Keeping household pests as pets

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Bypest

Rats, cockroaches, ants and wasps might be household pests to many of us, but to a group of enthusiasts, they are liked, if not loved, as pets.

Perhaps the easiest pest pet to relate to is the rat. In the wild, these rodents are dark, dirty and riddled with germs. But varieties have been bred which, to some, are attractive to look at and can be taught some simple behaviours.

The Norway rat is a pest across the whole of the UK, and indeed much of the world. Highly adaptable and quite intelligent, it often lives off the waste that we humans create. Rats are extremely social animals, preferring to live in colonies where they also breed very quickly.

It’s the intelligence and social qualities of rats which some believe make them ideal as pets. They can be friendly animals, responding well to attention, and enjoying the company of their owners.

But while they might be much cleaner than their wild relatives, they share the same traits. Rats can be extremely destructive, chewing their way through many materials. They’re also nocturnal, preferring to be active in darkness, and they don’t live for very long.

Insect pests can also be a form of pet

Cockroaches, ants and even wasps are bred in captivity, either by insect-lovers or as a source of food for other creatures.

This is sometimes the fate of cockroaches, which can be kept as live food for reptiles. Cockroaches are chosen because they are very easy to breed and will eat almost anything.

Not all species of cockroach are thought of as a pest and some of the more exotic varieties are kept as pets in their own right. Madagascan hissing cockroaches are popular because they make a noise, while giant cockroaches make for a curiosity.

Every cockroach breeder, particularly those keeping the common German cockroach as reptile food, must take care that the creatures don’t escape. Outside a controlled environment, their rapid breeding cycle and adaptability can quickly create a pest control problem.

Ants and wasps as pets not pests

Many people are fascinated by the complex structures and societies built by social insects such as ants and wasps. As a result, some choose to keep them in captivity, to see how they live.

No insect display in a zoo seems complete without a colony of leaf-cutter ants, who slice up vegetation and carry impossibly large pieces back to their nest. Many ant farms kept in homes are less ambitious, with the highlight being the view of the complex web of tunnels, exposed by their being kept in slim glass-sided tanks.

Not surprisingly, keeping wasps as pets is much more unusual. It requires a lot of space and strong nerves, but these requirements don’t deter a dedicated bunch of enthusiasts. They venture out to find young nests in the spring, and relocate them to a purpose-built enclosure. Here the wasps have space to fly, and are supplied with a steady source of food.

Despite their captivity, the danger of these pets becoming pests never goes away. The creatures are always looking for food, and will exploit every opportunity to escape. It doesn’t take much for pet control to become pest control.


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Do rats hibernate during the winter?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Bypest

You might think that pest control work quietens down during the winter, because quite a few nuisance animals and insects go into hibernation.

But lots of household pests, including rats and mice, remain active all year round. The longer and colder winter nights make your home, garden and workplace more attractive to these rodents, who are always looking for food, and for somewhere warm and dry to nest.

Wasps and other insect pests might become almost invisible during the winter months, but they’re simply dormant and will be back next spring. Colder weather gives you a chance to deal with holes and gaps where they may have nested this year, helping prevent their return.

Pest control during the winter months

Taking action to prevent rats and other pests is as important during the winter as at any other time of year. The most basic precautions include not leaving any food outdoors overnight, and keeping food preparation and storage areas clean and tidy.

Leftover pet food or food spillages, indoors or out, are hugely attractive to rats and mice looking for something to eat.

Another simple pest control task is to tidy up your garden or other outdoor area. Piles of wood or dry leaves can quickly become comfortable homes for rodents. Compost bins are particularly popular, especially if you put food scraps into them.

Outbuildings, such as sheds and children’s playhouses, can also become places of safety for rats and mice. Here they can live undisturbed for weeks at a time, protected from the extremes of the British winter climate. Make it part of your winter routine to check these buildings, and to fill any obvious cracks or gaps through which rodents could get in.

Indoor pests thrive during the winter

Fleas, moths and bedbugs are common indoor pests that don’t pay much attention to what the weather’s doing outside. Whatever the time of year, they continue breeding and spreading themselves around your home or workplace.

The cooler temperatures slow down their reproduction, but our centrally-heated buildings protect them from the cold. Because they live off us and our pets, fleas and bedbugs have more opportunity to spread during the winter, as we spend more time indoors.

Cockroaches, the scourge of many kitchens, also continue to be active during the winter months. In the event that they find themselves short of food, they can, like many pests, survive for a long time on virtually nothing.

Many people think that because pests are not seen so often during the winter, they are less of a problem. Some even believe that rats and mice do hibernate. But experienced pest controllers know that winter is as busy a time of year as any, and that it’s also a good time to act to prevent more serious pest issues from occurring in the spring.


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I Bury Those Cock-A-Roaches – Anyone for cockroach chicken?

Posted on October 17, 2012 by kesphelps

This story happened to me when I was first employed as a pest control officer working for a London borough council. I obviously had no qualms about the fact I was going to see some fairly disgusting stuff, like dead rats and filthy houses, but nothing could quite prepare me for the shock of one of my first jobs. What happened was beyond anything I could have possibly expected.

We were out on a job and the boss told me that we were going to see a house that was particularly bad. He told me to prepare myself to be a bit shocked, because as cockroach infestations go, this apparently was a totally over-run property. He’d already been and had a go at the roaches, but his previous efforts had done little to rid the house of these pests.

Usually smaller cockroach infestations can be sorted out with a good dose of insecticide. As these creatures like to eat their own excrement, it can be very easy to get insecticide baits into a cockroach community, and then all you have to do is wait for them to die.

After arriving at the block of flats and walking up the standard smelly staircase, we arrived at the door of the flat. A few loud knocks later and we were standing eye to eye with a middle aged Jamaican lady who greeted us in a thick patois. She was glad to see us and all that and invited us in.

When I entered the house, I’d never seen filth like it, but the whole place seemed devoid of the cockroaches we’d come to destroy. I asked the boss what the problem was, because I couldn’t see any of the filthy insects. He pointed to a corner of wall-paper that was slightly unstuck and told me to peel it away from the wall.

When I pulled back the piece of wall-paper I almost jumped out of my skin. Hundreds of the little brown-black horrors fell to the floor, as if they were the only thing left that was holding the wall-paper up. Apparently cockroaches are literally suckers for wall-paper paste. They love eating it and had got behind almost every bit of wall-paper in the house.

The boss got on with the business of laying down the poison and I decided to go and have a look round the house to see how far the roaches had got. Every room I looked in was covered in rubbish. It was no wonder the house had become some kind of safe haven for half of East London’s roach population, the place was a right old pit.

I decided to go into one of the rooms, which looked like the lounge. I espied some half eaten chicken on the floor, which was crawling with roaches. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked around and was certain that there was no one in the room, as the sofa was covered in rubbish and walked towards the chicken, in order to get a better look.

As I got to the plate of food I bent over to get a closer look at the roaches, when I suddenly heard a noise from behind me that made me literally jump out of my skin. I looked round and an old guy had emerged from the rubbish on the sofa and sat up. I’d not even seen him there underneath the pile of filth.

He seemed incredibly unhappy with me and accused me of trying to steal his half eaten chicken. I was so shocked by the incident it was all I could was mumble a quick apology and leave the room. As I got through the doorway to go back and see the boss I realised I’d literally come out in a cold sweat. He looked me up and down and commented on the fact that I looked a bit pale and joked that maybe I’d seen a monster roach. In my mind I had seen something almost as bad. It was the first time I’d got a bit of a shock in my new profession as a pest control agent, and somehow I didn’t feel it would be my last.


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Are most autumn wasps male or female?

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Bypest

Whether most autumn wasps are male or female does not really make much difference to your frustrating experience with these insects at this time of year. The autumn months are when wasps can become a persistent nuisance and are more inclined to use their tiny but painful stings.

Most of the wasps you’ll see buzzing around in the autumn are female or worker wasps. Over the year, hundreds, if not thousands, have emerged from their papery grey nests to join the growing crowd that serve their queen. Their job is to gather food, usually in the form of other insects, and help to make the nest larger.

By the end of the summer, the next generation of queens will have left, looking for mates and then for somewhere to hibernate through the winter. This leaves huge numbers of infertile female worker wasps with no real work to do. That’s when they become particularly irritating pests.

The roles of male and female wasps

Most of the eggs laid by a queen wasp become female workers. It’s only towards the end of summer when some develop into males and others into young queens. All of these will leave the nest when fully developed, going in search of mates from other wasp nests.

Having mated with a queen, the male wasps die. The fertilised new queens go looking for somewhere to spend the winter, where they will not be disturbed. This hibernation period is also when they are most vulnerable. If you come across a hibernating queen wasp, perhaps in a shed or loft space, it should be easy to kill. However, if you have any concerns about it, contact a wasp pest control specialist.

As spring arrives, the warmer weather wakes the queen, who will go in search of a suitable place for her nest. This could be a hole in a tree or building, a sheltered spot inside a hedge, or some other location it considers safe enough to start constructing a nest.

The first eggs it lays will grow into infertile female wasps, the workers, who take over responsibility for extending the nest and gathering food while the queen continues to lay eggs.

Female wasps are the pest control problem

By the autumn, the wasp nest is probably home to thousands of insects. It becomes overcrowded, as building stops, and the temperature inside the nest rises. The worker wasps continue to collect food but once the queens and male wasps have left, there are fewer wasp grubs to feed.

The workers become overfed and overheated in their crowded nest. Sometimes they are tipsy from eating over-ripe fruit. It’s often these hot, bothered wasps who turn up uninvited at picnics and barbecues or come into your home, searching for sweetness to feed on. They become easily irritated and angry, and will often sting with little provocation.

While they are at their worst in the autumn, wasps can be a pest control problem at any time of year. They are best dealt with in the early summer, when the nests are smaller and the male wasps and young queens have yet to hatch.

If you need to deal with wasps in the autumn, it is usually better to call in a professional pest controller. They will have all the necessary protective equipment and expertise to remove the nest completely and efficiently.

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Are cockroaches a problem in London?

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Bypest

There are several types of cockroach which can be a problem in London, as they are in many urban settings. These tough and unpleasant insects like to live close to people, partly for warmth and partly because of the easy access to food.

London’s catering businesses, and other firms handling food, can’t afford to ignore the risk of cockroaches getting into their premises. These ugly beasts are not just unpleasant to look at; they also have a proven ability to spread nasty diseases.

Cockroaches present the same risk to homes. If they are able to get into your kitchen, they will crawl over work surfaces in their search for food, leaving behind them a trail of germs picked up from rotting food or sewer pipes.

Cockroaches that are a problem in London

The three main types of cockroach found in London are the German cockroach, the Oriental cockroach and the American cockroach. They are all various shades of brown, with distinctive long oval bodies, six legs and two very long antennae sticking out from their heads.

They’re usually around 20-30mm long, which is around one inch. Despite being so large, they are a difficult pest to spot because they only come out in the dark. During the day they sit motionless for hours in crevices and behind cupboards, which is why they can go unnoticed for so long.

However, when they do come out, they go in search for tiny scraps of food and will try to find their way into broken or split packets. All the time they are potentially spreading infections, such as salmonella.

How to deal with a cockroach problem

With all pests, prevention is better than cure. Cockroaches prefer to live inside buildings and they will often make their way into your home or premises while hidden inside packaging, secondhand furniture or appliances. Giving these a thorough check before allowing them into your home or work space is an effective first step in pest control.

Another way to check for cockroaches is to look into food stores and preparation rooms when it’s dark. This is when the pests will be active, so they are easier to spot. Keeping these areas clean and keeping food in sealed containers will reduce the risk of an infestation.

If you have the slightest concern about a possible cockroach infestation, take action immediately. They breed extremely quickly, which is why they are a difficult pest to control. Various insecticides are available, but if you are dealing with a large number, it’s likely you will need professional help.

London pest controllers have years of experience dealing with cockroaches, because they can be such a problem in the city. Consulting an expert is often the most cost-effective and fastest way to deal with the issue.

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How common are rats in houses in London?

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Bypest

Every few months sees a new story appear in the media about rats in houses in London. These tales can be worrying, particularly if you know that rats are a problem in your area. Unfortunately, rats can be a common issue in houses where the basic principles of pest prevention are overlooked.

The Norway rat, also known as the brown rat, lives all over London. They make their nests anywhere they can find, including old drains, in burrows or in buildings. They have an excellent sense of smell and they are always looking for food. Being extremely agile, they can climb, jump swim or dig their way into places where they think they will find something to eat.

Problems rats cause in houses

Rats are not just unpleasant to look at, they also damage property and carry disease. They can get into London houses of any age, although it’s usually easier for them to get into older properties. Broken pipes, gaps in brickwork and the spaces between floors and walls can all become real rat runs. Here the rodents can scurry out of sight, finding their way all over a house.

Out of sight in these places, rats can do considerable damage. They can chew through wood and electrical cables, as well as into containers, causing a variety of different problems. They also spread the germs that they carry.

The most common infection associated with rats is Weil’s disease, which is potentially fatal. They can also cause food poisoning by contaminating surfaces and stores with their droppings.

Rats have been known to bite people in houses. The rodents can be bold in their search for food and have sharp dirty teeth that they will use to defend themselves.

Signs of rats in houses

When rats are a common problem in a house, there will be no shortage of evidence. Even if the rodents themselves remain out of the sight, they will leave obvious signs of their presence, such as gnawed boxes of cereal and other foods, smeary marks on surfaces and footprints. They also leave a distinctive, unpleasant smell.

If you are concerned about rats getting into your house, take a look at all the possible entry points. Small gaps in the walls and old pipes are common ways for them to get in. A professional pest controller will have the experience to spot potential entry points, and will know the signs of rat activity.

Rat pest control in London houses

By taking a few simple precautions, you can dramatically reduce the chances of a rat getting into your house. The most basic is to make sure all sources of food are in sealed containers that rats cannot get into. It is the smell of food, including food waste, that attracts the attention of these unpleasant rodents. So keeping your house clean and not leaving food lying around, either for you or your pets, is a big step towards pest control.

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How to prepare the house for flea fumigation

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Bypest

Flea problems are more common than you might imagine, particularly in homes shared with cats or dogs. Your pet only has to brush against an infected animal for fleas to hop from one fur coat to another, giving you a pest control problem.

While minor flea infestations can be solved by treatment of the affected area or pet, if your home seems to be teeming with fleas, fumigation is the best solution.

To get the most effective results, it’s important to know how to prepare the house for flea fumigation.

If you are moving into a new property where the previous residents had pets, you may want to consider fumigating before moving in. Whether you do it yourself or employ a pest control expert, it will be easier to carry out when the property is empty.

Preparing your house for flea fumigation

If your pets are likely to be carrying fleas, these must be dealt with before any fumigation is carried out. Use all appropriate flea treatments and perform regular checks to ensure the problem has been effectively dealt with. Change or clean pet bedding regularly.

With your pets cleaned up, you can focus on preparing the house by carrying out thorough vacuuming of all carpets and hard surfaces. Take care to vacuum right to the edge of floors, as flea eggs often fall into crevices in skirting boards. Empty the vacuum cleaner immediately after each clean.

All rugs should be taken outdoors and beaten and, if possible, washed.

Make arrangements for alternative accommodation for yourself and your pets on the day of the fumigation. It will take several hours for the entire process to be completed.

If you are conducting the fumigation yourself, read all the instructions of the products carefully some days before you use them, in order that you can be fully prepared. When a pest control expert is involved, seek clear instructions in advance and take care to follow these.

Some of the chemicals used in the fumigation process could be harmful to your pets, so do all you can to ensure their safety.

On the day of flea fumigation

There are a number of different products which tackle serious flea pest control problems. Sprays can be applied to carpets, killing fleas hidden in the fibres and leaving a residue which inhibits their return for several weeks.

An alternative to spray is the flea bomb, which sounds more dramatic than it is. The flea bomb is a device which fills the air with a fine spray of pesticide, which disperses across a room over a few hours.

These fumigation techniques can be combined for maximum effect, but both require you to be absent from your home for several hours. Upon return, you’ll need to carefully follow the instructions about cleaning surfaces, for your own safety and also to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment.

If you have any questions or concerns about how to prepare the house for flea fumigation, talk to a pest control expert. Eradicating fleas can be a time-consuming and frustrating process if not conducted correctly, and you’ll want to do all you can to reduce disruption and inconvenience in your home.

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Can pharaoh ants live outside in summer in the UK?

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Bypest

Small and yellow, or light brown in colour, the pharaoh ant presents a pest control problem all year round in London and across Britain. Pharaoh ant nests are found in big buildings, such as hospitals, and have a reputation for being difficult to get rid of.

These tiny, fast-spreading pests are attracted to large, warm buildings because of the heat given off by their huge networks of radiators and hot water pipes. No one is quite sure where the pharaoh ants first came from, or when they arrived in the UK, but experts agree that they came in from more tropical climates.

Because of their origins, the ants love warm and humid conditions. This makes blocks of flats, hospitals and similar buildings ideal for them, because they are kept warm all year round.

Can pharaoh ants live outside in the UK?

The British weather, with all its variety, makes it virtually impossible for pharaoh ants to live outside for very long. If you spot light brown or ginger ants outdoors in Britain they are highly unlikely to be of the pharaoh variety.

There are about 30 species of ant living in UK, many of which thrive outdoors all year round. While they can be irritating, particularly when they get into your home or office, these ants perform a useful task, cleaning up waste material and controlling other pests.

However, all pharaoh ant nests are located inside flats and other buildings, because they simply cannot live outside in summer. Their tropical origins prevent them from establishing ant colonies outdoors.

Pest control for pharaoh ants

These almost invisible insects are more than just a scurrying nuisance, running up and down the floors and walls of hospitals and other large buildings. Pharaoh ants have been blamed for spreading ill-health, including food poisoning, because they find their way into places where food is stored.

Having travelled along dirty pipes and picked up old scraps of food, the ants carry germs that can cause sickness. These can be transferred to into places food is stored, causing infection.

Pharaoh ants can also get into sterile environments and supplies, particularly in hospitals, where they can again cause infection.

Because of this, landlords, hospitals and local authorities regularly have to take pest control action against pharaoh ant infestations. The ant nests, which can appear huge because the ants make lots of small nests near to one another, are difficult to eradicate. They are often built inside walls and only professional pest controllers can deal with them.

There is no way for pharaoh ants to live outside in summer in the UK, but this has not stopped them becoming a serious pest control problem that requires action when discovered.

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What time of year do moths attack clothes?

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Bypest

Every year, thousands of people across the country are disappointed, and sometimes shocked, to discover that moths have eaten holes in their precious garments and textiles.

Almost all natural fibres used in the production of clothes, bedding and furnishings are at risk of becoming a meal for the almost invisible caterpillars of the Common Clothes Moth (tineola bisselliella).

It’s easy to assume that summer is the time of year when moths attack clothes. However, this is a mistaken impression, formed because moth damage is often discovered as the cooler days of autumn lead us to open wardrobes that have been closed up for months.

While moth larvae, or caterpillars, are more active when the weather is warm and moist, they can feed all year round.

Protecting your clothes from attacks by moths

Clothes moths prefer to lay their eggs in dark, quiet places. That’s why you find them in wardrobes, drawers and lofts which remain undisturbed for days, even weeks. Unfortunately, these are also the places where you are most likely to store your unused clothing and special occasion wear.

They also lay their eggs on the underside of carpets and rugs because, again, these are dark and undisturbed locations.

Regularly lifting and beating rugs, airing wardrobes and vacuuming around the edge of carpets will help deter moths from settling in to breed.

It’s their young, the tiny caterpillars, who do the damage. The eggs will hatch in any temperature above 10 degrees Celsius and the minute larvae will start to eat their way into the nearest natural fibres including silk, fur, wool, cotton and linen.

They prefer dirty fibres, such as carpets or clothing with stains or dirt. Washing clothes and bedding before putting them into storage will reduce the risk of them becoming a meal.

The moth larvae can feast for months before turning into the next generation of adult insects and laying new batches of eggs.

Pest control products to protect clothes from moth attacks

Lavender is a traditional remedy for clothes moths and it works by giving off a strong odour which prevents adult male moths from finding females. Modern pheromone traps use the same principle, but go a step further by killing the moth.

Other moth control solutions include sprays, sticky rollers for removing caterpillars and devices which create a fine mist in an area infected by moths.

The effectiveness of any product will be determined partly by the way in which it is applied, and by the level of moth infestation. If you discover a large population which is doing significant damage to furnishings and clothes, spot solutions are unlikely to be effective. In these cases, fumigation, by a pest control specialist, is likely to be the most cost-effective answer to your problem.

The time of year when moths attack clothes depends, at least in part, on when and how you choose to store your unused or out-of-season wear, and the extent to which your preparations include moth pest controls.

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What type of mice live in London houses?

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Bypest

Although very small, the mouse is a widely feared pest, probably due to its unpredictable and quick movements. If you have a mouse in your house, you may hear scampering feet above your ceiling or inside your cavity walls at night. Or you may discover mouse droppings or gnawed cereal boxes in the kitchen. Another tell-tale sign is the distinctive odour that mice emit.

When it comes to solving a mouse problem, it does not really matter what type of mice live in London houses. All the different types of wild mice have the potential to bring infection and destruction into your home.

Just like rats, mice carry disease and can contaminate foodstuffs with their fur, eating and urine, which can cause salmonella poisoning and gastroenteritis. In addition, they can damage your property by gnawing through wood, cables and into containers to get at food.

Types of mice in London

There are four types of mice living wild in and around London: the house mouse, the field or wood mouse, the yellow necked mouse and the harvest mouse. Two of these are pests – the house mouse and the field mouse. If you have mice in your London home, they will almost definitely be house mice.

The house mouse. This is London’s most common mouse. The adult house mouse measures around 7 to 9cm long with a thin tail of about the same length. Its fur is smooth and brown-grey in colour, becoming lighter underneath. It has quite large ears, small eyes, a small pointed head and small feet.

The field mouse. The field mouse is slightly larger than the house mouse and its coat is a warm brown colour rather than the dullish grey-brown of the house mouse. It has larger eyes and ears than the house mouse, making it quite easy to spot the difference. A field mouse can survive outdoors, but will sometimes find its way into a house, where it can breed and become a pest control problem.

Where will a house mouse nest?

The house mouse likes to live indoors. It can get in through the tiniest hole, just the size of a pencil, and will build a mouse nest in a warm place where there is a plentiful supply of food and nesting material. Loft spaces, cavity walls and the gaps under floors are popular places for mice to nest.

House mice eat almost anything that humans eat, but their preference is cereal. They don’t need much water, absorbing this from their food. They are most active at night, when they go in search of something to eat.

How to get rid of a mouse infestation

There are two main ways of dealing with mice – traps and poison – but if you have an infestation, it is likely that you will need the services of a professional pest controller to eradicate your problem. Mice are sporadic eaters, making it difficult to eliminate a whole colony. They are also surprisingly resistant to poisons. A pest controller will be able to help you mouse-proof your home and efficiently remove the mouse population.

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