You’ve just successfully navigated summer
and the wasps, the bees and the flies. You breathe a sigh of relief, assuming
that with the chill of winter, everything magically disappears or hibernates.
But if you
think the sting in the tail of the wasp or the hungry ants that invade your
kitchen are a problem, say hello to some
common winter pests.
Spiders
Whether you have a deep-seated phobia of
arachnids or not, the thought of sharing your home with spiders is not a
welcome one. With long legs and oddly
shaped abdomens, as well as their ability to have thousands and thousands of
young, spiders make their way into your home in late autumn for a few reasons:
in search of a mate, to find a cosy place to see out the winter and a safe
place to have their young.
Spiders don’t eat us and in the UK, we are
blessed with none-dangerous spiders in that a bite from a native spider won’t
kill you. And so, allowing them in your home means all the other pesky insects
– like flies – are caught and devoured by the spider.
But if you really can’t stand spiders or
you have so many you are infested, then give the team a call.
Quick
Tips for Less Spider Nightmares
·
Catch the spider in a glass, blocking it in with a piece of card – put the spider
outside in the garden to scuttle off and find a new home.
·
Vacuum everything – in late autumn
especially, if you think spider eggs could be a problem. And check pot plants
for eggs and spider babies too.
Rodents
Yup, rats and mice like to be warm and cosy
just like we do and our homes are simply
perfect for them. But they not only chew everything in sight, they breed
constantly and spread bacterium on every surface they touch.
Laying poison is not an option, especially
as pets, non-target wildlife and children could get hold of it. Live traps are
also not an option and unless you are really not squeamish, trapping and
killing rodents is not much fun either.
Quick
Tips for Less Rodent Nightmares
·
Seal crevices and holes in
walls etc.
·
Remove rubbish and other food
and nesting sources
·
Keep bins covered with tight-fitting lids
Squirrels
Active all year round, the grey squirrel is
not native to the UK, but it is more robust than the native red squirrel so has
effectively colonised woodland across the country. They prefer trees and
forests but occasionally, they become a little confused and like the idea of
settling in an attic.
The problem is, they gnaw at everything and
they are noisy, scrambling about at all times of night and day. Trapping and
releasing grey squirrels is not an option – it is illegal, actually.
No
quick tips here: just call our expert pest control team.
