.
See also Bluebottles and Cluster Flies.
Flour Beetles
Small reddish-brown beetles about 3-4mm long that feed on flour and cereal debris in warm buildings. May be accidentally introduced into the larder in packaging or in the ingredients themselves.
Commonest species are the Rust Red Flour Beetle and the Confused Flour Beetle (which in turn is often confused with the Rust Red Flour Beetle).
May produce five generations in a year and adults can live for over a year. The eggs stick to flour particles and the yellow-brown larvae, about 6mm long, crawl about very actively.
REMEDY: Clear out infested food, clean the area thoroughly and apply a spray insecticide labelled for stored product beetle control.
Flour Mites
A minute, slow-moving, white or pale-brown creature only a barely visible 0.5mm long, with eight legs. A pest of cereals and cereal products especially if they are damp.
REMEDY: Burn or otherwise dispose of infested food, remove all debris and thoroughly dry out the areas where the mites occur.
See also Mites
Flour Moths
Moths whose grubs feed on stored food - especially cereals, chocolate, cocoa,dried fruit, nuts and any sort of flour product.
Adults are mottled grey and brown.
10-15mm long. Larvae are dirty white with brown heads and grow up to 12-15mm long, spinning a light, matted webbing as they feed.
Both grubs and adults, therefore, can be pests in the kitchen, to which they may be introduced from shop or mill.
REMEDY: Destroy infested food, or return it to the shop with a complaint. Clean out the store cupboard and spray or dust surfaces with a product labelled for stored product moth control.
Foxes
The red fox is native to the British Isles, and widespread throughout mainland Britain.Foxes moved into urban areas after the First World War due to a change in people's lifestyles. The new transport systems allowed people to work in one place and to live in another, leading to the building of suburban housing in once rural areas.
Rural foxes quickly urbanised, taking advantage of the food and shelter provided in the relatively large gardens, from compost heaps, bird-tables and garden buildings. Foxes are now accustomed to living near to people and successive generations have spread inwards towards the city centre. There are now more opportunities of food and shelter for foxes in towns and cities than in the surrounding countryside. Although foxes are predominantly nocturnal, it is not unusual to see urban foxes out during the day.
REMEDY: Foxes are controlled using live catch traps that are baited and set in areas of known fox activity.
It is a requirement of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to check all live catch traps at least once every 24 hours. However, it is strongly recommended to check them once every 12 hours. All trapped animals must be treated humanely.
Causing unnecessary suffering, whether deliberately or through neglect is an offence. The provisions of The Protection of Animals Act 1911 and the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 should be considered.
Foxes are becoming more and more common in urban society and can cause problems in people’s gardens and threaten the lives of pets. Foxes are known carriers of sarcoptic mange (scabies), which can be transferred to humans. They also carry distemper virus which can be fatal for dogs and other beloved pets.
Fruit Flies
A family of very small (about 3mm) flies, some with prominent red eyes, characterised by a slow hovering flight in which the abdomen hangs down.
All are associated with rotting fruit and vegetables or fermenting liquids. One species breeds in sour milk, for example, in the residue of forgotten milk bottles.
REMEDY: Remove all "empties", bottles or cans, and check for rotting fruit, vegetables or pools of spilled liquid. A flykiller may be used to control small outbreaks in the home.
Fungus Beetles
A general term for various very small (3mm) beetles that feed on moulds in ill-ventilated, damp buildings.
REMEDY Ventilation and drying will eliminate them, so simply air and heat the room.
See also Plaster Beetles
Fur Beetles
An oval black beetle 4-6mm long with a white spot on each wing case. Grubs are about 6mm long, with a tuft of golden hairs on the end of their bodies.
They can often be detected by their cast-off skins as they moult. Grubs feed on fur, hair, skins, feathers and wool and may damage upholstery.
REMEDY: Check the loft and eaves for old birds' nests or dead birds. Spray or dust affected items; carpets, clothing etc. with an insecticide product labelled for beetle control on such surfaces.
See also Carpet Beetles
Furniture Beetles
A small brown beetle, 2.5-5mm long, that is the adult form of woodworm. Emerges from infested wood between May and September, especially in June and July, leaving round exit holes 1-2mm in diameter.
See Woodworm
Furniture Mites
A tiny speck of "living dust". If the dust gets up and walks away from you, it is Furniture Mites. About 0.5mm long, with eight tiny legs, they infest certain types of upholstered furniture - especially vegetable fibres in damp conditions.
May cause an allergic reaction in sensitive people.
REMEDY: Heat infested rooms to an uncomfortably high temperature and thorough dry and ventilate them.
Employ a pest control company to treat the house for mite infestation.
See also Mites
Gnats
The insect normally referred to as a gnat is actually a small mosquito - correct name: Culex pipiens. It is common in gardens on warm evenings. Another species, the true Window Gnat, is a slow-flying insect about 8mm long with wings more rounded than those of the mosquito.
The wings are strongly veined with dark tips. Eggs of the Window Gnat are laid on rotting fruit or vegetables or other moist food and the larvae may contaminate home-made wines or honeycombs.
It is one of several species known as "filter flies" which breed in sewage filters; so homes near to sewage works may be invaded by them.
REMEDY: The Window Gnat tends to stay on windows and is therefore easily killed by a good swat, or by spraying with a fly killer aerosol.
See also Mosquitoes
Green Bottles
Large buzzing flies about 9mm long with a characteristic bottle-green sheen on the back. Mostly carrion feeders that enter houses to seek places to hibernate and, in passing, may well alight on exposed foodstuffs.
See Bluebottles and Blow Flies
Ground Beetles
Various large black or violet beetles that occasionally wander in from the garden or emerge from under door-mats. The larger ones grow up to 25mm long.
They are harmless and no treatment is necessary.
Gulls
Gulls are probably the fastest growing population of pest birds in the UK. Their behaviour has altered over the past 20 years and they now prefer to build their nests on rooftops rather than cliff faces.
Gulls are scavengers and feed from scraps of food in town centers as well as sewerage outlets and domestic refuse tips.
Gulls are large and aggressive and have been known to attack people as well as domestic pets and other animals.
The noise, mess and smell associated with with Gulls can often become intolerable for people working in buildings where a gull colony has been established. Once a colony has been established, gulls will return year after year.
The number of gull breeding colonies on rooftops in the UK is increasing by nearly 30% a year.
See also Birds
Harvest Mites
A very tiny creature living in long grass but which can be carried into homes on clothing or the coats of dogs. Can give a very irritating bite.
REMEDY: If you live in an area where this is common, put a proprietary insect repellent on wrists, cuffs, and legs before venturing into the long grass. Anti-histamines will relieve the itching. Dogs should be dusted with a veterinary product labelled for mite control.
See also Mites
Harvestmen
Harmless spider-like creatures with eight exceptionally long, thin legs. They do not spin webs but occasionally wander into homes.
REMEDY: Household insecticide products labelled for crawling insects will deal with them.
Head Lice
A medical problem more common since the development of "resistant" strains of lice.
The head louse is a blood-sucking parasite about 3mm long, greyish, but adapting to the hair colour of its host. The tiny, pearly eggs or "nits" are cemented to the hair close to the scalp and there are three nymphal stages. The eggs hatch in about eight days and the complete life cycle takes about 18 days.
The bites cause inflammation and itching, which leads to affected children scratching the scalp, introducing secondary infections such as impetigo or eczema, or literally feeling lousy.
REMEDY: There are effective insecticidal pharmaceutical lotions and shampoos, but, preferably these should be prescribed by a doctor.
Hornets
Twice the size of the common wasp and brown and yellow instead of black and yellow. Builds nests in hollow trees and similar sites and individuals only occasionally enter houses.
For control methods, see Wasps
House Dust Mite
Exceedingly common, minute creatures of the genus Dermatophagoides. The main source of the house dust allergens implicated in allergic, respiratory reactions such as asthma.
Feed on human skin scales and require both warmth and humidity. Mattresses and pillows provide ideal habitat.
REMEDY: Air bedding, thoroughly vacuum, improve ventilation, fit dehumidifiers, cover mattresses and pillows with appropriate covers.
See also Dust Mite Allergy, Furniture Mites and Mites
House Flies
"If you followed a fly for a day, you wouldn't eat for a week".
The Common Housefly and the Lesser Housefly are the most widespread household flies. The adult is 7-8mm long, grey in colour with black stripes on the back, with a single pair of veined membraneous wings.
The large compound eyes take up most of the head and are wider apart in the female than the male of the species. The smaller Lesser Housefly, rejoicing in the scientific name Fannia canicularis, is the one that cruises around light fittings, abruptly changing direction in mid-flight.
The Housefly has a sticky pad on each of its six hairy feet, and these enable it to walk upside down on ceilings or crawl up windows.
Houseflies complete their life cycle of egg, maggot, pupa, adult in a week during warm weather. The eggs are laid in batches of about 120 on rotting organic matter and the legless white maggots burrow into this food until ready to pupate in loose soil or rubbish.
The answer to "where do flies go in the winter?" is that some hibernate, but most pass the winter in the pupal stage.
Houseflies may transmit a wide range of bacterial diseases.
REMEDY: See Flies and Bluebottles
House Mice
Burns' "Wee sleekit, cowring, timorous beastie" is nothing of the kind.
The grey House Mouse with big ears, long whiskers and long, hairless tail is a major pest.
See Mice
House Moths
Textile pests and scavengers whose grubs eat natural fabrics. Similar to Clothes Moths.
See also Brown House Moths and Clothes Moths
Lacewing
The pale green Lacewing is a harmless wanderer from the garden or woods where its larvae prey upon other insects.
It has a pale green, soft body, about 15mm long, with richly veined transparent wings folded over it when at rest. The eyes are an iridescent bronze. The adults are attracted to light and may enter houses in autumn seeking hibernation sites.
Treatment is not necessary.
Ladybirds (Harlequin)
The Harlequin ladybird is found naturally in the Far East, including Japan and Korea. It was introduced into several European countries as a predator of pest insects such as aphids, in greenhouses. However it was soon found living 'wild' in Belgium in 2001, in Germany in 2003, and in the UK in 2005. Within the UK, it was first reported in the London area, but is now rapidly spreading north and west. At present it appears likely that the Harlequin ladybird will become widely established in the UK.
Numbers of large ladybirds active on the outside of buildings, and sometimes entering buildings, may cause concern to residents. The peak of this autumn activity is restricted to a few weeks only, but once inside wandering ladybirds may occur on mild days throughout the winter. When disturbed, the beetles produce a foul smelling liquid, which may also stain fabrics etc. They do no damage to the building itself.
Being more vigorous than our native ladybird species, there are concerns that it may have a negative impact on their numbers.
Remedy: For properties that have regular problems with ladybirds entering the building, proofing of entry points will reduce future problems.
Ladybirds within buildings may be removed with a vacuum cleaner.
Residual insecticides labelled for 'beetles' or 'crawling insects' and applied into crevices and entry points around buildings are likely to kill Harlequin ladybirds, but beware; native ladybird species may also be present in the same hibernation sites within buildings.
Larder Beetles
A fairly large (7-10mm) oval beetle, almost black but with a distinct pale band across the front of the wing-cases. The larvae are white after first hatching, but turn brown and are covered with tufts of bristly hair. They grow to 10-12mm long and occasionally tunnel into soft wood to pupate. The life cycle takes about three months.
Both beetle and larvae are scavengers, feeding on scraps of food - especially ham, bacon or cheese, or on dead mice or birds. They often enter houses from old birds' nests.
One of a family called the Dermestid beetles, meaning "skin eaters". Related species include the dark-brown Leather Beetle and the very similar Dermestes haemorrhoidalis, which perhaps not surprisingly has no English name.
REMEDY: Check lofts, eaves and odd neglected corners for corpses or nests. Destroy badly infested food and thoroughly clean the storage area. Spray with a household insecticide or use a puffer pack of insect powder to treat all cracks and crevices where fluff and debris may accumulate. Select a product labelled for stored product beetle control.
Lice
Small, flat, wingless, grey parasites about 2mm long with strong claw legs and which feed on human blood. There are two distinct forms of this sort of louse – the head louse and the clothing or body louse, but they are similar in appearance.
The pearly, oval eggs or "nits" stick to hairs or fibres of clothing and the nymphs moult three times before maturing, feeding as they go. The life cycle takes about 18 days. Past epidemics of typhus and trench fever transmitted by lice are now unlikely, but irritating bites can produce impetigo and similar afflictions.
Having lice does not necessarily imply that one is dirty, but the sooner treatment is sought, and the source eliminated, the better.
REMEDY: Effective clinical preparations are available but should only by used under medical direction.
Dog lice are sometimes acquired by the family pet especially at the base of the neck, base of tail and behind the ears. If a dog persistently scratches these areas, take it to the vet who will prescribe a purpose-made veterinary shampoo or powder.
Bird lice may accidentally get into the house, but these soon die in the absence of their winged host.
Maggots
The layman's term for the legless, wriggling larval stage of certain insects – usually the larvae of flies.
Mealworm
p>A term applied to the larvae of the three species of Mealworm Beetle. Adult beetles are about 15mm long, dark brown and scavenge in damp larders or down in basement food stores. They frequently breed in old birds' nests. The larvae are large (up to 28mm) and pale yellow in colour, with clearly defined segments along the body. They are sold in many pet shops as food for fish and reptiles.REMEDY: Rare in houses but, if you do find them, look for old birds' nests, remove infested food, and dust or spray the area with an insecticide labelled for stored product insect or beetle control.
Mice
The House Mouse, and sometimes the Long-Tailed Field Mouse, seek the warmth and shelter of buildings for nesting sites and food. Their presence is usually detected from their dark-coloured droppings or damage to stored foods in the larder, packaging or woodwork.
Mice become sexually mature in eight to ten weeks, and a pair may produce eight litters, each of 16 young, in a year. Multiply those and you arrive at a horrifying number of mice! They climb well and can squeeze through very small gaps.
These nibbling nuisances have a compulsive need to gnaw in order to keep their incisor teeth worn down to a constant length. Electric cables, water and gas pipes, packaging and woodwork may all be seriously damaged by mice - many instances of electrical fires and floods have been attributed to them. They contaminate far more food than they consume and they are capable of carrying many diseases, particularly food poisoning. The average mouse deposits 70 droppings in 24 hours and urinates frequently to mark its territory.
Mice are erratic, sporadic feeders, nibbling at many sources of food rather than taking repeated meals from any one item. They do not need free water to drink as they normally obtain sufficient moisture from their food.
REMEDY: Because of their habits, traditional baiting techniques and trapping frequently do not work, and a combination of rodenticides may be necessary – in addition to mouse-proofing, as far as possible, all means of entry e.g. by blocking holes with wire wool embedded in quick-setting cement, or by fitting metal strips to damaged wooden doors.
For many years, the most widely used and effective rodenticide was warfarin. This is an anti-coagulant drug which prevents vital blood clotting. Mice feed on it, without suspicion of growing weaker, until they die. The disadvantage of warfarin-based baits is that they take several days to work and depend on repeated feeding by the mice.
In most urban areas of Britain, however, mice have now become resistant to warfarin. Alternative and effective, ready-to-use, proprietary mouse killers are available for household use. Other commercial rodenticides can be used by pest control contractors or local authority environmental health departments, including a powder that they pick up on their feet and fur.
An alternative to baits are break-back traps. They may catch the intruder if baited with nutty chocolate, raisins or similar attractive food and placed close to signs of mouse activity. Cheese, surprisingly is a comparatively poor mouse-baiter. Place traps close to, and at right angles to, walls so the treadle may be activated from either direction.
Midges
Tiny dark grey flies, only about 2mm long with hair-fringed wings, most prevalent in spring and summer near sewage works. Also known as Filter Flies or Owl Midges, their grubs perform a useful purpose because they break down organic material at sewage works.
REMEDY: Should adults fly indoors, use a flykiller aerosol. If the problem is severe, call in a specialist servicing company for treatment with insecticidal fog or commercial insecticide.
Mites
Barely visible to the naked eye, mites have eight legs and a round body, and are seldom noticed until they have built up sufficient numbers to be a major infestation. They are not insects but are arachnids, related to spiders.
The typical mite emerges from its tiny egg in a dark crevice as a six-legged nymph, growing by a series of moults and acquiring another pair of legs in the process. Some species can survive starvation for up to six months.
Most houses have the House Dust Mite which lives on our mattresses, feeding on tiny particles of shed skin. The Furniture Mite occurs in damp upholstery. The Flour Mite infests damp cereals or pasta and causes "Grocer's Itch", in people who handle infested commodities.
Mange in pets is caused by mites; and the Itch Mite or Scabies Mite causes the disease of scabies by burrowing into the skin, causing an irritating rash.
Bird Mites frequently enter houses from old nests of sparrows, starlings or house martins, or from poultry. Harvest Mites may bite people if brought in on the coats of dogs or on clothing. The most conspicuous mite that enters houses is the Red Spider Mite, a plant feeder which comes indoors in spring to seek egg-laying sites and again in autumn to hibernate.
Moles
The mole's preferred diet is a carnivorous one: insect grubs, adult insects and earthworms. Neither the eastern mole nor the star-nosed mole is a rodent, and therefore any gnawing damage you detect on plants is unlikely to have been caused by moles. Rodents do, however, make use of mole tunnels to attack plants underground – making moles accessories to the crime!
Moles produce two types of tunnels, or "runways" in your yard. One runway runs just beneath the surface. These are feeding tunnels and appear as raised ridges running across your lawn. The second type of runway runs deeper and enables the moles to unite the feeding tunnels in a network. It is the soil excavated from the deep tunnels that homeowners find on their lawns, piled up in mounds that resemble little volcanoes.
See also Voles
Mosquitoes
Most "mosquitoes" seen in houses are in fact the harmless and unrelated Crane Fly. True mosquitoes are very much smaller but have a similar long thin abdomen, long thin legs and strongly veined wings. The head has large eyes and a prominent proboscis. There are two main groups; the Culicine mosquitoes sit with their bodies parallel to the ground, the Anopheline mosquitoes sit "nose-down" to the surface, and most have dark spots on their wings.
The commonest species indoors, often mis-identified as a gnat, is Culex pipiens. It does not bite but is almost indistinguishable from Culex molestus which does!
In the tropics, mosquitoes transmit yellow fever, filariasis, dengue fever and malaria. Even in Britain they cause those familiar itchy bites with a red swelling around them. Near estuaries or marshes, Anopheles maculipennis - a brownish species with small spots on its wings - is fairly common indoors. It bites readily, especially at dusk.
Mosquito eggs are laid in batches in stagnant water and the small brown larvae hang from the surface of the water, turning into comma-shaped aquatic pupae in four to ten days. Within a day or two the adult emerges with a thirst for human or animal blood. Only the females feed and require a blood meal before they can lay eggs. Adult female mosquitoes hibernate in dark corners of houses, sheds, cellars and other sheltered sites.
REMEDY: Breeding sites such as guttering, water butts and bird baths should be cleaned out regularly. Fly screens over open windows will prevent adults coming in, or aerosol fly sprays will kill individual mosquitoes.
If the problem persists, tell your local authority environmental health department.
Oriental Rat Fleas
Carrier of bubonic plague and murine typhus from rat to man. Responsible in the past for the Black Death and the Great Plague of London.
Parasites
An organism that lives on the outside of (ectoparasite) or within the tissues of (endoparasite) another living organism.
Pharoah's Ants
A small tropical species of ant of increasing importance in the structures of large centrally heated buildings, especially hospitals and high rise blocks of flats where it can be a serious public health pest.
See Ants
Pigeons
Feral pigeons foul buildings, creating unwanted "stained glass" windows and "decorated" architecture. All sorts of pests may migrate from their nests into buildings.
Originally descended from the wild Rock Dove, a cliff-face dweller, these birds find the next best thing is a block of flats, a bit of Victorian Gothic architecture or a railway arch. In the absence of natural predators, birds which fall sick survive to infect healthy ones with ornithosis and other diseases, some of which can be transmissible to man. Their accumulated droppings are also sources of disease.
REMEDY: Local authorities are empowered to deal with them under the Public Health Act, or a pest control contractor may be called in.
Large nets, taut wires or blunt spikes can be put on buildings to keep them off. Alternatively, stupefying materials may be used by contractors, under licence; or cage traps be set to catch pest birds, which are then humanely destroyed.
See also Birds
Plaster Beetles
In a new house where plaster is still damp, or where damp plaster occurs in old property, very tiny, almost black beetles about 2mm long may be found. These are called plaster beetles.
REMEDY: The adults and larvae feed on microscopic moulds and mildews and will die out if the rooms are thoroughly dried and ventilated.
See also Fungus Beetles and Moulds
Rabbits
Rabbits have a burrow system known as a warren, and tunnels can be 1-2m long. The nest at the end of the tunnel is lined with grass, moss and belly fur. They use regular trails, which they scent mark with faecal pellets. They damage crops and grassland by digging shallow holes to get at roots as well as eating the grass/crops. They will also destroy many garden plants and small trees.
Mating occurs throughout the year with most litters born between February and August. Litters range in size between 3 and 12, after a gestation period of 28-33 days, and the kittens are weaned after 28 days. Due to this rapid breeding potential rabbit populations can withstand high mortality from natural causes, so control efforts by man must add to these, not merely replace them, if direct control is to be effective. Because of the size of the effort required, and the rabbit's inherent capacity for population increase, complete eradication is impractical. Instead, the aim should be to reduce rabbit numbers to levels at which damage is economically acceptable.
Rabbits do not respect boundaries and the most effective results will be achieved if management action is undertaken on adjoining land at the same time in a co-operative exercise. Fencing areas and then eliminating the population in the fenced areas can be undertaken. But control may take some time.
Rabbit populations are increasing, as they are becoming immune to the myxomatosis virus. Rabbits become sexually mature after just four months and breed rapidly, so they can readily replace themselves. The introduction of the disease myxamatosis into the rabbit population in the 1950's put a temporary reduction on the rabbit population. However, in the past 20 years or so, widespread resistance to the disease has resulted in greater numbers being seen across the country – in many places back up to 1950's levels. As previously mentioned rabbits are vermin and landowners have a legal obligation to control them.
Rats
The rat has plagued man for thousands of years – literally plagued him, for the rat flea was responsible for the Black Death. There are two species of rat in Britain, Rattus norvegicus which is commonly known as the Brown Rat (below) and Rattus rattus which has the common names Black Rat or Ship Rat.
The Brown Rat is the larger, often weighing over half a kilo and measuring about 23cm, without counting the tail. It has a blunt muzzle, small hair-covered ears and a tail that is shorter than its body length. The Black Rat weighs only half as much and is slightly shorter. It has a pointed muzzle, large, almost hairless ears, a more slender body and a long thin tail that is longer than its body.
The Brown Rat is the commoner species and stays near ground level. The Black Rat still occurs in seaport towns and is a more agile climber, often entering the upper floors of buildings. It is possible to identify the species present from the different shaped droppings, footprints in dust (the Brown Rat is flat footed, the Black Rat runs on its toes) and presence of tail swipes. In towns, Brown Rats often live in sewers but in the countryside there is a constant background population in fields and hedges.
Both species breed rapidly and become sexually mature in about three months. Each female may produce from three to 12 litters of between six and eight young in a year.
Brown rats will burrow underground or into suitably soft material to make a nest. Refuse tips, loose soil under sheds and earth banks are all likely sites and chewed paper, straw or insulation material may be incorporated as nest material. The young are born blind, helpless and naked and depend on their mother for food for about three weeks before they are sufficiently developed to take solid food.
Rats, like mice, need to gnaw to keep their constantly growing incisor teeth worn down. They damage woodwork, plastic and lead pipes and will sometimes strip insulation from electrical cables by their gnawing.
Rats will hoard food for future consumption and numerous cases of "theft" have been found to be the work of rats. They feed mostly at night and an average rat will eat 50g of food a day.
Creatures of habit, rats leave regular "runs" to and from feeding areas. They can be a menace to poultry, eating eggs, chicks and animal feed.
They are also capable of spreading many diseases from their filthy surroundings in sewers or refuse tips and can transmit food poisoning, Weil's disease (from which about ten people and a number of dogs die each year in the UK), murine typhus, rat bite fever, trichinosis and other diseases. They are probable carriers of foot and mouth disease on farms. They contaminate more food than they consume and their urine can pollute stagnant water.
REMEDY: As far as possible, eliminate harbourages such as gaps under sheds, loose piles of wood or neglected weed patches. Do not encourage rats by leaving scraps of food out of doors. If you feed garden birds, use a bird table or feeder basket.
Poison rats with a proprietary, ready-mixed bait, usually available in handy sachets to be placed near signs of infestation.
For serious or persistent rat infestation, call a pest control servicing company or your local authority environmental health department. They will have at their disposal a range of rodenticide products which are not available to the householder.
See also Brown Rats, Black Rats.
Red Spider Mites
Tiny, bright red specks, about 1mm across, sometimes move into buildings in large numbers. There are two species with several names, generally known as Red Spider Mites. Although they do no direct harm inside the house, if the mites are squashed they stain walls and decorations.
It is the female mites, also known as Clover Mites and Gooseberry Mites, which invade homes and other buildings in spring and autumn, climbing walls to seek egg-laying sites or places in which to hibernate.
According to entomologists male Red Spider Mites are "hardly ever found", because the females lay their eggs parthenogenetically -ie. without the benefit of male involvement.
There are two species with different habits. Bryobia is dull red, moves slowly and feeds on plant sap; while Balaustium is bright red, runs quickly but erratically, feeds on pollen and lays its eggs in cracks in walls or the soil.
Correct identification is important - for if you grow grass around a building to discourage Balaustium, you may get Bryobia and if you put down concrete to discourage Bryobia, you are likely to get Balaustium!
REMEDY: Spray the affected walls and surfaces with an aerosol or a garden spray labelled for mite control. Cut back lush vegetation from around the walls.
Silverfish
A mollusc, occasionally found indoors, in damp areas such as cellars.
REMEDY: Control, ultimately, is best achieved by curing the damp problem. Removal of outdoor vegetation and debris close to the affected area may also help. Slug pellets may be applied, with care, in accordance with the product label.
Slugs
A mollusc, occasionally found indoors, in damp areas such as cellars.
REMEDY: Control, ultimately, is best achieved by curing the damp problem. Removal of outdoor vegetation and debris close to the affected area may also help. Slug pellets may be applied, with care, in accordance with the product label.
Sparrows
Rarely a problem in domestic situations, but frequently a problem in commercial premises such as bakeries and warehouses. Sparrows are able to enter buildings through very small gaps and, once in, are very difficult to remove.
REMEDY: Proofing with nets and blocking of entry holes are usually the preferred options used by professionals, subject to an appropriate licence having been issued.
See also Birds
Spider Beetles
A group of beetles with globular abdomens and fairly long legs, superficially resembling small spiders, 3-4mm long.
General scavengers of all sorts of animal and vegetable debris and stored food, and frequently associated with old birds' nests. The Golden Spider Beetle (below) is covered with golden hairs whilst the Globular Spider Beetle is a shiny, dark brown colour.
The Australian Spider Beetle is by far the commonest species. Adults may feign death when disturbed. The female lays up to 1,000 eggs, which are sticky. The fleshy larvae roll up when disturbed but when ready to pupate wander about and may get into cracks and crevices in floors or shelves.
REMEDY: Seek out and eliminate the source of infestation. Treat thoroughly with a long-lasting insecticide; an aerosol or powder according to the site. Ensure the product is labelled for stored product insect control or beetle control.
Spiders
Not insects but arachnids, spiders come in many sizes but all have eight long legs (not six, like insects), a roundish body and a pair of "palps" on the head. Most of them spin some sort of web.
All are carnivorous and the females are not above devouring their mates. Eggs are laid in a silken sac and the young emerge as mini-spiders, or spiderlings, which are able to run fast and soon disperse in a building or on air currents, supported by gossamer threads.
The household cobweb is the sign of one of the commonest species - which is usually the one found in the bath because it falls in and cannot climb smooth surfaces. Spiders in the house are actually beneficial as they feed on flies and other insects. None in Britain is poisonous to man but the large brown Tegenaria species often cause feelings of revulsion by their ugly appearance.
REMEDY: To remove a spider without killing it, invert a small carton over it and slide a piece of card between the opening and the surface on which the spider rests.
Springtails
Small, wingless insects which usually live in soil but occasionally come indoors, into damp kitchens, cellars and outbuildings. A leaping organ on the end of the abdomen provides the "jump" which gives them their name.
REMEDY: Springtails do no damage and control is rarely necessary. Removal of the source causing the damp they require to survive will cure the problem. A short term solution is to use an insecticide aerosol or powder labelled for the control of crawling insects.
Squirrels
Deliberately introduced to this country sometime in the 19th century the grey squirrel has since spread throughout most of mainland England and Wales. Mainly a resident of broadleaved and mixed woodlands it is also a common resident of urban parks and gardens.
They frequently enter domestic roof spaces. Once inside they chew woodwork, strip insulation from electrical wiring and water pipes, tear up fibreglass insulation and, occasionally, drown in water tanks.
REMEDY: Physically blocking gaps and entry holes with wire mesh is the best answer. Various types of trap are available as is a poison based on warfarin, but only to professional technicians. Release of grey squirrels caught in cage traps is illegal.
Stable Flies
Closely resembles the Housefly, but this fellow bites. Uncommon indoors but breeds in long grass, straw or grass cuttings where there are horses or other animals.
REMEDY Apply an insect repellent to bare skin, especially legs, before going into long grass.
Starlings
Although a native to this country, our permanently resident starling population is swelled every autumn by migrants arriving from the Continent. Starlings may roost in their thousands on ledges on buildings and in trees in city centres. Their droppings deface and erode stonework and make pavements slippery. In domestic lofts their nesting activities can build large piles of twigs, leaves and associated fouling. Insect and mite pests can find their way from this into the house.
REMEDY: Proofing with nets on buildings and mesh on entry points to houses are the most effective methods. Scaring devices used by trained personnel can be effective in some situations. This work can be carried out by a professional pest controller subject to an appropriate licence having been issued.
p>See also Birds
Super-Mice
A favourite media term. These rodents are generally described as resistant to all known poisons, larger, more voracious and generally more intelligent than their controllable relatives.
In reality, tolerance of some anti-coagulant rodenticides does exist in both rats and mice but does not, as yet, present a serious problem in control.
Termites
Social insects which may live in communities of many millions of individuals. In tropical and sub-tropical countries they are major pests of timber buildings.
Not presently a significant problem in the UK but global warming may allow them to establish in the south of England.
Thrips
Also known as "thunder-flies", very small (1.5mm) insects, black with narrow hairy wings. They feed on plant sap and on humid summer days they may occur in huge numbers on window sills and getting into clothing and hair.
An agricultural pest, they are only a nuisance in domestic premises. They have been known to trigger fire alarms by collecting in large numbers inside smoke detectors.
Ticks
Closely related to the mites, but much larger and reliant on vertebrate blood. They are occasionally brought into the house on domestic animals and can be picked up by humans after walking through long grass in an infested area.
Ticks are implicated in the transmission of Lyme disease and medical advice should be sought if a rash appears at the site of a bite. Remove them with a twist to avoid leaving the mouthparts in the skin.
Voles
Small, blunt-nosed rodents which occasionally enter buildings, but which normally live in outdoor burrows. Not regarded as a household pest, the water vole is a protected species.
Wasps
Large, conspicuous buzzing insects with yellow and black striped, wasp-waisted bodies, 10-15mm long. They have a sweet tooth at one end and a painful sting at the other.
The queen wasp is larger (20mm) and she hibernates over winter, making a nest in the spring in which to lay her eggs. She feeds the grubs on insects until they develop into worker wasps, three to four weeks later. Workers, all sterile females, forage for over a mile in search of food. One nest may produce 30,000 wasps in a year.
At their peak in August and September with the youngsters reared, the workers turn to the sweet food they prefer and become a nuisance wherever this is available. If annoyed or threatened, wasps will sting and the best remedy - after removing the sting with a clean finger nail - is to apply an anti-histamine. Some people react violently to being stung with several dying each year.
REMEDY: Close or screen windows with a fly screen if wasps are a major problem. Individual wasps can be killed with a flykiller aerosol. The old fashioned jar, one third full of jam and water, covered by a punctured paper lid will trap and drown them.
If you find a wasps' nest in a wall or bank, apply one of the range of domestic products available labelled for wasp nest control. Nests in roofs or sheds need to be thoroughly sprayed with insecticide. This can be hazardous and is best performed by professional technicians. Some BPCA pest control contractors will do this, as will local authority environmental health departments.
Commercial premises can be protected by insect screening of windows and the installation of electrical devices which attract, kill and catch the bodies.
Weevils
A term frequently misused to describe beetles in general, but actually applicable only to a distinctive group of beetles with long, pointed "snouts" which they use for boring into whole grains, hard processed cereals such as pasta, and timber.
Mainly pests of stored cereals on farms.
REMEDY: If you find them in foodstuffs return them to the shop and complain. The affected food should be destroyed. Spray cleared shelves with aerosol or put powder in cracks and crevices. Choose a product labelled for stored product insect control.
See also Woodworm
Wharf Borers
A brown beetle, about 1cm long, with pronounced antennae and a tendency to emerge from damp basements and fly about near rivers or estuaries in early summer.
The grubs live in very decayed wet timber such as old jetties or wooden piles. Buildings built over old bombed sites with timbers buried under them are sometimes invaded by these beetles for a few odd days.
REMEDY: A minor pest, they can be mistaken for cockroaches. Select an insect puffer pack labelled for beetle control and apply in all visible crevices. The removal of any obvious rotten wood will alleviate the problem.
Woodlice
Woodlice are one of the few land crustaceans. They have oval, grey, segmented bodies 10-15mm long, with 14 legs and prominent antennae. Common names include 'slaters', 'sow-bugs' and 'pill-bugs'.
There are three species that enter houses from the garden - one of which, the pill woodlouse, rolls up into a tight ball when disturbed. Woodlice are harmless feeders upon rotten wood or other vegetable matter in cool damp areas.
They normally live underneath stones, clumps of plants, logs, or doormats, from which they may crawl into dark corners of a house. Rockeries with aubrietia are great favourites with them.
REMEDY: No treatment is really necessary but if they persist put right any dampness, remove infested vegetation and use an insecticidal powder or long-lasting spray around door-thresholds or other points of entry. Select a product labelled for control of woodlice.
Woodworm
A term used for the destructive larvae of the Common Furniture Beetle.
First sign of woodworm is the appearance of neat round holes, 2mm across, in wooden surfaces, often accompanied by tiny piles of wood dust beneath them. Fresh holes show clean white wood inside. The holes are made by emerging adult beetles, immature grubs may still be tunnelling away inside the wood.
The adult Furniture Beetle is a small brown insect 3mm to 6mm long which flies quite readily. It lays eggs on rough, unpolished wood and the grubs bore straight into the wood – leaving no trace until they emerge as beetles three years or so later, usually between May and September.
Woodworm is frequently introduced into the house in second-hand furniture, tea chests or wicker-work; but the beetles are quite capable of flying in through a window from nearby dead branches of trees. They may then attack floorboards, joinery and, more seriously, structural timbers such as rafters and joists.
Other woodborers include: Death Watch Beetle, which infests only large old hardwood beams; the House Longhorn, confined – at least for the moment – to North West Surrey; Powder Post Beetle which needs a diet of starch in certain hardwoods, and woodboring weevils, which are associated with wet rot and die out when it is treated.
REMEDY Woodworm in furniture can be cured by application of proprietary woodworm killer. Coat all surfaces, polished and unpolished, and inject fluid into a few flight holes with a special injector. As a precaution against woodworm, you can buy an insecticidal polish.
Woodworm in structural timbers can be treated on a do-it-yourself basis and the proprietary fluids used by the experts are available from builders’ merchants. All timbers must be cleaned down first and any roof insulation material will have to be removed temporarily so that you can get at the joists to work on them. Also this avoids the fire-risk of insulation becoming impregnated with the fluid or small polystyrene granules dissolving together.
Cover electric cables and the cold water storage tank. Floorboards must be lifted to get at the undersides and the joists. Follow label recommendations carefully. Detailed surveys, reports and estimates are given by specialist wood preservation companies from the British Wood Preserving and Damp-proofing Association. Many cover their treatments by long term guarantees – useful evidence of treatment if you want to sell the house. It is usually wise therefore to leave structural woodworm to the experts.
Worms
Parasitic worms are a veterinary or medical problem but they are included here because some may be transmitted by rats, mice or certain insects.
Threadworms are fairly common in dogs, cats and children. They are thin whitish wrigglers about 5mm long, normally only detected after they have passed out of the gut. They may cause intense anal itching at night in young children. The trouble normally starts when threadworms' eggs are swallowed with unwashed, contaminated fruit or raw vegetables or from food handled by unwashed hands.
REMEDY: Prevention by washing all fruit and vegetables before eating, washing hands before meals, thorough cooking of all meat (especially pork which may harbour the serious tapeworm cysts).
For your pets, proprietary veterinary worming powders or pills are available from chemists. Children affected should be taken to the doctor, who will prescribe effective medicine that clears the problem in a few days. As a precaution, all members of the family will probably be asked to take the cure.
Yellow Swarming Flies
One of the species collectively known as Cluster Fly family. A small yellowish fly with black stripes on its back which sometimes invades attics or rarely-used rooms to hibernate in autumn.
See Cluster Flies