Articles & Inspiration

Ants work in complex nests, and like any living being, one of their main needs is food! Worker ants have the objective of going out in search for food to bring back to the nest. Foraging leads them into homes, and anywhere they might find traces of edible material. They are often found living near us as they enjoy similar foods to us. So, if they can get into your home to raid your supplies, they certainly will!

SIGNS OF INFESTATION

The typical tell-tale sign of an ant infestation is seeing the ants running around. The number of ants you see is an indicator of the size of the infestation.

Small piles of soil or dirt outside holes in the ground can indicate the presence of a nest. These are often located in sunny spots outside, within wall cavities, or under paving slabs. Nests are often intricate tunnels underground, in mounds or within trees.

Watching and listening to birds in the garden can be one of life’s great pleasures. They can help with removing insects that may otherwise cause damage. However, they can cause damage, especially when roosting or feeding from newly sown grass or plantings. Pigeons and seagulls are the worst offenders. When roosting, they can break away roofing tiles or guttering, and cause blockages to drainage. Their nests can also encourage infestations of insects.

Pigeon droppings can cause health risks: they are a slip hazard and can lead to the spread of diseases such as e coli and salmonella. When dry, the particles can become airborne and flare up respiratory problems such as asthma.

Surfaces liable to corrosion can be damaged if they encounter bird mess. It is important to reduce this risk in areas where children play, near kitchens, and around commercial areas.

“The wildest of all wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him”

Rudyard Kipling – Just So Stories 1902

The observation that cats have never been wholly domesticated was true in 1902 and is still very much the case today. This is part of their charm but can also mean that they can be an unwelcome visitor to your garden, where they can leave their faeces and dead animals as well as being a threat to any birds that have not got their wits about them.

If you want to keep cats out of your garden without harming them, The Big Cheese has several solutions.

Prickle Strips   

Cats are fantastic jumpers and climbers; they will not be

Fleas have been here for at least 35 million years and there are approximately 2,500 species in existence. We’ve compiled a few facts that will allow you to understand, prevent and spot them better. Moreover, we have an unbeatable selection of products to help you rid your homes of them – permanently!

Flea Facts

There are over 2,500 species of flea in the world, they are a common problem almost everywhere.

When a flea jumps onto a pet, it will start feeding within 5 minutes and can live on them for up to 2 months.

Huge numbers of adult fleas can remain dormant inside pupae for weeks and months, waiting for the right conditions to infest animals and pets.

Fleas can lay up to 40-50 eggs a day and up to 2,000 in their lifetime.

Common UK Slugs:

• Garden slug (Arion hortensis): Up to 3 cm in length. Very dark blue/black on top, and orange/brown underneath.
• Great grey slug (Limax maximas): Up to 20 cm in length. Light grey with dark markings on their back.
• Large black slug (Arion ater): Up to 15 cm in length black with coarse wrinkles on their back.  

All about slugs:

A slug’s trail might be unpleasant, but it has a number of purposes. It contains fibres that aid their movement through ‘adhesive locomotion’. This is a series of muscular waves and suctioning that allows slugs to move at speeds of about 0.6 mph.  This slime also provides slugs with a grip when

Fruit flies are annoying pests that can be found around the home, they are particularly prolific at the end of summer and during autumn. They are not harmful to humans however they can become a nuisance as well as make household living conditions extremely unsanitary. They can be identified through their small size, red eyes and brown bodies.

Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, which explains how they can infest an area so quickly. They tend to lay their eggs inside fermenting fruit or other organic material so that when the eggs hatch the larvae can feed themselves easily in order to survive. Despite being attracted mostly to fermenting fruits and vegetables fruit flies also have a taste for drains, rubbish bins, empty bottles and cans, rubbish bags, cleaning rags and mops. This is because these areas are moist environments and can contain food waste.

Thankfully