Wasps, Squirrels & Rats
Wasps, Squirrels & Rats:
Today (10/1/14) was the first cold day with sub zero temperatures we have had for a while. This has immediately brought a rush of rat enquiries at PEST UK. Calls into PEST UK regarding rats this Winter have been much lower than normal. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, this is not that the rat population is low but people are not seeing them or coming into contact with them. Our rodenticide usage on contracts is high which indicates the rat population at present is quite high. Today numerous calls regarding rat problems and sightings have confirmed this.
Wasps, Squirrels & Rats
The question pest control companies are asking is Will this mild weather have any effect on the hibernating Queen Wasps? It is not only temperature that makes Queen Wasps come out of hibernate,daylight length ad other factors do play a part but it can make the come out. We know this from the calls we get regarding Queen Wasp problems when lights and or heat go on in loft spaces and other areas where Queen Wasps hibernate. I think that as long as the mild weather finished before the end of February then things should be ok but if not it means the Queen Wasps will emerge from hibernation early and may get caught by cold or prolonged wet Spring weather. If this happens there will be few wasp nests and so less work and money for Pest Control Companies.
We should be getting enquiries from people experiencing Squirrel problems shortly. this is also weather dependant. Cold weather leads to squirrels moving into loft spaces instead of using dreys in trees and milder weather will lead to squirrels looking for sites to have young and loft spaces are ideal sites for this. Again we have not been experiencing the level of calls we would expect to get at this time of year but I forecast that tis will improve in the coming months.
Rats BPCA Advice
Squirrels BPCA
