Pest Control
Pest control is an important part of running a safe household. A comfortable home – heat, soft furnishings, ample food – also attracts pests.
Read on for a guide to household pest control.
Insects like ants, moths and fleas as well as bed bugs, carpet bugs and silverfish can severely damage your home and health. We have been battling invasive pests of all kinds since the dawn of humanity. Archaeologists have found pest control advice stretching as far back as the second century BC, some of which are effective even today.
A successful pest control strategy isn’t just about removing pests and preventing them from entering your home. It’s also about ensuring you run a safe and clean home to minimise illness and infection. It’s about home protection.
Looking for the best way to safely get rid of common UK pests?
Safeguard Europe’s series of informative and in-depth guides on common types of UK common will equip you with the knowledge and methods of effective domestic pest control.
Ants are capable of settling almost anywhere in the UK as long as they’re near a steady source of food, darkness and shelter. Ant infestations usually settle just outside the home, but their resilience and size mean they could be anywhere. Front gardens, back gardens and cracked pavements just outside the home are classic ant hot spots. Don’t forget to…
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They can detach to cause mild allergic reactions in humans. Woolly Bears are responsible for carpet and soft furnishing damage. They feed on chitin and keratin of organic fibres. This means that as well as carpets and soft furnishings, they may also feed on things like insect husks and bird feathers.
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Fleas are traditionally active from April through November, but modern central heating has led to them becoming an all year round problem. They spread discomfort, disease and infection that can affect humans and animals. Regardless of the time of year, your home can become flea-free with careful planning and a rigorous treatment regimen!
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The Common Silverfish, or Lepisma saccharinum, are insects around 20mm long. Befitting their namesake, they are light grey or silver in colour. Silverfish are relatively unchanged from prehistoric times. Like many other nuisance pests, they have long antennae extending from their heads. Silverfish boast a few rare features from their prehistoric origins. Three antennae-like protrusions extend from their back half…
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As part of the moth lifecycle, clothes moth larvae and carpet moth larvae eat clothes. Socks, underwear, designer gear – everything in your closet, wardrobe and drawers could become a food source. Moth larvae chomp at clothes, carpets, crafting wool and furs. They do this to build the strength needed to turn into fully grown adults. Once grown, they reproduce…
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Bed bugs cannot fly or even jump like fleas. Instead, bed bugs rely on us to get around.
Read moreMost insect pests pose a threat due to the unsanitary conditions they love to hide in. For instance, cockroaches find most of their sustenance rummaging through our bins and discarded waste. Some pests are more directly harmful than others, but all pests can be put broadly into two categories: flying insects and crawling insects.
Any crawling insect can track harmful bacteria from the outside world into your home. Some insects, like ants, are functionally harmless but still pose a threat due to their ability to contaminate surfaces. Others are more openly destructive. Bed Bugs feast on our blood as we sleep. Fleas dine on our pets and carpet beetles destroy valuable rugs.
Around the Home, Look out for:
The Ways Crawling Insects Harm Humans and Households:
Through bites and stings
By filling the home with allergens
By transmitting diseases and bacteria
By contaminating food and food preparation surfaces
By causing damage to soft fabric and furnishings
By causing damage to wooden structures
The majority of insects have wings. In some species, like ants or moths, they are limited to a certain point of their lifecycle or certain mating type.
Some, like cockroaches, have wings but cannot functionally fly. Others have full flying capability.
Flying insects can reach anywhere in the home. They hide in corners and areas that may be difficult to access.
Some of the most common flying insects include:
Flies
Fruit Flies
Carpet Beetles
Wasps
Mosquitoes
Adult Moths
Flying Ants
Flying insects can cause damage to health and home through:
Food and food surface contamination
Soft fabric, furnishings and wood damage
Contaminating living spaces with allergens
Transmitting diseases and bacteria through general contact, bites and stings
There are a variety of methods of pest control. These range from invasive chemical disruption to basic hygiene practices. The best method of pest control is always preventative. By knowing the lifecycles and behaviours of common UK pests, you can lower the risk of infestation.
Pests like ants and cockroaches feed on the same types of food we do. To keep them away, the best action is to make sure we’re not leaving out breakfast, lunch and dinner for them. Ensure that these kitchen standards are always adhered to:
Around the home, make sure walls, doors and windows are fully sealed and without external damage. Ensure interior and exterior plumbing and pipework has no defects or leakage that may attract pests. As well as clearing away dust, hair and food mess, regular vacuuming around the property can break pheromone trails ants use to find their way back to food sources.
With some pests, it’s possible to find the infestation’s source. Depending on the type of pest, this may be a harbour, a hive or a nest. For instance, pouring boiler water into ant hills is an oft-used and effective method of controlling ant populations.
Some pest infestations always require professional intervention.
Rats, wasps and some types of woodworm can cause severe structural damage. They may also seriously threaten human health. Never disturb a suspected wasp’s nest. Do not attempt to handle live or dead rats.
When pests have already entered the home, ridding your home of them can be difficult. Pesticidal solutions eliminate pests from your home. Some types can provide a level of future protection.
For the average homeowner, cypermethrin-based pest control products swiftly eliminate a wide variety of insects. Cypermethrin is a synthetic pesticide derived from pyrethrum, which is extracted from the Chrysanthemum flower. As well as acting as an insect killer, it is also an effective repellent.
Some sprays provide long-lasting residual protection on undisturbed surfaces.
Responsible use of measured pesticides is key. When using pesticides to protect your home, always do the following:
Pesticide Golden Rules:
Only spray pesticides in targeted areas. Never spray aimlessly throughout the house
Ensure pesticides are always deployed away from children, pets or food preparation areas
When using bait stations or paper-based hanging systems, place as close to the confirmed infestation as possible
Ensure any pesticides used are HSE-approved for safe home use
Pest control comes in many forms. The form also depends on which pest you are attempting to get rid of.
Pest Control Formats
Sprays (Explore the NOPE! CP Killer range)
Bait boxes (Discover NOPE! Ant Killer Bait Stations)
Wardrobe hangers (Discover NOPE! Clothes Moth Traps)
Natural repellents like lavender, rosemary, citronella, eucalyptus or clove
UV lamps, ultrasonic devices and bug zappers
Biological predators (most commonly used by gardeners, who often use nematodes to clear gardens of crane fly larvae and slugs)
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