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Prepared by:

Best Pest Control Copyright ©October 2016 Best Pest Control

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http://www.best-pestcontrol.co.uk/

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Contents Preface ……………………………………………………………………………5

Introduction………………………………………………………………………6

ANTS......................................................................................................7

Black Garden Ant………………………………………………………………….7

Ghost Ant…………………………………………………………………...7

Pharaoh’s Ants……………………………………………………………..8

Red Stinging Ants…………………………………………………………..9

Roger’s Ant………………………………………………………………… 9

Aphids.............................................................................................................11 Woolly Aphids………………………………………………………………..12

Bed Bugs ……………………………………………………………..13

Beetles …………………………………………………………………14

Biscuit Beetle…………………………………………………………………14

Varied Carpet Beetle………………………………………………………....15

Fur Carpet Beetle……………………………………………………………..16

Furniture Beetle………………………………………………………………17

Red Lily Beetle………………………………………………………………..18

Chafer Beetle Larvae…………………………………………………………19

Rosemary Beetle……………………………………………………………..20

Mealy Bug ……………………………………………………………21

Cockroach ……………………………………………………………22

Oriental Cockroach……………………………………………………………22

German Cockroach……………………………………………………………23

Fleas ……………………………………………………………………..24

Flies….…………………………………………………………………...25

Autumn Flies…………………………………………………………………25

Blue Bottle Flies……………………………………………………………..25

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Mice ……………………………………………………………………..27

House Mouse………………………………………………………………...27

Wood Mouse…………………………………………………………………27

Yellow Neck Field Mouse…………………………………………………….28

Rat …………………………………………………………………………29

Brown Rat…………………………………………………………………….29

Black Rat………………………………………………………………………30

Wasps …………………………………………………………………….31

Bibliographies ………………………………………………………32-34

V

Preface

This PDF content is produce for sole purpose to help people with pest problem.

All images that was seen in this pdf were all taken from Wikimedia Commons under creative commons license, GNU license, public domain and pixabay website.

We suggest that you follow instructions from the label of your insecticide when applying by yourself.

However, we recommend to contact professional exterminator for effective pest eradication.

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Introduction

There are lots of organism that can be found in UK. Most of it are consider as pest because, they are detrimental not only to plants and agricultural crops. Also, these pests are bringing harm or damage to our property, health and businesses. Moreover, not all pest that we found in UK were originated from Britain itself. For, some of them were just migrated to UK. Thus, identifying them correctly and knowing their lifestyle is very essential in dealing pest. When you want to eliminate them completely.

On the other hand, identifying these pests are not easy to do. Since, most of them looks same apparently. But, when you analyse their sizes, colours and characteristics. You will understand their difference with their group species. Likewise, when you able to identify your pest correctly. You will be able to know the appropriate treatment to your pest problem. Thus, incorrect pest identification will lead to wrong tactics of controlling pest and waste of money.

However, not all pest organisms are can be treat by yourself alone. There are pest organisms that is very dangerous to treat. So, only trained exterminator can do it. This pdf serves only as guide about identification and lifestyle on some common pest in UK. Although we include prevention and treatment on this pdf. We still to recommend to consult professional pest control for effective eradication and result.

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Ants Usually identified by their node structure and antennae.

Black Garden Ant (Laisus niger)

Description and Characteristics: This ant typically measures from 3-9 mm. The body is

divided in three section with three pair legs. They have one queen per colony that measure around 9mm with dark brown/black and reddish legs. Queen only lay eggs and typically colony has 4,000 – 7,000 female worker. But, the larger colony has 15,000 workers. Workers are the one who forage for food and feed their larvae. Likewise, build nest. The queen may live for 29 years. Black garden ant is fast moving and very active.

Habitat: Found in flower beds, lawns, Beneath paving stones, base of the walls. Build nest

in insulation layers in house and Usually enter through cracks.

Diet: Feed on honey drew and prefer sweet foods. Searching food item like greasy,

seed and living or dead insect. They eat on exposed pet food.

Show up: Summer months.

Damage: Building foundation can weaken when nest becomes larger and can contaminate food.

Ghost Ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum)

Photo taken by Andy Brookestar at Wikimedia commons

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Description and Characteristics: Workers were small in size with average length of

2mm while the queen measures 2.5 mm in length. Their head and thorax is dark brown, while their gaster, legs antennae are milky white in colour. The males head and dorsum is dark while, the gaster is light in that may contain several dark marks. Unlike black garden ant, this ant has multiple queens and spread out in multiple sub colonies.

Habitat: This ant nest indoors and outdoors. In outdoors, they can be found in tuffs dead,

moist grass and plant stems. Indoors, they can be found in wall spaces, cabinetry, cracks, kitchen, bathroom, folded clothing or linen and baseboards. They also nest in potted plants.

Diet: Feed on both dead and live insects and fond in honey drew. They also have to

look for places to drink, and this brings them into contact with areas such as drains and rubbish bins.

Show up: They like hot houses.

Damage: They can through passive transfer disseminate germs and spores.

Pharaoh’s Ants (Monomorium pharoanis)

Souce: April Nobile / © AntWeb.org, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Small in size with an average length of 2mm. The

workers are light yellow to reddish colour with lighter abdomen. They usually have many queens and their colonies ranges to 300,000. When they found food they lay chemical trail. In addition, they really like water and travel to waste food collection or drains.

Habitat: Nesting in inaccessible, warm and humid areas but near in water and food source.

Diet: Attracted in fatty and sweet foods. They will feed on meat, cheese, dead insects, mice

and mouse droppings. In hospitals they will also feed on blood, intravenous diet fluids, the fluid associated with wounds and vomit.

Show up: Anywhere whenever uncover food is left even in shorter time.

Damage: May carry disease organisms and can penetrate, contaminate food stuffs and sterile dressing.

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Red Stinging Ant (Myrmica rubra)

Source: pixabay

Description and Characteristics: Workers have length between 4-5 mm with dark red

colour while queen has length between 8-9mm and similar colour to their workers. The red

stinging ant has colonies up to 250,000 workers ants with many queens that can live up to 15

years.

Habitat: Found in gardens, fallen trees, meadows, wastelands under stones and in the soil.

Diet: Honeydews, small insects and other anthropoids’.

Show up: All year.

Damage: Red stinging ants can effectively sting humans. It gives a small burning sensation

that can last for a few hours to one day.

Roger’s Ant (Hypoponera punctatissima)

Description and Characteristics: Head and body are relatively smooth. Waist has one

distinct segment that narrowly connected to gaster.

Total length is from 2.5 -3.0 mm. workers are usually

yellowish brown to dark brown. Their queen colour is

an orangish-brown with lighter appendages.

Habitat: They adapted human habitat like hot houses, heated building, compost piles and

horse manure wherein they form colonies. Likewise, found nesting in soil, rotting

wood, gardens and disturbed habitats.

pixabay/en/ant-at-the-morning-breakfast-wood-ant-1377444

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Diet: Forage mostly underground. They use their sting to prey on small invertebrates.

Show up: Hot and decomposed matter.

Damage: They have been known to sting when agitated or trapped in clothing and are

most often encountered in large numbers during flight swarms. Produce a welt

or respiratory problems if there is an allergic reaction to the sting. A contaminant

in hospitals and other commercial premises.

Prevention: Seal any small gaps around window and doors.

Regularly wipe down surfaces

Keep your home clean of crumbs.

Avoid leaving dirty places.

Store all food in sealed containers.

Treatment: For natural way, you sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder or paprika in their

entrance. you can use chili pepper, bay leaves, mint, cinnamon, peppermint,

pepper and borax by spreading any of these items along the places you have

seen ants.

For other ways, you can use ant bait which can be purchase at local groceries.

Please follow the indicated instructions.

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Aphids (Aphidoidea) Common names aphids, greenfly, blackfly, plant

rice.

Description and Characteristics: Aphid have pearl shaped bodies with long antennae.

Their size is from 1 to 10mm. Sometimes they can

appear light green, black, yellow, pink, gray, brown

and white. Some may have a waxy or woolly coating.

The nymphs look similar to adults. In addition, they

look invisible to the naked eye.

Habitat: Found in any plants.

Diet: Nymphs and adults feed on plant juices, attacking leaves, stems, buds, flowers, fruit,

and/or roots, depending on species.

Show up: Appear during spring to late summer in garden but in indoors is all year round.

Damage: The honeydew can sometimes develop a fungal growth called sooty mold,

causing branches and leaves to appear black.

Aphids feeding on flowers or fruit can cause them to become distorted.

When aphids feed on trees, their honeydew can drop onto cars, outdoor

furniture, driveways.

Aphids may transmit viruses to certain plants, and also attract other insects

that prey on them.

Some aphid species cause galls to form on roots or leaves.

Prevention: You can purchase beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, lacewings, and

parasitic wasps, which will feed on aphids.

For fruit or shade trees, spray dormant oil to kill overwintering eggs.

Companion planting can be very helpful to keep aphids away from your

plants in the first place.

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Garlic and chives repel aphids when planted near lettuce, peas, or rose

bushes.

Treatment: For natural way, Aphids have many natural enemies, including ladybirds,

hoverfly larvae, lacewing larvae and parasitic wasps.

On chemical way, it is only feasible to control aphids on plants that are small

enough to be sprayed thoroughly. Always read the label use pesticides safely.

Woolly Aphid (Eriosoma)

By S. Rae from Scotland, UK (Poodle or Aphid) CC BY 2.0) or CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Long white or occasionally blue-grey insect with waxy

residues which look like cotton wool appear on the

bark and branches especially around old pruning

wounds. The adult aphids are elliptical in shape and

up to 2mm long. They only look white because of their

waxy coating but they are pinkish brown.

Habitat: Found on plant fluids.

Diet: Feed on foliage, twigs, buds, bark, branches and even in roots

Show up: April to October

Damage: Wax accumulation is sometimes seen as well, along with the sweet, sticky residue

known as honeydew.

Attacks on the bark leave the tree weakened and open to infestation by other

bugs and diseases.

Prevention: Buy apple trees on rootstocks which are resistant to woolly aphid attack.

Correct pruning methods and avoiding damage to the bark of your trees.

Treatment: Scrubbing the aphid colonies with a stiff-bristled brush on small trees with

light infestation can control woolly aphid.

On chemical way, please ask for trained exterminator for effective result.

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Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)

By Content Providers(s): CDC/ Harvard University, Dr. Gary Alpert; Dr. Harold Harlan; Richard Pollack. Photo Credit: Piotr Naskrecki Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Description and Characteristics: Parasitic insect that feed on blood. Nymphs are

translucent lighter in colour and become browner as

they moult and reach maturity. Adults grow to 4-5

mm long and 1.5-3mm wide. Usually, light brown to

reddish-brown with flattened, oval-shaped, and have

no hind wings. A new research from University of

Sydney suggests that bed bugs have developed a

thicker cuticle that’s enabling them to survive

extremely high doses of common insecticides.

Habitat: Found in bed frame, mattress, bedside furniture, skirting boards or wallpaper.

They prefer wood or fabric than metal and plastic.

Diet: Feed on human blood and prefer exposed skin.

Show up: Attach in luggage and found mostly in second hand furniture.

Damage: Bites may lead to a range of skin manifestations from no visible effects to

prominent blisters. Effects include skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic

symptoms.

Prevention: Inspect your family's beds once a month.

Keep luggage away from bedrooms at home, preferably in the garage or shed.

Check every hotel room you stay in.

Wrap bags in cling film at the airport if you are particularly worried.

Don’t use soft bags for travelling. Hard cases have fewer crevices for bugs to

hide in.

Don’t reach for a can of insect spray. It doesn't kill bed bugs but it will

encourage them to move to another part of the house.

Don’t throw away mattresses or beds if you think you have bugs. All this will do

is spread them through the house as you bump furniture down the stairs.

Treatment: Bed bugs are difficult to treat by yourself alone because they can resist on

some insecticides. Hence, it is better to call professional pest control.

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Beetles (Coleoptera)

The largest insect in Britain with around 4,000 species and 3,000,000 species worldwide.

They are easy to recognize as their front wings are hard, covering

the second pair of wings and the abdomen. All beetles have biting

mouthparts.

Biscuit Beetle or Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium Paniceum)

By en:User:Kamranki (Wikipedia en) GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Biscuit beetle is small insect between 2 to 4mm in

length and has large dark eyes. Usually reddish

brown in colour.

Habitat: Found home and other buildings containing processed and package food/products

or museum/herbarium specimens.

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Diet: Larvae feed on a very wide variety of materials of vegetable and animal origin

(including drugs poisonous to humans, spices, tobacco, leather, wood, textiles), may

attack dried plant collections, old books and paper. Adults do not feed.

Show up: Year-round indoor.

Damage: They also infest almonds, peanuts, paprika, red pepper, alfalfa meal, cornmeal,

flour, milo, wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, dry dog and cat food, bread,

birdseed, beans, coffee beans, fish meal, spaghetti, instant chocolate, powdered

milk, books, manuscripts, dried flowers, certain fillers and fabric coverings of

furniture, leather, museum specimens, and other foodstuffs.

Prevention: Use older packages before new ones, avoid spillage in cabinets, and always

keep food storage areas clean.

Purchase seldom-used foods in small quantities to prevent long storage

periods of one month or more.

Examine foods such as cornmeal and macaroni for infestations, and check the

packaging date to establish freshness.

Susceptible foods should be stored in insect-proof containers of glass, plastic

or metal, or store in a refrigerator.

Treatment: Throw out any infested food and thoroughly clean out any food residues from

areas where the beetles or their grubs are found. Also check the loft or eaves

of your house for an old bird nest, as these can be a common source of Biscuit

Beetles.

If heavily infested, consider using a professional company as these pests can

cause problems and a lot of the treatments are only available to professionals.

Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus Verbasci)

By Line Sabroe from Denmark (Varied Carpet Beetle) CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The adult beetle is between 2-3mm long. Its body is

broadly oval in shape and dark brown or black in

colour with mottled white or yellow patches. The

larvae are short brown hairy grubs up to 5mm (1/5th")

long and have dense tufts of golden hairs on each side

of the hind part of the body. The larvae grow and

moult six to eight times and do not pupate until about

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March of the following year. If the temperature is

unsuitable the larvae may not pupate until three or

more years’ time. The larvae are, known as 'woolly

bears'.

Habitat: Found in natural situations such as birds’ nests, wasps’ nests and animal burrows

and in some museums and houses they have a direct route into the premises from

nests in attics and chimneys.

Diet: Larvae feed on wool, silk, fur or feathers. Silken clothes are eaten too, especially if

they are stored in a soiled state. Larvae will also eat cereals - but only rarely. The adult

Carpet Beetle feeds only on pollen and nectar of garden flowers.

Show up: April to June

Damage: The larvae are voracious feeders and will rapidly make neat holes in woollen

textiles, animal specimens, fur and feathers. They will also graze on animal glue

in book bindings and picture frames. Clean cotton materials are not normally

attacked, although larvae may bore through this on their way out of a feather

cushion.

Prevention: Check the loft and eaves for old birds’ nests or dead birds and remove them.

Vacuum clean all fluff and debris from airing cupboards, shelves, floorboards,

carpets and upholstery.

Lift carpets and underlay and clean floor and carpet thoroughly.

Treatment: An insecticide is needed to deal with woolly bears and affected items should

be sprayed or dusted with a product labelled for carpet beetle control.

Treat between floorboards, under carpets and underfelts and into crevices

where fluff may collect and attract the insects.

Consider using a professional company as these pests can cause significant

damage.

Fur Carpet Beetle (attagenus pelio)

By AfroBrazilian (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The larvae have distinctive tuft of very long hairs that

projected backwards. Adults is between 4.5 to 6mm

long and body shape is oblong. Its colour is black with

small patch of white hairs on either side of elytra.

Also, thorax is covered with white hairs.

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Habitat: Mostly found on textiles, grains, carpet and fur. In outdoors, they are found in

pollen and nectar. They can be found wandering on walls and windows.

Diet: Feed on a variety of animal-based materials including wool, fur, silk, feathers and

leather.

Show up: Autumn

Damage: Silk, clothes, wool, leather and carpet.

Prevention: Clean rugs, carpets, draperies, furniture, baseboards, air vents, mouldings and

other hard-to-reach places regularly.

Periodically brush, air outside, or dry-clean furs, woollens, blankets, etc.

Use one pound of naphthalene flakes or balls or paradichlorobenzene (PDB)

crystals per 100 cubic feet of closet space for limited protection (but always

remember the health risks to children who may think moth balls are sweets).

Use a strong suction vacuum cleaner with proper attachments to remove lint,

hair and dust from floors, shelves and drawers.

Any tight box or bag that can be sealed is a good storage container.

Avoid storing goods with a natural fibre content (like old carpets and clothing)

in roof spaces as they are potential food sources.

Remove dead birds or rodents when found in chimneys, under floors or in loft

spaces.

Remove old / unoccupied birds' nests from eaves and loft spaces.

Treatment: Although you can use insect spray. Consider using professional company for

safety treatment.

Furniture Beetle (Anobium Punctatum)

By Janet Graham CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The adults are small oval brown beetles approximately

4-6mm long. Majority of their lifecycle is spent as

larvae. These are greyish white in colour with a

narrow dark band over the mouth parts and grow to

about 6mm long.

Habitat: Frequently found on the timbers of the house and on wooden furniture.

Diet: Target all types of older, seasoned hardwood and softwood, especially the sapwood

of softwood trees such as pine and poplar.

Show up: Spring and summer.

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Damage: Attack structural timbers, lumber, wood framing, flooring, and wooden objects.

It is in the larval stage that causes most of the damage to timber.

Prevention: The application of solvent based varnishes and finishes which prevent the

deposition of eggs in suitable materials.

Treatment: Woodworm in furniture can be cured by application of proprietary woodworm

killer.

Coat all surfaces, polished and unpolished, and inject fluid into a few flight

holes with a special injector. As a precaution against woodworm, you can buy an

insecticidal polish.

Cover electric cables and the cold water storage tank.

Floorboards must be lifted to get at the undersides and the joists.

Follow label recommendations carefully.

Red Lily Beetle (Lilioceris Lilii)

By: GLady

Description and Characteristics: The adult lily beetle is between 6 to 9mm in length. Its

harder forewings are bright light scarlet and shiny

while, its underside, legs, eyes, antennae and head are

all black. It has large eyes with slim thorax and a wide

abdomen.

Habitat: Garden

Diet: Older grub eats leaves, stem, petals and seed pods.

Show up: March to October

Damage: creating oval holes on leaves, flower, stem and seed pods.

Prevention: Regularly search through plants from early April onwards and remove any

adults, larvae and eggs that can be found.

Plants that are grown in pots can be repotted in the winter into fresh clean

soil in order to remove any overwintering adults.

Treatment: The plants should be regularly inspected from late March onwards so that

adult beetles, larvae and eggs can be removed by hand.

Pesticides are likely to be more effective on larvae than adults.

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Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

Chafer Beetle Larvae (Horticola and Hoplia Philanthus)

By: Benmenting

Description and Characteristics: Chafer grubs are white in colour and comma shaped,

fleshy grubs with brown heads and 3 pairs of legs on

the front segments of their body.

Habitat: Found in lawn and garden.

Diet: The larvae feed on the roots of grasses during the spring and summer.

Show up: Grubs September-April; adult beetles May-June.

Damage: lawn

Prevention: check regularly for sign of infestation and deal them quickly.

Scarify and aerate lawns in autumn.

Treatment: Re-sowing grass seed when chafer grubs have moved deeper into the soil to

pupate.

Paid attention to feeding, watering and moss prevention can help avoid

damaging infestations.

There are currently no chemical controls for chafer grubs on lawns which can

be applied by home gardeners.

Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

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Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina Americana)

By Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA (Rosemary Beetle) [CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: This insect has a length of 8mm. They have colourful

elytra with metallic green and purple longitudinal

stripes. The wings are quite short. Larvae are greyish-

white with darker stripes running along their bodies.

Habitat: Found in stems.

Diet: Eats foliage and flowers of different aromatic plants.

Show up: August to April.

Damage: Leaves would have short stumps with greyish-brown discoloration where the

damaged tissues have dried up.

Prevention: Check plants on a weekly basis for signs of infestation.

Encourage insectivorous birds.

Treatment: Observe plants regularly.

Removing them by hand will help to reduce numbers.

Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

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Mealy Bug (Planococcus citru)

By Dbxsoul CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Females do not have wings while males though few in

numbers but have wings. Females has 4mm length

with flattened, soft, oval-shaped bodies. They are pink

in colour, but appear white because of the waxy

powder that covers their bodies.

Habitat: found on greenhouse plants and houseplants.

Diet: feed on plant sap, roots and sometimes on bottom of stored fruit.

Show up: all year round.

Damage: weaken plants and cause leaves to drop.

Prevention: Inspect new plants thoroughly.

Destroy all infested material.

Remove dead leaves and pruning.

Treatment: Predatory insects, such as lacewings, syrphid flies, ladybirds, and several small

parasitic wasps, prey on outdoor mealybugs and can often keep their

numbers down.

Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

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Cockroach There are about 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with

human habitats. Only four species are well known as pests. They are

distinguished by their very long whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies and rapid,

jerky walk.

Oriental Cockroach (Blatta Orientalis)

By Alvesgaspar GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The adult is about 20-24mm long and dark brown to

shiny black in colour. They have well-developed eyes,

long antennae on the head, and although equipped

with two pairs of wings, are incapable of flight.

Females can lay about five egg-cases, each one

containing an average of 16 eggs. These are deposited

in cracks and crevices and hatch in about eight weeks.

The resulting nymphs then moult 7-10 times and

become adult after 6-18 months depending on

temperature and food supply. Adult can live up to 2

years.

Habitat: Found anywhere in house such as laundry, kitchens, food packages, through air

ducts or ventilators and under the door. They can also found in hospitals, sewers,

upper floor, damp basements and utility chases. In addition, they climb water

pipes. They can be found outside in bushes, under leaf groundcover, under mulch,

and decaying organic matter outdoors.

Diet: They feed candles, soap, paper, human waste, etc.

Show up: Any dark places and damp location.

Damage: Disease carrier such as Typhoid, Gastroenteritis, Salmonella and Dysentery.

Contaminating food with their faeces.

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German Cockroach (Blatella Germanic)

By Dechatorn

Description and Characteristics: Their length is approximately 14mm, light brown with

two dark longitudinal stripes on the thorax behind the

head. The female produces an average of four egg

cases during its life-span containing between 18 and

50 eggs and carries the case until 12 days before

hatching. Egg will be on nymph stage after 3 t0 4

months. Then, it will reach the adult stage of the life

cycle which lasts for more than 200 days. They cannot

survive severe cold.

Habitat: Found often warm, dark, and have small cracks and crevices or other small

openings into dark confined areas where food and water is near.

Diet: They are attracted particularly sugars, meats, fatty foods and starches. Also, they may

eat household items.

Show up: Active at night.

Damage: Disease carrier such as Typhoid, Gastroenteritis, Salmonella and Dysentery.

Contamination occurs when the cockroaches come into contact with foodstuffs.

Germs can be spread from the body of a cockroach or from their droppings.

Prevention: Good hygiene practice is essential.

Fix any leaks and sweating pipes.

Provide ventilation to moist areas.

Mop up any spillage's.

Do not leave washing up soaking overnight and empty any pet bowls

overnight.

Food should be kept in airtight storage jars and any crumbs or waste should

be cleared up straight away.

Treatment: They can then be killed with hot soapy water.

Placement of sticky traps are another non-chemical form of trapping.

You can use dusts, baits and sprays. Follow the label instruction.

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Fleas (Siphonaptera) wingless insect that pierce on skin using their

mouth to such blood. There are four common flea species and

those are cat flea, bird flea, dog flea. But, the most common is cat

flea which is known for biting humans.

Description and Characteristics: The adult fleas have an average size of 2mm with

flattened backwardly directed spines and long leg

designed for jumping. They can jump vertically up to

18cm and 33cm horizontally. Their usual colour is red-

brown.

Habitat: Live in bedding, furniture, carpets and floor crevices.

Diet: Larvae feed on organic matter while adult fleas feed on humans and animals blood.

Show up: Warm climate.

Damage: Can carry disease.

Prevention: Wash regularly your blanket, pet's bedding and other washable items with

hottest water.

Vacuum frequently your furniture, carpet and pet areas.

Keep your garden neat and tidy.

Apply veterinary approved Flea products to your pet on a regular basis.

Treatment: Contact a professional pest control company.

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Flies (Diptera) A two-winged insect that feed by vomiting saliva on to the

food surface and sucking up the resulting liquid.

Autumn or Face Fly (Musca autumnalis)

By Heiko Stein

Description and Characteristics: The average size is 7 to 8mm long with four dark

stripes on the thorax and grey-black patterned

abdomen. Their colour is grey.

Habitat: Found in the faces of cattle while adults also found on flowers and fences.

Diet: Larvae feed on fauna and microbial flora. Adult feed on the surface of manure

deposits and plant sugars.

Show up: March to October.

Damage: Transmits eyeworm Thelazia rhodesi to cattle and horses, and pinkeye in cattle.

Bluebottle Fly or Blow Fly (Calliphora vomitoria)

By An Nguyen

Description and Characteristics: Blow fly has an average between 10 to 14mm long. The

head and thorax are dull grey in colour and the

abdomen is bright metallic blue with black markings.

Their body and legs are covered with black bristle-like

hair. Eyes are red and the wings are transparent. One

Blow fly can lay up to 600 eggs will hatch in under 48

hours in warm weather and produce maggots which

can become fully developed in a week.

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Habitat: Found in rotting animal matter, refuse tips dirt and dustbins.

Diet: Eats from animal poop, dead animals or meat, living animals with open wounds and

other decaying matter.

Show up: Breed during warmer months of and year.

Damage: Contaminate food, cause of infection and blood poisoning.

Prevention: Clean the kitchen thoroughly.

Keep all the bins covered.

Cover compost buckets.

Hide the pet food.

Block of the window.

Treatment: Use an insecticidal dustbin powder.

Indoors, use an aerosol fly spray.

Consider fitting fly screens over kitchen and dining area windows.

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Mice (Mus) a body-length scaly tail with pointed snout and small rounded ears.

House Mouse (Mus Domesticus)

By Silvia

Description and Characteristics: The body length is 7.5 to 10cm and length of tail is 5 to

10 cm. Typical weight is between 40 to 45g. Both ears

and tail have little hairs. The hind feet are only 15 to

19mm long with high pitched squeak voice. House

mice rely on their pheromones to communicate.

Habitat: Their nest is often build inside houses and commercial buildings wherever there is

access to a good source of food.

Diet: They eat almost everything man eats but drink very little.

Show up: Anytime of the year.

Wood Mouse or Long Tail Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

By Alexandra

Description and Characteristics: Adult field mice have 8.1 to 10.3 cm; their tails measure

7.1 to 9.3 cm in length and weigh 13 to 27 grams. They

have larger ears. Eyes is more prominent longer tail

than the house mouse. They have dark brown fur on

the top part of their bodies with white/grey

undersides.

28

Habitat: Live just about anywhere there is plenty of food and shelter. Their nest is usually

consisted of a ball of dry grass, moss and leaves.

Diet: They are seed eaters particularly seeds of trees such as sycamore, beech, lime, oak,

ash and hawthorn. They carry them back to their nests for storage, if seeds are

plentiful on the ground. They also eat small invertebrates such as snails and insects

even roots, fruits and berries.

Show up: Active at night.

Yellow Necked Field Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)

By Vojtech.dostal [CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The appearance is almost similar to wood mouse. They

differ in tail, ear and fur across the neck. The adult

head and body length is 3.5 to 5.25 inches with slightly

longer tail and the weight is between 28 and 43 g.

They have brown fur with paler, white bellies and has

a collar of yellowish fur, which forms a bib on the

chest.

Habitat: Prefers mature woodlands, hedgerows and wooded gardens.

Diet: They are omnivorous. They eat seedlings, nuts, spiders, insects, buds, larvae and fruit.

Show up: Active at night.

Damage: Spread some nasty diseases to humans such as Salmonella, Listeria, which can

cause food poisoning.

Can cause serious damage to water and gas pipes, woodwork and electric

cables.

Prevention: Cover any household waste where mice can get access to it.

Close dustbin lids and cover compost heaps.

Eliminate any harbourage points such as sealing gaps around pipes and under

sheds.

Remove potential nesting sites by keeping yards and gardens clean and tidy,

by cutting back overgrown areas and clearing any piles of wood/debris.

29

Treatment: There are traps, bait and poison that you can use but those are dangerous to

children and If you have pets. We suggest to contact a professional pest

control company for effective treatment.

Rat There are two species of rat in Britain, Rattus Norvegicus which is commonly known

as the Brown Rat or Common Rat. The Rattus Rattus, known as the Black Rat or Ship

Rat is now rarely found in the UK. They have well developed senses of smell taste and

touch and acute sense of hearing.

Brown Rat (Rattus Norvegicus)

By AnemoneProjectors CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Large rodent whose fur is usually brown in colour with

greyish shade and paler fur on the undersides. Body

length is 10 inches long and the tail can reach up to 9

inches in length. Weight is around 250 to 350g. Tail and

ears stand out prominently but no fur.

Habitat: Highly adaptable species. They can occupy sewers, industrial sites, smallholdings

sewage farms, rubbish tips, farms and allotments.

Diet: A true omnivore and will consume almost anything, but cereals form a substantial part

of its diet.

Show up: Active at night.

30

Black Rat (Rattus Rattus)

By Karsten Paulick

Description and Characteristics: The body usually measures between 12 to 18 cm long

then, tail is between 6 to 10 cm long and weight is up

to 340 g. They have pointed muzzle, almost hairless

ears and slender body. Their colour is black to light

brown. Moreover, they have tail longer than the body.

Habitat: They are found around residential buildings, warehouses, other human

settlements and agricultural areas. They are also found in riverbanks, fences,

reservoirs, streams and ponds.

Diet: Eat a wide range of foods such as leaves, stems, seeds, grain and fruits. They

consumed 15grams of food and 15mm of water per day.

Show up: Active at night.

Damage: Rats carry many nasty diseases which they can spread to humans, normally

through their urine like Listeria, Hantavirus, Leptospirosis or Weil's disease,

Salmonella and Toxoplasma gondii.

They can cause serious fires by gnawing away the insulation around electrical

cables, floods by puncturing pipes and even death by chewing through gas

pipes.

They damage woodwork, plastic, bricks and lead pipes, and will strip insulation

from electrical cables.

Prevention: Ensure that drain inspection covers are in a good state of repair.

Remove potential nesting sites by keeping yards and gardens clean and tidy.

Cover any household waste where rats can get access to it.

Use a bird table or feeder basket if possible.

Eliminate any harbourage points such as sealing gaps around pipes and under

sheds.

Treatment: We suggest to contact a professional pest control company because rats are

adaptable. Thus, it is difficult to control rat for the untrained individual.

31

Wasp There are a number of Wasps that live in Wasps nests in the UK. They all have

complex social structures and ways of doing things. But, they all share a common aim

to survive as a species.

By Claudia

Description and Characteristics: Their waisted bodies measure between 10 to 15mm

long with yellow and black striped. They have a sweet

tooth at one end and a painful sting at the other.

Habitat: Generally, nest built by new queen end Oct (approximately) about the size of a

golf ball; queen sleeps through winter & about early spring wakes (is all

fertilised) and the nest begins - probably football size by now (tend to be in

lofts/garden sheds etc...) if left can grow to m2 possibly bigger depending on

food supply etc...)

Diet: Tend to eat other insects. They prefer sweet food.

Show up: Between may - end September (usually; a lot depends on current weather & the

previous winter)

Damage: Wasps will attack and sting if threatened but sometimes even unprovoked.

Prevention: It is difficult to prevent wasps because they are natural pest controller in your

garden that eat aphids, caterpillars and caterpillar’s larvae.

Treatment: Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

32

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