Top 5 March Pests

PESTUK deals with many pests throughout the month. The majority of work is still rodent-related, including rats, mice and squirrels. However, the top 5 March pests are-

Rats

Rats carry diseases, they can start fires and cause other damage by chewing through cables. They kill other wildlife and an infestation will breed and spread rapidly. In gardens bird feeding, compost heaps and animal droppings are the main causes for their presence. You may see rats during daylight hours but they prefer to operate at night. Runs are identified by a lack of vegetation, smear marks, footprints and packed down earth. Rats lie in burrows dug into the earth and can cause damage by collecting nesting materials, soiling food with urine, faeces and hair. The burrows resemble small rabbit holes. They may dig the burrows in earth or in compost heaps but they are adaptable and make use of areas under sheds or inside buildings. Top 5 March Pests

Mice

Commonly heard in loft spaces and will travel in the wall cavities to all parts of the house, especially to areas where food can be found. They often follow the routes of pipes throughout a house. Mice are occasionally seen during daylight hours. You may hear them in the loft, particularly at night when it is quiet. Many people wonder what they eat in a loft space, they eat spiders, woodlice and other insects as well as any air-born seeds blown into the roof space. Mice are extremely adaptable, changing their behaviour to fit in with the environment they are in. House mice consume food meant for humans or pets. They contaminate food-preparation surfaces with their faeces, which can contain the bacterium that causes food poisoning (salmonellosis). People are more tolerant of mice than rats although they can carry the same diseases as rats and are more likely to transmit such diseases, as they are bolder and more curious, coming into closer contact with food, cutlery and work surfaces.

Squirrels

When they enter a loft space, they cause structural damage by tearing up loft insulation for bedding, chewing timbers, pipework and stored items, and posing a fire hazard by stripping insulation from electrical wiring and chewing through cabling can cause electrical problems. Insulation may be piled into large balls for nesting. They are also very noisy, and if they drown in uncovered water storage tanks, can contaminate the water supply. For these reasons, it is important to keep squirrels out of lofts. Squirrels in gardens are also destructive pests, eating plants, bulbs, stripping bark and will eat bird’s eggs and chicks. Grey Squirrels are classed as vermin. It is illegal to release a trapped Grey Squirrel.

Ants

Ants will frequently enter homes foraging for food, in particular sweet substances. While not a risk to human health, they can be present in sufficient numbers to cause a nuisance. The ants will almost certainly be coming from several nests so locating one nest and destroying that will have a limited effect. Top 5 March Pests

Flies

There are many different types of flies. Treatment and remedy depend on the particular species and circumstances they are found in. The breeding site (if there is one) of flies is important. If blowflies (Blue bottles and green bottles) then it will be a body of some kind, in the case of Filter or Sewage Flies it could be any damp organic sludge (which could be caused by a water leak). Living in rural areas next to farmland (especially farms with animals) can lead to periodic fly problems.

PESTUK

PESTUK are full members of the BPCA, the governing body for pest control in the UK. Using a BPCA member company ensures you have a qualified, fully insured company treating your pest problem.

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