ANTS

The infested and surrounding areas will be treated with an insecticide spray. Also a powder might be used, this contains an insecticide in a dust formulation. Both insecticides are biodegradable, almost odourless, non tainting & do not corrode or stain.

The outside as well as inside areas may need to be sprayed as the nests are usually outside but the insects may swarm or forage for food inside. A band of insecticide may be sprayed around windows, doors and walls to keep them out. The ants walk over the treated areas and return to the nest touching other ants and larvae with their contaminated bodies which passes on enough insecticide to kill the nest(s).

This may take up to 2 weeks (if treatment is carried out before April or in cold weather the activity may continue sporadically for up to 6 weeks), immediate improvement is always noticeable but do not wash down or vacuum treated areas for at least 2 months.

BEETLES

In the case of a carpet beetle or other beetle infestation all the carpet areas need thoroughly vacuuming, this includes areas under standing furniture, beds, settees etc. Wardrobes must be emptied and the clothes either washed or tumble dried. With stored product infestations the contaminated food must be disposed of in an outside bin and all cupboards, drawers & food stores emptied & cleaned.

The infested and surrounding areas will be treated with an insecticide spray. Also a powder might be used in a dust formulation. Both insecticides are biodegradable, almost odourless, non tainting & do not corrode or stain. They are not highly toxic towards mammals but are extremely so to all forms of crawling and flying public health pests.

After treatment it is important that you do not wash down or vacuum treated areas for three weeks or until you stop seeing dead or dying beetles or their larvae. Once this period is over it is important to be very thorough when vacuuming especially the undisturbed areas. This in itself will help prevent re-infestation in the future. If an infestation is known or suspected, the contents of the vacuum cleaner should be disposed of immediately in such a way as to destroy the insects, to prevent a transfer of infestation from one part of the house to another. Abandoned nests of birds, rodents, and insects, (particularly bees and wasps) that are in or near the house should be removed, for the larvae of beetles may feed on insect remains that they may contain. Bedding places of pets should be kept clean.

Small numbers of adult and larvae forms may be present for some time after treatment depending on temperature, extent and amount of infestation. Complete eradication may never occur as small numbers may breed under carpets where they will not come into contact with the insecticide. The small numbers left should not cause damage as long as a very high standard of hygiene is adhered to.

CLUSTER FLIES

The infested and surrounding areas will be treated with an insecticide spray, the type used will depend on individual circumstances and be decided by the technician. Use of a glue board type electric fly killer in the loft area may be an option, if Bats are not using the loft as a roost site.

After treatment do not let domestic animals walk on treated surfaces until dry and if bare skin comes into contact while wet then wash immediately.

As long as the surfaces that have been treated are not washed down the insecticide will remain active for up to 3 months. This really only applies to clean areas inside.

Dying flies may be seen up to 4 weeks after treatment. There is a possibility that any survivors will build up their numbers to nuisance level again. In fact once a hibernation site is selected it will be used year after year. The treatment will not eliminate the fly infestation but kill the vast majority, flies will take time to die, how quickly depends on temperature and how much insecticide they have absorbed.

COCKROACHES

The cleaner the infested areas the better chance of success any treatment will have. Clean under and in cookers, fridges etc. All areas up and down (cockroaches can climb) need to be cleaned and de-greased thoroughly. Contact your neighbours or any building connected to yours to see if they have a problem. Treatments of large communal type buildings will only work if the whole building is treated at the same time.

The cockroach infestation will be baited using a gel bait or treated with an insecticide spray or dust. We use modern biodegradable insecticides that are odourless, non-tainting, non-corrosive and non-staining. In some instances, such as heavy infestations, infestations spreading from neighbouring properties, or unclean surfaces, more than one spray or bait treatment will be needed for complete control. It may in certain cases be necessary to spray or bait on a monthly basis until the infestation is eradicated, especially in shared, communal or multi-occupancy buildings.

You will see dead cockroaches around for a few weeks after each spraying or baiting. Try to refrain from washing down treated surfaces for 2 months after last spraying, as this will wash away some or all of the insecticide or bait. The cleaner the premises are kept the more successful any treatments will be, and any infestations will be kept to a minimum. Insecticides work better on clean surfaces and cockroaches will feed on any sort of food debris, but this means keeping areas clean that are not usually seen i.e. under ovens and wall floor junctions.

Cockroach monitoring traps will be supplied to you to see if there are any cockroaches left or a new infestation has occurred. These are harmless sticky traps with a pheromone bait.

FLEAS

Flea treatments may not work completely unless proper preparation is carried out. The floor area of the house should be thoroughly vacuumed prior to treatment with particular attention being paid to the edges of carpets at the floor/wall join, underneath static furniture, under beds & the resting and sleeping areas of any pets. Upholstered furniture should be vacuumed.The bedding of the cat or dog should be replaced or washed thoroughly. The vacuum bag must be removed after this & placed in an outside bin. The pet should be treated with a formulation to treat fleas on an animal such as a flea collar, powder or spray. This must be ongoing. The floors must be clear of books, toys, boxes, magazines etc. and areas under beds, settees and other furniture must be clear. Any pets must be kept out of the house whilst the treatment is carried out and until the spray is dry. Occupiers of the house should refrain from entering the house until at least 3 hours after the treatment or until the treated areas are dry.

The infestation will be treated with an insecticide spray, which is not highly toxic towards mammals but is very toxic to all forms of crawling and flying public health pests.

After treatment please do not let domestic animals walk on treated surfaces until dry and if bare skin comes into contact whilst wet then wash immediately. Cats especially can be susceptible to some insecticides, so it is best that animals are not allowed to walk on treated surfaces until completely dry. People can walk on treated surfaces provided they are wearing shoes, contact with the wet surfaces with bare skin should be avoided.

Do not vacuum for at least two weeks – after the first vacuum, change the bag and dispose of the bag away from the house. For this first week of vacuuming, vacuum at least once a day but preferably twice. It is important to understand that the flea infestation will not be controlled immediately and may even increase slightly after initially seeming to die out within a 7-14 day period. So fleas may be present for up to 21 days after the spray.

If the premises are not occupied there may be flea activity for up to 3 weeks from the date of occupation. Do not avoid infested areas as fleas have the ability to remain dormant in their pupae cases for up to a year unless they are stimulated by warmth, movement and carbon dioxide. In some cases it may be necessary to spray on a monthly basis until the infestation is eradicated especially in shared, communal or multi occupancy buildings. Insecticide treatments will only work on clean surfaces.

HORNETS

The hornets nest will be treated using a powder insecticide. This is a modern biodegradable insecticide that is not highly toxic to mammals, but is extremely so to the hymenopterous group of insects (Wasps, Bees and Ants). The entrance to the nest or the nest itself will be treated using this insecticide.

MICE

Effective mouse control involves sanitation, mouse proof construction and population reduction. The first two are useful as preventative measures. When a mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary. Reduction techniques include trapping and poisoning. Trapping will only reduce a mouse population, rarely eliminate it completely. Poison baiting is the quickest way to deal with a mouse infestation.

Mice are generally harder to control than rats, being fussy feeders and surprisingly more resistant to poisons than rats or other rodents. Mice do not need much food and extract all the moisture from the food they eat. Mice eat only 1/20th. to 1/10th. of an oz. per day. The technician will make at least 3 visits.

To help prevent a re-infestation block up any obvious holes around pipes etc but proofing against mice is difficult as they can get through a gap of 1 cm. Removing vegetation growing on or near to the house may help. Feeding birds increases the mouse population making incursion into nearby buildings more likely.

MINK

We use live traps for mink.

MOLES

Traps are put in places most likely to catch the mole quickly. Moles are not sociable animals and adults live alone, defending their territory against other moles. The size of the territory depends on food supply, which can be between 400-2000 square metres. This trap treatment is based on one month, which is often successful, but due to the erratic and unpredictable behaviour of moles, more than one attempt is sometimes necessary.

MOTHS

In the case of a carpet moth infestation, all the carpet areas need thorough vacuuming, this includes areas under standing furniture, beds, settees etc. Wardrobes must be emptied and the clothes either washed or tumble dried. With stored product infestations, the contaminated food must be disposed of in an outside bin and all cupboards, drawers & food stores emptied & cleaned.

The infested and surrounding areas will be been treated with an insecticide spray. It is important that you do not wash down or vacuum treated areas for at least 2 weeks or until you stop seeing dead or dying moths or their larvae. Once this period is over it is important to be very thorough when vacuuming especially the undisturbed areas. This in itself will help prevent re-infestation in the future.

When cleaning (after the 2 week period), close attention should be given to rugs and carpets, curtains, upholstered furniture, wardrobes (especially those containing woollens and furs), radiators and heaters, corners, cracks, skirting boards, mouldings, and other hard-to-reach places. All areas, including carpet areas under standing furniture must be vacuumed on a regular basis. If an infestation is known or suspected, the contents of the vacuum cleaner should be disposed of immediately in such a way as to destroy the insects, to prevent a transfer of infestation from one part of the house to another. Bedding areas of pets should be kept clean. Small numbers of adult and larvae forms may be present for some time after treatment depending on temperature, the extent and amount of infestation.

Complete eradication may never occur as small numbers may breed under carpets where they will not come into contact with the insecticide. The small numbers left should not cause damage as long as a very high standard of hygiene is adhered to. Moths that are in the pupa stage at the time of treatment may still hatch into adults but will only live for 2-7 days (depending on temperature), the moths emerging from the pupa may do so over a period of several weeks depending on temperature & the time of year.

Complete eradication may never occur as small numbers may breed under carpets where they will not come into contact with the insecticide. The small numbers left should not cause damage as long as a very high standard of hygiene is adhered to. Moths that are in the pupa stage at the time of treatment may still hatch into adults but will only live for 2-7 days (depending on temperature), the moths emerging from the pupa may do so over a period of several weeks depending on temperature & the time of year.

RABBITS

We use ferrets or live traps for rabbit work.

RATS

Keep a record of where you see rats, ask your neighbours if they have them. Leave any droppings or damage for the technician to look at.

The rat infestation will be treated with a cereal or pasta based poison bait. This poison usually requires that the rats feed several times before dying or if they consume enough poison to give them a lethal dose on their first feed, they will not suffer any ill effects until some time after feeding. This ensures that they do not become suspicious and associate the bait with illness or death and a ‘complete kill’ takes place, killing all the rats in the colony.

It can take up to 7 days before the rats start feeding on the bait as they are suspicious of new objects (Neophobia).

It is important to achieve a complete kill as they breed at such a rapid rate that any survivors soon replace the dead with their offspring. In heavy infestations rats can be seen feeding during the day, although their preference is for nocturnal feeding. Rats are attracted to the smell of other animals and their food, so particular care should be taken when feeding pets, wild birds etc., the storage of any foodstuffs and the disposing of rubbish.

If rats are getting into a building it is essential that the entry points are located and filled or the problem will repeat in the future. Feeding birds in the garden can be a cause for the presence of rats nearby as birds are messy feeders and food scattered can support a population of rats. Compost heaps often provide a warm place to live in the winter with a regular supply of food if used at regular intervals. If you have pets clear up droppings, check that their food is stored in a rat proof container, that litter & droppings are not put on compost heaps & that hutches & runs are rat proof.

SQUIRRELS

The treatment of a Squirrel infestation is much more difficult & time consuming than the other rodent pests.

Control of Squirrels in outside areas can be carried out in some circumstances but needs to be carefully considered. They will prey on birds nests, eating eggs & young. Feeding squirrels in gardens will increase the density of the population possibly harming other wildlife. Squirrels in a loft space can cause a lot of damage to electric cables and pipe work.

We use traps for squirrels inside and outside your property. If the problem is inside then after the treatment has been completed it is important that the building is proofed against squirrels as they are territorial and other squirrels will soon move into the vacant territory.

WASPS

The wasp nest will be treated using a powder insecticide. This is a modern biodegradable insecticide that is not highly toxic to mammals, but is extremely so to the hymenopterous group of insects (Wasps, Bees and Ants). The entrance to the nest or the nest itself will be treated using this insecticide.