Insects make up a class of animal called the Insecta. Insects are made up of segments and they have what is called an exoskeleton, whereby the skeleton is on the outside of the body. Insect species in the UK number 20’000 or more, and they are extremely resilient little creatures striking fear into humans coming in contact with them, sometimes for good reason.

When insects become a pest by entering our homes, schools, and business we need to act quickly to identify the species and to ensure that control is maintained in order to prevent contamination and damage. Failure to adhere to legislation for the control of insects in food handling can lead to prosecution.

We understand how unsettling it can be to have an unwanted pest in your house and fully appreciate the urgency of dealing with your pest problem. You can be rest assured that our qualified technicians will have your problem dealt with discreetly and quickly whether its rats, mice, fleas, cockroaches, ants, flies, bed bugs, wasps or any other pest.

Wasps can be extremely aggressive when they come into contact with humans and pets especially if they feel their nest is threatened. A fertilized queen emerges from hibernation in springtime and will begin to form a paper nest from scratching wood from a fence panel usually and mixing it with her saliva to make the start of a paper nest where she can lay her eggs and expand the nest.

Only female wasps have a sting which they can use repeatedly. Wasp stings can prove life threatening if you are allergic to the sting. If the wasps have made a nest close or in your home then it needs to be treated by a professional pest controller.

Two main moth species in the UK cause the most damage to carpets, rugs, clothing and furniture and they need a combination treatment in order to deal with the problem effectively. It’s the larvae that do the damage to textiles, but they can be controlled if a methodical approach is carried out.

April – Sept is the season for the most common flies that cause nuisance and disease in the UK. They can infest your home and business and some of the most common species are the Common Housefly, Lesser Housefly, Stable Fly, Flesh Fly and Cluster Fly. Numbers can be controlled in any environment no matter how challenging. If you own livestock we can offer alternative methods of control using parasitic wasps to vastly reduce fly numbers.

Honey Bee Control: If you find a swarm of bees please don’t panic as normally they are resting between flights searching for a new home. We don’t kill honey bees as they pose no threat and we desperately need them for pollination. Please contact https://www.bbka.org.uk if you see a swarm that needs removing.

Bumble Bee Control:  Occasionally bumble bees will cause a nuisance by nesting in a roof space, shed, or compost heap. They do make honey but it’s not edible to humans and their nests can contain between 50 & 400 bees. If they become a nuisance please call us and we can treat them. Again, it’s only the female bee that stings if she feels under threat.

With over 45’000 species of mites that are identified, they can cause distress in numbers despite their small size. A common mite in the UK is the house mite which can be found in flour, cheese, sugar and birds nests. These mites have a reputation for causing dermatitis, rhinitis, respiratory tract irritation and intestinal problems and as a result, they need to be controlled swiftly.

There are more than 4000 species of cockroaches worldwide, however the most common in the UK are the German and the Oriental cockroach. Cockroaches are a serious pest in any household, business or hospital and a professional exterminator is your only option. Cockroaches are omnivorous and will feed on anything including human faeces, vomit, spit, and paper. They are responsible for the spread of organisms and many other bacteria which causes food poisoning.

Birds can be a real nuisance and can in some situations become a serious risk to health. They also encourage specific insects into your home. There are a number of solutions in preventing and effective bird control for your home or business. All birds are protected in the UK and only birds listed within the general licence can be removed by an authorised person to preserve public health or public safety. We ensure that the wildlife and countryside act 1981 is adhered to when dealing with any bird issue.

Two rats of opposite sexes can reach 15,000 within 12 months given the right environment. The Brown rat is the most common in the UK and like the cockroach they will eat almost anything to survive. They suffer from neophobia and are fearful of new objects which have to be accounted for when baiting. If left untreated their numbers multiply extremely quickly as the female can produce up to 6 litters per year and up to 10 per litter. Rats can cause untold damage to buildings as they need to constantly knaw in order to keep the incisor teeth from overgrowing.

Moles are solitary creatures living the majority of their life beneath ground. Moles are not blind but do have poor eyesight. They work for 4 hours and rest for 4 hours, and they do this 24rs per day. They feed mainly on earthworms in which they bite the head off the worm preventing its escape and store it in a larder for later consumption.  The breeding season lasts from Feb to June and the litter is between 2 & 7. After 5 weeks the moles are able to leave the nest and move around above ground looking for a suitable area. The female will mate only once per year.  When moles become a nuisance they have to be controlled and we do this by trapping which kills the mole instantly.

Mice are a serious pest and can spread diseases such as Salmonella and Hantavirus which is a respiratory disease that can be fatal if not treated in time. They prefer kitchen and pantries, airing cupboards, lofts, and subfloor areas. The female is capable of producing 8 litters per year and 8 mice per litter. Unlike rats, mice can survive longer without water and will seek food with moisture. A mouse can survive without drinking if the food content contains at least 15% moisture content. A strategic baiting programme with professional use baits, identifying areas of weakness for proofing and good hygiene will eradicate the pest issue quickly.

There are over 4000 species of beetles in the UK and whilst the majority don’t pose any threat to us, some do cause an issue with damage to foodstuffs, wood and textiles. Correct identification is essential in the first instance to plan an effective treatment. All beetles and larvae can be controlled and exterminated regardless of the level of infestation.

Probably one of the most feared pests to have in the domestic or commercial situation, and quite rightly so. Bed bug treatment is not for the feint hearted and has to be done in a methodical and professional  application. Too many times have we heard of so called pest controllers simply spot spraying without knowledge or care for the client and thus creating a worse problem through dispersion. Bed bugs feed at night whilst we’re asleep. They detect our carbon dioxide and having crawled onto the host they inject a tube through our skin and injects saliva which numbs the site. They then inject a second tube which is the feeding tube that sucks the blood. Having fed for 5-10 minutes they crawl back to their harbour and rest till the next feed. Bed bugs can double in population every 16 days and only a forensic approach to the pest problem will eradicate the bed bug.

A parasitical creature feeding on the blood of its host which is normally the household pet and usually the cat. However, there are human fleas, dog fleas, bird fleas and hedgehog fleas as well as cat fleas that are capable of feeding on humans when the regular blood host isn’t available which causes a great deal of distress. There is a stigma that fleas only occupy dirty places which simply isn’t true. We will be able to guide you through the steps at removing the fleas completely and normally one visit is sufficient.

The black ant is the most common in the UK. They mainly nest in soil but can nest easily within the insulation layer beneath a property and thus cause problems all year if not treated. The queen ant has been known to live for almost 30 years and on average each colony produces 10’000 workers alone. On a warm humid cloudy pre thunder day in late summer, the nest produces females and males which are separate to the workers and they produce larger winged ants. These ants swarm and mate in flight (on the wing) the males then die and the newly fertilised females are now new queens establishing nests, however, the majority of new queens die and only a fraction are successful in establishing a new nest. Ant powder rarely has a successful outcome and will only reduce the population of workers by a fraction. Professional use baits and a qualified technician will quickly have your ant problem resolved.  We control other species of ants including the Pharaoh ant and Red ant.

There are over 600 species of spiders in the UK and although the majority are harmless there are some that can and do bite humans such as the false widow spider and yellow sac spider. In most cases minor swelling occurs with a bite from a false widow spider , however some people may have a reaction to the bite and more serious issues can occur. The Yellow Sac spider has fangs that can easily penetrate human skin injecting venom. The venom has a mild toxic effect on cells and contains a neurotoxin. No fatal incidents have been recorded with the Yellow Sac or False Widow.

We understand that spiders can strike fear into some people which is called Arachnophobia. As a result of this we offer a service that can reduce numbers as much as 90% and tips on preventing them in the first place.