Heatwave pest prevention tips

With the extremely high temperatures we have had recently PEST UK have been exceptionally busy with insect calls. Here are some heatwave pest prevention tips to help reduce the stress of dealing with fleas, ants, flies, bees, wasps and hornets this summer.

Fleas

Feeding on the blood of animals, fleas can be picked up by your pet dog or cat and brought into your home. Bites will be noticeable around the lower leg. They will live in the carpet and only leave to feed, soon returning to this environment as it most resembles grass.

We recommend vacuuming regularly, keeping pet bedding clean and washing it at least once a week. Check your pet often, especially if they go outside as fleas can live on wild animals as well and can be picked up while travelling through wild grass. Heatwave pest prevention tips

Ants

Ants will frequently enter homes foraging for food, particularly sweet substances. While they are not a risk to health, they can be present in large enough numbers to be a nuisance. The ants will be coming from several nests so locating one nest and destroying it will have a limited effect on the problem.

With ants, prevention is the best method of control. Clearing up food waste straight away and ensuring any pet food debris is also cleared away in a timely manner. Food should be stored in sealable containers. If you find any entry points around doors or windows using a sealant to block them is recommended.

Flies

There are 110 families of fly with over a 1,000,000 types of fly species worldwide. House flies are common worldwide. The larvae, or maggots, feed on rotting organic material or on faeces. Adult flies will travel several miles to feed, mate and to lay eggs. They are disease carriers, will spoil food and as well as being a nuisance in homes they are also a problem in refuse tips.

Denying flies access is important – either by closing doors and windows at night or installing fly screens. This is especially important around kitchens and bin areas. Cover food and clear up any spillages or debris left over by family members or by pets. This will limit food sources. Ensure there is no standing water that can be a nesting area for certain types of flies. Keep water butts covered and if you have a pond introduce fish that will feed on any larvae.

Heatwave pest prevention tips

Wasps, bees and hornets

If a wasp nest is not treated it will eventually die out, but before this happens the nest will produce at least 100 fertile Queens that will hibernate and start their own nests the following year. Nests will get larger until the autumn, and autumn and early winter are when they are at their most aggressive. This is when they are most likely to sting people. The workers will have finished their job of nest maintenance and collecting food for grubs and now are feeding on rotting fruit, which makes them drunk and aggressive.

Prevention is better than reaction. We recommend checking for nests. Look in your loft, garden, sheds and under eaves in spring time. At that time of year they will be the size of a golf ball. These smaller nests have fewer wasps and are easier to treat. In summer if you notice wasps randomly appearing within your home this can be a sign of a wasp nest in the loft. Keep doors and windows shut as much as possible to prevent wasps entering.

PESTUK

PESTUK are members of the BPCA. The British Pest Control Association is the governing body for professional pest control companies here in the UK. Our technicians are fully trained and insured to follow the law and guidelines set out by the BPCA, the national governing body for pest control in the UK. All technicians are CRB checked. Using a BPCA member company ensures you have a qualified, fully insured company treating your pest problem and not a cowboy company who can do more damage than good.

We have contracts with schools and with many restaurants and industrial businesses. We can also supply contract services to private homes and proofing from rodent damage and solar panel proofing.

PESTUK have offices in Balham, Oxford, Guildford, Edgware, Potters Bar, Reading, Shepperton, Wantage, Salisbury, St Albans, Stevenage, Swindon and Ware.