Public advice
This catalogue of common public health and nuisance pests is here so you can make an informed choice before you book pest control.
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The brown rat is the species most often found across the UK. It can weigh more than half a kilo and measure about 23 cm without the tail. Mice and field mice move indoors when the weather turns. Droppings, gnawing and grease marks along runs are the usual clues. A professional visit matters because incorrect baiting can fail and can harm other animals.
A wasp nest near a door, school or food site is a public health issue. Bees are different: Britain has a large number of bee species, including many bumblebees, and pest controllers should not treat them unless there is a clear reason. If you are unsure which insect you have, send a description before anyone sprays.
Pigeons and gulls foul ledges, block drains and can carry insects into buildings. Proofing, netting and habitat changes work better than a one-off clearance. All wild birds are protected, so the method has to be legal as well as effective.
Reddish brown spots on bedding and bites overnight are classic signs, but bed bugs are not limited to mattresses. They hide in bed frames, luggage and soft furnishings. Early treatment, including preparation of the room, stops a small introduction becoming a building-wide problem.
They favour warm, humid voids: the back of a fridge, ducting, and commercial kitchens. Seeing one in daylight often means many more are hidden. Hygiene alone rarely finishes an infestation; a planned treatment and follow-up does.
A pet that suddenly scratches, or small insects jumping on the carpet, usually means fleas. Eggs fall into flooring, so treating only the animal leaves the next generation behind. Vacuums, laundry and a coordinated treatment of pet and premises work together.
The black garden ant, actually very dark brown, is the species that most often enters houses. A narrow waist and elbowed antennae mark ants out from other small insects. Trails to food are the clue. Baits placed on the trail reach the nest more reliably than spraying the ants you can see.
Blow flies, including bluebottles, lay large numbers of eggs on decaying matter. Cluster flies gather in roof spaces in autumn to hibernate and reappear in spring. House flies contaminate food as they feed. Screens, waste control and targeted treatment each have a place.
Clothes moths fold their wings tent-wise. The common clothes moth is small, with pale golden wings. Carpet beetle larvae, sometimes called woolly bears, now damage more British textiles than moths do. Check undisturbed wool, feathers and stored clothes, and clean before you treat.
Biscuit beetles turn up in food stores and kitchens. Flour beetles are small, reddish brown, and arrive in cereal packaging. Wood-boring species such as furniture beetle and death watch beetle damage timber, especially in older buildings. Identify the insect before you treat the structure.
Urban foxes scavenge bins and can dig under sheds. Grey squirrels enter roofs and strip insulation. Both need legal, proportionate action. Proofing and removing the food source usually do more than a single removal, because a vacant site is quickly reoccupied.
Several Steatoda spiders are mistaken for black widows. Their bite can be painful, but they are not the species of lurid headlines. Most spiders in a British house are harmless. If bites are suspected, keep the specimen for identification and seek medical advice for the wound itself.
Homes
In a house, start with proof. Note where you saw the pest, when, and what it was feeding on. Photograph droppings or damage if you can do so safely. Reduce food and water, close gaps you can reach, and avoid mixing shop products with a contractor’s treatment. A member company will explain preparation, the products in use, and when it is safe to re-enter rooms.
Businesses
Food sites, warehouses, hotels and landlords need a contract, not a one-off spray. Expect a survey, a site plan, trend reports and a named technician. Auditors and customers look for evidence that pests are monitored, not only that someone visited. Field biologists and technical inspectors write the deeper assurance reports used in food manufacture.
Bats and their roosts are protected. It is illegal to kill or disturb them. If bats are in a building, work must stop until the right advice is in place. Bees should be preserved wherever a nest can be left or a swarm moved. A competent contractor will say when the right answer is to do nothing, or to call a specialist, rather than to treat.
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