Pest Control News Archive 2007

Mating Interruptions For Moths
A leading food industry cleaning company is using science to disrupt moth mating cycles and prevent them contaminating chocolate bars. Hygiene Group is using pheromone technology to confuse male tropical warehouse moths, whose larvae can chew through... [more]

Home Invasion
Ants are coming in to escape the bad weather. When it's cold or rainy, they want to come inside and get warm and dry. But, when it's too hot and dry, they like to come in to cool off, too. So summer or winter, these unwanted house guests barge in and... [more]

Effective Fly Control
Effective pest control takes into account an insect's life cycle, how mobile it is, how it eats, and what it feeds on. These key characteristics are different for each of the flies that beef producers have to deal with. Proper identification of probl... [more]

Rodents on the Rise
UK households are experiencing a dramatic increase in rodent infestations. The latest figures show that during the first ten months of 2007, call-outs for pest control of rat and mice infestations more than doubled the volume received for the whole o... [more]

Control Of The Meal Moth
The main pest species of stored food include the Flour or Meal Moth, the Mediterranean Flour Moth and the Indian Meal Moth. The larvae of these and several other species feed on cereals and cereal products and frequently destroy or damage large quan... [more]

Unwanted Garden Visitors
Creating a garden is hard enough without having to deal with rodents, cats and other critters eating it. Animals can wreak havoc in a garden – munching on leaves, nibbling on flowers and overturning pots. But these critters don't have to ruin a... [more]

Contract Killer
The "joys of pest control" may sound like a contradiction in terms, but this industry is if nothing else, an interesting one – you never quite know where you're going to be from one minute to the next. Not simply something you can pick up over... [more]

Bloodthirsty Bed Bugs
The current invasion of bed bugs into North America, Australia, and Western Europe is highlighted in a new study published by the Institute of Biology, London. It's still unclear why the parasites are returning to cities where they were exterminated... [more]

Got Fleas? Get The Vacuum
Chances are, if you have ever owned a pet cat or dog, you will have encountered fleas at some point. In most situations, flea infestations are small and therefore, are one of the easier pests to eradicate. Fleas spread diseases, can transmit worms, ... [more]

Eyes Peeled For School Pests
The latest green movement experienced in our schools today includes pest control. Environmentally friendly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs are being encouraged across the UK to tackle the problem of preventing insects and rodents from roami... [more]

Swift End To Mouse Plague
With the weather turning colder, it is inevitable that rodents will attempt to find more substantial shelter and, as a consequence, you may find that you have unwelcome visitors to your home. With so many over-the-counter products available from bai... [more]

Hasten Those Fleas Out
Fleas are one of the most common parasites caught by pet cats and dogs. Indeed, it's thought that every cat and dog will suffer an infestation at some point in their lives. Fleas are not just an inconvenience. Their saliva is considered one of the m... [more]

Pest Proof Your Home
The recent wet weather has caused the number of phone calls regarding cockroach and ant infestations to soar. When infestations do occur, the most effective method of removal is to invite your local pest control company to assess and then remove your... [more]

Good Night, Sleep Tight...
... don't let the bed bugs bite. While parents have long left their children with these seemingly benign words as they drift off to sleep, few consider the reality of bed bugs when reciting the rhyme. Yet the bugs have made a comeback across the coun... [more]

Speedy Squirrel Evictions
Grey squirrels breed in mid-December or early January (and again in early summer) and are diligently seeking a nesting site this time of year. Litters consist of one to eight kittens, and the young are weaned within two months. The territory of a gr... [more]

Second Homes Targeted
Second homeowners may find their vacation properties have become home to such crib crashing critters as squirrels, mice, birds, spiders, ants and wasps. With the purchase of holiday homes on the rise, especially those situated in natural settings, ... [more]

The Noise of Rats with Wings
As the sun sinks slowly and day turns into night, the glowing skies at dusk often carry the soft sounds of the fluttering wings of the majestic... pigeon? Oh, yes. Columba livia – the Rock Dove, or common pigeon – has found a good thing ... [more]

Victim of the Larder Beetle
Imagine the scenario... You go to your kitchen cupboard to get some dry food for your pet. As you reach for it, you notice a couple of small, dark, hairy-looking "worms" on the bag. When you look closer, you see a couple more on the shelf, away from ... [more]

Mice Heading For Home
When the weather turns cold, we aren't the only ones seeking the toasty comforts of indoors. When it gets cold outside, mice try to come inside, and they're not only looking for food – they're looking for warmth and they're looking for a good n... [more]

Rats In The Stables
While horse trainers and owners are not unaccustomed to seeing rodents in the stable environment, what with the abundant straw and open-air structure, the amount of rats taking up residency can cause health and aesthetic issues if the numbers continu... [more]

Tips For Home Pest Control
The first important step in the process of insect control is to identify the insect that is present so that the proper control procedure will be used. The internet is a great source of information, and pest control officers from you local company wil... [more]

From Great Britain To Great Bitten
Bed bugs are everywhere; and the UK is experiencing an epidemic that has seen a 500-fold increase in these egregious little parasites, something which has been largely attributed to increased mobility and warmer temperatures. No longer confined to g... [more]

Removing School Pests
Recent rat infestations across the country have nudged schools to focus on more modern methods of dealing with pests. Schools are putting together what's known in pest control circles as an integrated pest management plan, wbich relies more on buildi... [more]

Watch Out For Rodents
It's getting cold, and rodents want to come indoors as much as you do. However, if they get in to your home, mice, rats and squirrels can cause hazards to both your health and your property. With ravenous appetites they will raid your cupboards, soi... [more]

Clean and Spray to Oust Cockroaches
The first thing to ensure is that your pest is actually the humble cockroach. At this time of year, crickets and other insects that resemble cockroaches like to enter homes. These look-alike insects are rather benign, but cockroaches constitute an im... [more]

Sting in the Tail
The picnic gatecrashers are back with a vengeance. Drunk, irritable and ready to cause trouble, they are amassing in greater numbers and heading for a jam sandwich near you. A warmer winter and spring coupled with a wet summer has reduced the natura... [more]

Bed Bug Epidemic
An epidemic of bed bugs is sweeping the nation, fuelled by air travel and warmer summers leading to the number of infestations soaring by 500 per cent in the last two years. Cities such as Cambridge and Peterborough have taken the brunt of the epidem... [more]

Time To Go On The Defensive
The alarm rings. You rise in the dark. You stumble into the kitchen. You flip on the light. AAAACK!!! No, not a burglar. This instant heart failure has been brought to you by a creature no bigger than a nectarine stone. Autumn is prime time for mous... [more]

The Perils of Building Management
No matter how clean, well-managed or amenity-rich a building is, insect and rodent sightings are guaranteed to put tenants on the warpath, therefore making proactive pest control a component of your building management plan is the key to avoiding thi... [more]

Sticky Sticky Sticky
Use of glue boards to trap stinging insects is really catching on at homes and sensitive accounts such as schools and churches. For most insect accounts, the best time to treat is in the evening, when most of the colony have finished their daily for... [more]

Ants Are Enemy Pest Number One
They paraded into the pantry, inundated the bathroom and marched their way under the covers and into bed. The six-legged pests even turned up frozen in the middle of ice cubes. Attacking everything, ants can very nearly take over your home and your ... [more]

Wasp Alert
Higher temperatures after so much rain have resulted in an explosion in the number of wasps. With nests up to four times bigger than normal, experts are warning that sunbathing and picnicking Britons should be on the alert for one of the worst plague... [more]

Bug Free Barbeques
When the sun is shining and the drinks are cold, you know it's time to heat up the barbeque, however when pests gatecrash the party, the seasonal fun can be spoiled. Ants, flies and stinging insects are prevalent in the late summer and early autumn ... [more]

Attack of the Home Wreckers
"Home, sweet home" can have an entirely new meaning when used in connection with pests. Rats, cockroaches and other pests can treat your house as a veritable food source, reducing it to a shell right under your feet. Rats and cockroaches are not jus... [more]

How To Choose A Safe Pest Control Firm
First of all, you want a pest control firm that has been in business for a while – pick your own standard. In addition, you should probably make sure that he / she belongs to a pest control association such as the British Pest Control Associati... [more]

Plague of Mice Spreading
Warmer winters, the prevalence of rubbish on the streets and homeowners renovating their houses are all causing mice numbers to escalate at an alarming rate. New figures have revealed that homes and businesses with mice problems increased by eight p... [more]

Pest-Free Schooling
Which would you prefer. A school free of the many insect and rodent pests that can spread disease or one in which fears of pesticides exceed having a safe learning environment? Every year, parents hear or read stories involving the application of pe... [more]

Crawling Bed Bugs
Bed bugs were largely wiped out by DDT after World War II, but for whatever reason – resistance to pesticides, changes in people's travel habits – their numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. As to their spread, bed bugs are great h... [more]

Welcome Summer, Unwelcome Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes top the list of summer pest concerns according to recent research. Although mosquitoes will inevitably continue to put a stinger into summer fun this year, there are a number of solutions available to homeowners, helping you to keep these... [more]

The Enemy In The Closet
Most moths are harmless to humans, but step inside the boudoirs and it's a different story. Our wardrobes are under siege from clothes-eating moths – or, to be more precise, their larvae. Global warming has seen a surge in moth numbers, but im... [more]

Pest Control Can Be A Hoot
Under the cover of darkness, a shadow silently swoops down from the trees and across a field. Rabbits don't have a chance, mice might as well be fish in a barrel. Meet the latest wave in pest control. It's called Tyto alba - otherwise known as the b... [more]

Stinging Insects
People are often amazed to learn just how many species of stinging insects there are - and summer is the time many have a painful introduction to one or more of them. There are fleas, flies, lice, mosquitoes, ticks, wasps, and bees, to name just a fe... [more]

No Fleas Please
Fleas are a more difficult opponent to eradicate than most other household pests. But by using an integrated pest management approach that includes you, the homeowner, as part of the overall, long-term solution, fleas can be effectively controlled an... [more]

Controlling Mosquitoes
Did you know that there are more than 2,500 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world? The UK is home to over 30 of those species, which amounts to a large number of irritating mosquito bites. Not only do mosquito bites cause skin irritat... [more]

A Compendium of Pigeon Control Methods
Pigeons can be a menace to society and can cause damage and distress simply by deciding to take residence in our buildings. It's not only their droppings that cause problems, but their poor standards of hygiene and in particular their ability to harb... [more]

Controlling Moths With Pheromones
Fabric pests feed on a variety of organic materials, including cotton products, wool products, animal fur, feathers, clothing, carpeting, draperies and other fabrics. Most fabric pests are either clothes moths or carpet beetles, although silverfish c... [more]

Elevated Wasp Populations
The pest control world is bracing itself for a marked increase in the wasp population across the UK and Ireland this summer. A mild winter and early spring coupled with low winter rainfall has given every opportunity for colonies to flourish. Early ... [more]

No More Free Estimates
Simply by flipping through the local phone directory, it is easy to get a good idea of the number of companies offering free estimates in a doomed-to-fail attempt to attract recurring business. Sadly, there tends to be far more pest control companies... [more]

Ant Diets
Baits can be very effective at controlling ant infestations. However, to use baits successfully requires a reasonable understanding of species identification, ant feeding preferences, and how these preferences are influenced. Understanding ant diets... [more]

PestBusiness Launched
Active Solutions and Xenex Associates have announced the launch of PestBusiness.com, a business resource and a series of business-orientated pest management events. The announcement was made at PestEx2007, held in London in April. North America is ... [more]

How To Deal With Bed Bugs
For insects that can't hop or fly, bed bugs do have an amazing ability to get around. This is proved by the fact that bed bug infestations are on the rise in North America, Western Europe, and Australia. The National Pest Technicians Association (NP... [more]

Cockroaches Trigger Asthma
In recent years, several large-scale studies funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have reinforced the dangerous connection between cockroaches ... [more]

Integrated Pest Management
Millions of insects zapped with gamma-rays and let loose into the wild to destroy their mates – the very thought of it is enough to make any self-respecting greenie choke on his tofu. In fact, the technology known as the Sterile Insect Techniq... [more]