There has been a considerable rise in the number of rodents in the UK in recent years. This is down to a number of factors including warmer winters, a reduction in waste collections and an increase in wild bird feeding. There are many do-it-yourself options available to homeowners, businesses and tenants but in order to eliminate the problem quickly and efficiently, you should always seek professional help.
Q: What do you call a wasp?
A: A wanna-bee!
Q: What is a wasp’s favourite singer?
A: Sting!
Q: Where do you take a sick wasp?
A: To waspital.
Wasps are generally not funny, apart from in jokes. (I’m sure some of you disagree after having read our selection of wasp jokes…) Anyway, you might’ve noticed a lot more buzzing lately, and some of you have probably had some chilling experiences where an aggressive wasp feels like it has the right to take a bite out of your sandwich or a sip out of your drink.
Pest Control Problems in the Winter
While some pests are only a problem to home and business owners in the warmer months, there are a number that can cause difficulties all year round, including winter time.
Dealing with things such as bee and wasp nests is only something we’re called on to do at certain times of year. Keep reading to find out what pests we deal with even in the colder weather.
Rats
Rats are very resilient creatures and even when the weather outside is bitterly cold, they can survive underground, coming out for food when they need to.
Whether you’re a homeowner or business owner, you need to be on the ball all year round for signs of rats such as droppings near where food is stored.
When you’re running a hotel or B&B, you’ll have 101 things to do at any given time but it’s essential that you keep on top of your pest control.
With so many online accommodation review sites around, if one guest has a bad experience with bed bugs for example, you reputation could soon take a nosedive.
Keep reading to discover our professional pest control tips for hotels and B&Bs.
Good food hygiene seems like common sense but many hotels and B&Bs run into problems in their kitchens. It’s essential to make sure all staff know exactly what to look out for when it comes to pests and how to avoid attracting them.
The common bed bug or Cimex lectularius to use their Latin name have been feeding off humans for thousands of years.
Bed bugs love nothing more than to feast on human blood and they thrive in warm environments. They are typically 4-5mm in length and can grow up to 3mm wide. These dimensions coupled with the fact they’re most active at night, make them very difficult to spot with the naked eye.
Bed bug bites are most commonly found on the arms, neck and face – in other words the areas that are usually exposed while we sleep.
There are a number of tell-tale signs that you may have bed bugs. Whether it’s in your own home or a hotel/B&B you run, look out for the following clues that bed bugs are around:
Pest controller Bob Howard checks the attic of a house for evidence of rat or squirrel infestation. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris
“If you leave your front door open, don’t be surprised if there’s someone sitting in your living room,” sighs Bob Howard as he scans the walls of a house in commuter-belt Hertfordshire and tries to determine whether rats or squirrels are laying stealthy siege to its loft.
According to the veteran pest controller, rodents aren’t the only creatures making themselves comfortable in our midst: pest populations, including bedbugs, appear to be on the rise across the county just as the money needed to tackle them dwindles. Budget cuts of almost 30% mean that local authorities no longer have the funds to deal with pests. As they have no statutory duty to provide such services, some have reduced their pest control teams and outsourced the work to private contractors; others have introduced charges, while some have ceased offering services altogether.
An Edinburgh kebab shop owner has been fined £1350 after cooked beetle larva was found in a kebab sold from his takeaway.
City of Edinburgh Council food safety inspectors made a visit to The Olympus Takeaway on 13 October 2010, after a food complaint.
During the visit, the officers found that there was extensive evidence of both mouse and Larder beetle activity.
Mouse droppings were also found throughout the premises, mostly in the preparation room and basement. Both dead and live beetle larvae were found in the food preparation room.