What are Silverfish?
The common silverfish has a long slender body and is silver in colour. They typically live in damp areas with a high relative humidity such as bathroomsSilverfish

What about the Grey Silverfish?
The Grey Silverfish is extremely easily confused with the Common Silverfish as they do look extremely similar. They were first reported in the UK in 2014 and have become quite prevalent since then. They are usually larger in size than the Common Silverfish and have a much longer tail. They are also much more resilient with regards to humidity levels and can survive with a relative humidity as low as 55%. This means that they can be found throughout the property, and not just solely in damp conditions.

What do Silverfish feed on?
Silverfish feed on starch/carbohydrates. In the home this is typically paper, wallpaper or cotton.

What can I do about Silverfish issues in my home?
For the Common Silverfish to survive, they need a relative humidity greater than 75%. So any infestation of common silverfish is most easily dealt with by adjusting the humidity levels, either by the use of a dehumidifier or a desiccant dust. This is usually enough to solve the problem.
As the Grey Silverfish is more resilient to lower humidity levels, it is much harder to control a Grey Silverfish problem with this method alone. There are new gel products on the professional market specifically designed for the control of the Grey Silverfish.

If you would like more information about the services we offer regarding silverfish or any other insects, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

It is fairly well known that rodents like to have a nibble on wires and cables. But why? And what are the consequences of them having a chew on your wires?

Why do rodents gnaw on cables?

Rodents have very strong teeth, with a much harder enamel than on human teeth, which allows them to chew through materials such as wood, plastic and electrical cables. Unlike human teeth, their teeth do not stop growing, so they have to gnaw on things to keep their teeth short. Due to a gap in their teeth, called a diastema, they can spit any chewed material out and therefore don’t eat it. It is thought they particularly like cables due to their shape and ease at which they can gnaw on them.

What are the consequences?

When rats gnaw on wiring within houses, they often attack the plastic insulation on the outside of the wiring, which leaves the wiring exposed. In some cases this can lead to house fires. So it is always worth getting that noise in your loft checked out, because ignoring it can have pretty bad consequences.

It is not just homes that can have the wiring damaged. We have had several cases of them chewing through cables within bin lorries and cars. This has been in the news recently, as there have been many instances of this happening to new electric cars such as Teslas. They use a soy-based plastic insulation to protect the wires and even though this is thought to be more environmentally friendly, it would appear that it is tastier too!

If you would like more information about the services we offer regarding rodents, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

July is usually the time of year that we suddenly get an increase in calls regarding wasp nests, even though the nests may have been around since April. It is not until July/August that the nests become more evident as the number of individuals in the nest is much higher.

April/May – The queen emerges from hibernation as the temperatures begin to increase and she starts to build a nest This initial nest is usually only the size of a golf ball, and soon after she begins to lay the first eggs.

June – the nest grows slowly, and the first adults emerge from the nest 4-6 weeks after the first eggs are laid.

July – The nest starts to grow more rapidly as the numbers in the nest increase. This tends to be when you will start to notice nests on your property as there are more wasps flying around.

August/September – This is the peak of the size and activity within the nest. At the peak of nest activity there can be up to 20,000 individuals in one nest, however the average is between 2,000 and 5,000. Nests within loft spaces can grow to be very large in size.

October/November/December – As the temperatures drop and food supply decreases, the nest starts to decline and once some heavy frosts have happened, the nest dies off completely.

Over the winter months, the nest is empty, and the nest cannot be re-used in subsequent years. So, if you find a large wasp nest in your loft in the winter or spring months, it is an old nest that does not cause any problems.

 

If you would like more information about wasps, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

Electronic fly killers (EFKs) are an efficient method of reducing issues with flying insects. They work by attracting insects to UV light. Pest Solution are happy to supply and install a wide range of EFKs to both commercial and domestic scenarios. Below are some of the frequently asked questions regarding EFKs.

House Fly

If you would like more information or a quotation, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

The most common ant in the UK is the black garden ant, Lasius niger. It is the only indigenous ant species that commonly enters properties in the UK. They typically nest in soil but can also nest under paving and concrete.

Reasons for controlBritish Ants

How to control ants?

The key to controlling ant infestations is to get to the nest itself, which can be restricted if underneath paving or concrete. There are several options for controlling ants:

If you would like more information about ants, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

Pests, like all other living creatures need a steady source of food to survive. Often this food source is the rubbish we throw away. This could be commercial waste in trade bins outside or just a few crumbs of food on a kitchen floor. Here are some of the pests that are attracted to human rubbish:

Whatever the pest issue is, having good hygiene will often work wonders in minimising the impact of the infestation. Small changes such as regular emptying of bins, cleaning routines and blocking off any holes can prevent a pest issue from escalating quickly. Pests can spread disease through their droppings/urine, so any sign of an infestation should be dealt with as soon as possible.

If you would like more information about any of the above issues, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

Our aim at Pest Solution is to minimise the quantities of pesticides used and provide customers with targeted non-toxic treatments wherever possible. All pesticide usage is carefully monitored and used in a way to prevent contact with non-target species with all surplus material removed after treatment. This helps protect the environment for future generations. Here are a couple of examples of this in action:

The professional pest controller is often in the spotlight with the impact to non-target species, especially when it comes to birds of prey and rodenticides. However, often it is the DIY pest controllers at home that are more environmentally damaging as they do not read the label correctly and often misuse the product entirely. By choosing Pest Solution to deal with your pest problem, you can ensure that steps are taken to minimise the environmental impact of any treatment carried out.

If you would like more information about the services that we offer, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

Pest Control TrainingAt Pest Solution, we do not just offer pest management services to clients, but we also offer a variety of training courses for those who wish to work in pest control. We frequently get enquiries from people who are interested in pest control but do not know where to start.
Pest control is an extremely practical skill and experience in the field is vital, however, to be able to use professional products it is necessary to obtain a qualification. Here at Pest Solution, there are two qualifications that we recommend:

There is more information about both of the above courses on our dedicated training website, click here.

If you would like more information about getting into pest control, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

Many media sites have been reporting that there has been an increase in rat infestations during the coronavirus pandemic. But what can you do about it, when they decide to join you in your own home? The best way to control rats is to stop them from getting into your home in the first place. This is a long term solution that will stop any future infestations. Rats frequently enter homes through drains and one way to prevent this is by installing a rat flap in the drain.

A rat flap is essentially a cylinder which fits at the end of pipes and drains. Inside this cylinder, there is a flap which only opens one way. This results in the flap being able to open and allow water and waste to flow out of the system, but not allow anything to come back up the drain system towards the property. It is a highly effective way of stopping rat entry via the drains.

Choosing and fitting the wrong type of rat flap can result in rats still being able to access your property. Fitting the rat flap in the right place provides a long lasting and reliable way to prevent rats. Here are a few top tips for rat flaps:

If you would like more information about rat flaps or would like one installed in your drain, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

It’s reached that time of the year to have the annual venture into the loft to get the Christmas decorations out. Some people have had theirs out for weeks already, others are yet to carry this job out. The last thing anybody wants to find is unexpected visitors in the loft in amongst the decorations. The most common visitors of lofts at this time of year are rodents and cluster flies.

If you have found evidence on pest activity in your loft and would like more information about the services we offer, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.

Christmas opening hours

The whole team at Pest Solution will be working up to 5pm on Christmas Eve. However from Friday 25th December to Sunday 3rd January inclusive, we will be operating on emergency visits only. If you require any assistance during this period, please either call the main office number, 01284 766362 and leave a voicemail or drop us an email at info@pestosolution.co.uk. We will be operating as usual from Monday 4th January 2021.

We wish all our customers a very merry Christmas and we all look forward to a more positive 2021.

Combining an extensive knowledge of pests and a commitment to safe procedures, Pest Solution offers Pest Management that you can trust.