Pest Guides

In their early days on Earth cockroaches populated all four corners of Pangaea, from its icy poles to blistering deserts; they weren’t fussy. Out of 4,600 species of cockroaches only 30 are considered pests and, of these 30, only 4 species are prevalent in homes and businesses across the globe.

The ones to watch:

• American cockroaches (Periplaneta Americana)
• Oriental cockroaches (Blatta Orientalis)
• German cockroaches (Blatella Germanica)
• Brown banded cockroaches (Supella Longipalpa)

DANGERS

Cockroaches reproduce at a very high rate, spreading numerous diseases such as diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and typhoid fever as

Throughout history pests have been attracted to shelter and reliable food sources, two things we’ve been manufacturing in plentiful supply. It is not surprising, therefore, that cockroaches, ants, rats and all the rest hurried over to get their piece of the pie. As you can imagine, they came with baggage. Pests plagued communities with disease and infirmity against which we often had no means of protection. Enter the hero.

The scent of all these pest pheromones was too strong for cats to resist, so they joined the fight. We developed an instant admiration for cats as formidable predators and protectors against fatal disease. Having proven themselves worthy of a place at the human table, cats were worshipped by many and offered a place in our homes.

DANGERS

So far, we have enjoyed a 12,000 year long mutual back-scratch with cats, so how could this seemingly

Woodworm refers to the larvae of any wood-boring beetle, rather than one particular species. In the UK, the most common are the Common Furniture Beetle, Deathwatch Beetle, House Longhorn Beetle and Powderpost Beetle, all of which will consume wood until mature enough to leave.

Signs of infestation

There are many signs that can inform you of a woodworm. Small round holes in your woodwork, usually leave a fine powdery dust around these holes (this is known as frass). Even if you can't see any holes, you might also find frass escaping from the back or underside of old furniture, which can also suggest woodworm activity. Other signs can include crumbly edges to boards and joists as well as the obvious, seeing adult beetles emerging from the holes or present around the house.

Prevention

The best preventive

Relying on moist conditions, spotting woodlice in the open is uncommon in the summer, and are typically found throughout the other three seasons. Any woodlice living without damp conditions may often die from dehydration, so they’ll rarely enter homes without damp conditions encouraging them inside. They feed on leaves, rotting wood and mould, so taking moisture out of the mix impacts their food sources. You can typically find them in the garden hiding underneath plant pots.

There are three main species of woodlouse, with about 30 in total living in the UK; the Common Wood Louse (Oniscus asellus) is the largest, growing to a length of up to 15mm. They are one of the few types of land-based crustaceans; to the eye, they appear to wear grey/black armour, and some species when feeling threatened will curl up into a ball for protection.

Woodlice aren’t a risk to health and whilst contained in

There are two kinds of squirrels in the UK: the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is native to the UK, but has diminished in numbers following the introduction of the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Originating in North America, the grey squirrel was brought over to the UK by the Victorians and it now populates around 90% of the country. The red squirrel is mainly found in Scotland. Not only do they compete for food and shelter, the grey squirrel transmits the squirrelpox virus to its red cousin. Harmless to the grey squirrel, the virus will kill a red squirrel within 2 weeks.

Although often regarded as being cute, the grey squirrel can cause massive damage to homes and woodlands. They can cause trees to weaken and die, and will feast on bird eggs and fledglings. The UK Forestry Commission estimates between £6-10 million in damage is done to UK forests each year.

Listed as an

Commonly found throughout the rural areas of the UK, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are small, brown-furred mammals. Originally introduced by the Normans in the 12th century for their fur and meat, they multiplied quickly. They may look cute but they have a destructive nature when it comes to chewing and burrowing. It is estimated that they cause over £100 million in damage every year. The Pests Act of 1954 made the majority of England a rabbit clearance area; this means you’re responsible for the control of rabbit damage if they’re on your land and must take action to stop the damage from spreading to neighbouring crops. Rabbits must be controlled in a way that doesn’t cause unnecessary distress or suffering to the animal.

They are typically more active overnight but can be sighted during the day if they feel safe enough. Their burrowing causes unsightly holes and can lead to the ground becoming weakened by their tunnels underneath.