As summer moves into autumn, the jobs we at Pest-Tech Ltd get asked to do as pest controllers also change with the season…
Bed Bugs!
The first of the post summer issues are bed bug infestations! We see a spike in calls at this time of year as everyone has been away on their summer holidays and without knowing it you may have picked up some unwanted hitch hikers. Hotels and hostels are a common place to pick up bed bugs from but saying that it could just have easily been where the luggage was in a plane luggage hold and cross contamination of bed bugs takes place. When you get home most people stick the suitcases on the bed to unpack them, I know I used to! The bed bug is now in its new home and wants to feed. A bed bug is attracted to carbon dioxide we breath out and body warmth, so a bed frame, headboard or bed side cabinet is the perfect place to set up home, so they don’t have far to travel for dinner. Once they have fed, they will lay eggs so very soon a small infestation can grow and get out of control. Feeding on human blood at night, their bites can result in a number of health issues including skin rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. Bed bug bites may lead to skin changes ranging from invisible, to small areas of redness, to prominent blisters.
Fleas!
The second pest problem we see at this time of year in an increase in fleas. If you have animals, then it is always important to keep up with flea treatments however your animal can still introduce them to the home at any time. A flea will tend to feed and then lay a batch of eggs, normally at the skirting board or the edge of a room. The eggs will lay dormant until they are ready to hatch, and it is heat, vibration and movement that causes a flea egg to hatch. At this time of year, the central heating goes on and suddenly you have just created the perfect conditions without even knowing the problem is even there. Once you have an outbreak then you need to break the cycle. My advice at this stage is to get some quotes for a professional treatment. You can buy ‘self-help’ spray can treatments but I have had customers in the past buy 5 cans of spray and still have the problem! The cost of the 5 cans of spray would have covered the cost of a professional treatment…
Cluster Flies!
The next problem that occurs around this time of year is the Cluster fly. The cluster fly over winters in the loft space in general as it is easy for the fly to get in through the gaps of the roof tile. Often you find it is south facing parts of the loft as the fly’s bask in the last of the winter sun and then as it gets colder, they gain entry to your roof to mate and hibernate. If you have had them in the past, then there is a good chance you will get them again as they are attracted back by the pheromone they have left from previous years. What happens when you have up lighters that direct into the loft space is the heat they generate, if left on for a while, will wake some of the flies who will then be attracted to the heat and light and then you find you have flies appearing around the house! Look out for lots of dead ones on the window sills upstairs as a sure sign. Pest-Tech Ltd get called in because the customer thinks they have a dead rodent or bird somewhere – a simple ‘ID’ of the fly tells us the cluster fly infestation is present.
Rats & Mice!
The most common of problems at this time of year is rodents (rats and mice)! They simply decide it is to cold to live outside and therefore time to find somewhere new to live that has access to a food and water source! It is common for both mice and rats to end up in places such as roof spaces or under floorboards where they are kept warm but also can move about without being seen. Both rats and mice are nocturnal so most of there activity happens under the cover of darkness, so they are not seen. They are opportunists so just because you have a rodent issue, it doesn’t mean to say your premises are dirty or unclean, it just means they have taken advantage of an opportunity to get warm.
This time of year I encourage people to take 5 minutes to walk round their property and check for holes in the walls where old pipes used to be. All air blocks should be checked for damage either from gnawing or general wear and tear, this also gives rats and mice easy access into the cavity wall and up into the loft. Another thing to look at is climbing plants attached to the exterior of the house as these act as a ladder for rodents to gain entry to the property, I understand that some will insist that the plants remain, but it’s about weighing the balance between having constant rodent issues or not!
Of course some rodent issues are not seen as a lot of rat entry problems are caused from drain problems and we are unable to identify the exact issue without getting a drain survey done. That said we can sometimes identify a problem in the drains and resolve it without a drain survey by applying a bit of knowledge and understanding to the problem. Either way it is worth getting a professional in to resolve the problem because we understand that the rodent problem is only part of the story and the main issue we want to deal with is how the rats or mice are getting in so we can stop it happening again!
Squirrels!
Squirrels are the last of the day to day problems we deal with this time of year. The squirrels like rodents are getting cold outside and looking for somewhere warm to nest ready to have their babies. It is so easy for a squirrel to get into a loft space as they are so nimble and can climb with absolute ease. Often, they will sit in the gutter whilst they gnaw on the facia creating a nice access hole and route into your loft. They can now create a home fit for a king with all the insulation available to them. But be warned, do not leave them in your loft as they are prolific ‘gnawers’ and many a house fire has been caused by squirrels gnawing on electric cables.
On a job we did a few years ago the squirrels caused over £3000 worth of damage as all the upstairs needed to be rewired due to squirrel damage so you need to do something other than just leave them and hope they will go away.
I hope this has been of use to you in some way and by no means is our BLOG meant to ‘scare’ you into doing something about your possible pest problem. The aim is rather to inform you of the perils of having a pest problem, which left unchecked can cause more serious damage to your health and home!
If you would like any further advice or to book a treatment for your home or business in Kent, then contact us via the website www.pest-tech.org or ring the office mobile on 0754 282 7121. We will always offer any advice we can!