Insects

Ants

The most common ant found in the British Isles is the Black or Garden Ant. The worker ant is approximately 5mm long and is very dark brown, almost black. The Queen, rarely seen except for certain summer months, is approximately 15mm long and is mid brown in colour.

By nature, British ants are outdoor dwellers. The Queen builds a nest in soil, and ants’ nests can, therefore, be found in lawns, flowerbeds, beneath paving and patios, and sometimes, in walls and foundations of properties. Worker ants then invade nearby buildings in search of food.

Control - Insecticide powder applied directly on, in and around the nest site.

Fleas - (Cat - ctenocephalides felis) (Dog - ctenocephalides canis)

Identification - Adult fleas are like small, wingless insects with dark-coloured bodies measuring between 1 and 3mm in length. The body of the flea is flattened from side to side and is covered with pointed spines which allow it to move easily through the hairs or feathers of its host.Flea larvae emerge from the eggs to feed on any available organic material such as dead insects, faeces and vegetable matter. They are blind and avoid sunlight, keeping to dark places like sand, cracks and crevices, and bedding. Given an adequate supply of food, larvae should pupate within 1-2 weeks. After going through three larval stages they spin a silken cocoon. After another week or two the adult flea is fully developed and ready to emerge from the cocoon. Once the flea reaches adulthood its primary goal is to find blood. Adult fleas only have around a week to find food once they emerge, though they can survive two months to a year between meals.

Control - Treat infestation using a fine spraying insecticide which kills all fleas, eggs and there larvae.If there are dogs/cats in the household the owner will need to treat them accordingly.

Bed bugs - The bed bug (cimex lectularius)

Identification - Adults strongly depressed, oval body, reddish brown, length of females are 4mm - 8mm. Males are slightly smaller. Normally mahogany red brown, but become purple after feeding. Their eggs are slightly curved, pearly white and 0.8mm - 1.3mm long. The bed bug is a nocturnal insect that feeds on human blood. It is generally found living either in or close to a bed or human sleeping place. Thoroughness is essential to a successful bed bug eradication programme, and as with most pest control, housekeeping plays a major role. Bedbugs are generally active only at night, with a peak attack period about an hour before dawn. Attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, the bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow tubes. After feeding for about five minutes, the bug returns to its hiding place. The bites cannot usually be felt until some minutes or hours later. Although bedbugs can live for a year or as much as 18 months without feeding, they typically seek blood every five to ten days.

Control - Treat infestation using a wet spraying insecticide which kills the bed bugs and their eggs.

Cockroaches

The German cockroach is found widely throughout Europe. It prefers warm, moist environments, especially heating systems in large buildings, bakeries etc. German cockroaches can swim and will climb smooth surfaces easily. Once established the insect is often difficult to eradicate due to it hiding in inaccessible places.The German cockroach is 12-15mm, mid brown, with a yellow brown thorax having two dark brown stripes and long antennae. It is capable of flying but does not do so readily. The wings are full length in the male but 2/3 length in the female.The mated female cockroach produces an egg-containing structure called an ootheca, which can contain up to 30-40 eggs. The eggs develop for 2-4 weeks, dependant upon temperature, and hatch as nymphs, which are initially pure white but turn brown rapidly. These undergo a number of skin moults, growing larger each time and the adult cockroach emerges from the final nymphal stage 3-6 months later. Adult cockroaches are not active during the day but forage for food and water at night. They scavenge for any form of organic material, including human waste. As they need water they normally hide during the day in the vicinity of taps, sinks, drains and other water sources.The German cockroach can and does carry and spread diseases and when found should be tackled as soon as possible.Before carrying out any treatment it is necessary to establish the extent of the infestation. Inspection at night, flushing with aerosol insecticidal sprays and the use of sticky traps are particularly useful in determining the size of the infestation.

ControlThere are a number of options available to treat for cockroaches, including dusts, baits and sprays. Any of these, if used, should be in conjunction with improved hygiene, especially removal of food wastes and general cleaning.

Flies - The house fly is, perhaps, the most common and widespread animal in the world. It is a serious pest, which spreads many disease-causing pathogens including Salmonella, anthrax and polio. It is greyish in colour with four dark stripes along the back. Like all flies it has one pair of membranous 'true' wings; the second pair of wings are modified into drumstick-like appendages known as 'halteres', which are used in balance. The sponge-like mouthparts are adapted for feeding on liquids, and the reddish compound eyes are large.The housefly has a complete metamorphosis with distinct egg, larva or maggot, pupal and adult stages. The house fly overwinters in either the larval or pupal stage under manure piles or in other protected locations. Warm summer conditions are generally optimum for the development of the house fly, and it can complete its life cycle in as little as seven to ten days, and as many as 10 to 12 generations may occur in one summer. The white eggs, about 1.2 mm in length, are laid singly but pile up in small masses. Each female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in several batches of about 75 to 150 eggs, each over a three to four day period. The number of eggs produced is a function of female size, which is principally a result of larval nutrition.

Control - The presence of this fly is an indicator of a proofing defect and possibly a hygiene problem. Flykillers can be sited to catch insects that have breached barrier methods, but they should not be used as the first line in defence of flies. Insecticidal spray treatment should only be employed to a lighting surfaces, door and window frames but no surface coming into contact with food

Cluster flies (Pollenia rudis)

Cluster flies are found throughout the UK and their common name refers to their habit of forming clusters when “hibernating” - in often large numbers - in buildings.

The life cycle,The female lays eggs in the soil near the burrows of earthworms. The tiny maggots that hatch from the eggs seek out earthworms to feed upon. The maggots of cluster flies have never been reared on any other food but living earthworms. When full grown, the parasitic maggot leaves the body of the host and enters the soil. The Cluster Fly is very much dependent on the prevailing weather conditions, and in this country, two generations a year are usual but in hot summers, up to four generations per year are possible. Cluster flies are “field” flies and in summer and early autumn they are of no consequence. However, as the weather becomes cooler, they seek out shelter in nooks and crannies in houses and other buildings. As the weather becomes colder, they search for more protection from the elements and may be seen in large numbers, particularly in roof spaces, lofts, etc, sometimes with several thousand flies clustered together.

Curiously, it has often been seen that a single house or one building in a row of similar buildings will be chosen year after year for this clustering phenomenon.

Large numbers of cluster flies hibernating together are capable of producing a sickly smell and, if their local environment becomes warmer for any reason, they can emerge to fly around, albeit rather lazily. They are attracted to light which is why they find there way into bedrooms through down lighters etc.

Prevention and Control

Control methods for cluster and swarming flies are often ineffective or incomplete. It is often impossible to keep flies from entering premises. Indeed, it is likely that in many premises used by cluster flies the areas or voids used are difficult, if not impossible, to locate.

The best method of control is to prevent them entering the building in the first place, especially by blocking any access into cavity walls, e.g. replacing missing bricks, filling in other holes, etc. Although proofing is seldom 100% successful, sealing around window and door frames and other obvious entry points can also assist in controlling their presence. Cluster flies do not breed indoors and once they are inside a property, control can be relatively easily achieved with a range of smoke generator insecticides and fly strips.

Moths - The common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella)

Identification :Size 1mm- 12mm long usually 5mm-7mm and the adult moth is golden brown in colour.

Habitat & Breeding - They sometimes enter buildings via open windows and doors and can originate from birds nests. They are sometimes imported in tapestries, fabrics, soft furnishings and furniture. 40 - 50 laid singly but sometimes they are deposited in ones and twos. Laying takes place in one day but sometimes over period of weeks after which the female moth dies. They are depositied into folds, seams or between fibres. Hatching takes place after 4 to 10 days. The larva is cream white in colour with a golden-brown head and its body sparsely bristled. It lives in an open ended silken tube where it feeds all the time. Sometimes sheets of silk accompany tunnels. Development can be from 35 days to 2.5 years..The pupa is contained within a silken cocoon incorporating frass and fibres.

Control - Spray infested carpet or upholstered furniture with a light mist, to the point of dampness, or dust with an insecticide. The moth and larvae are difficult to control, however a repeated treatment may be necessary to completely eradicate the problem.