Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)

Description

Bed bugs are oval and flattened and around 4 to 5 mm long. They look swollen and their colour can vary between dark yellow, red or brown. A bed bug is wingless but their legs are well developed and it can crawl up most vertical surfaces, moving quite quickly.

Life Cycle

Bed bugs can lay between 200-500 eggs over a two month period, each of which is about the size of a speck of dust, they can lay them in batches of 10-50. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, they can live for more than 300 days however some bed bugs may live up to a year under cool conditions and with no food.

Food

Bed bugs are attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide, they crawl out at night to bite your exposed skin and feed on human blood although they can feed on domestic animals too such as cats and dogs. The bugs feed for three to 10 minutes to become engorged and then crawl away unnoticed. These insects shed their skins five times before reaching full maturity and require a meal of blood before each shedding.

Habitat

Bed bugs do not make nests however they can live in cracks and crevices in and around your house. They can be found in all types of housing, but are more common in short-term accommodation such as hotels or hostels. They tend to prefer fabric or wood over plastic and metal, and often hide near to where you sleep.

Evidence Of Infestation

Biscuit Beetle (Stegobium Paniceum)

Description

The adult beetle is 2-3 mm in length, oval in shape, reddish brown in colour, with a dense covering of yellowish hairs. The young (larvae) of this insect look like a whitish maggot. When full size, they are approximately 5mm in length.

Life Cycle

Over a period of about three weeks a single biscuit beetle will lay about 100 eggs. At normal temperature in 1-2 weeks they hatch to produce very tiny active larvae, which wander about and enter packaging to infest the foods inside. Development from larvae to beetle takes between 2-5 months depending on conditions when the larvae will go through four molts. They will then change to a pupa stage which will last between 9-18 days. During this time they will turn into an adult beetle. The adult beetle can live up to two months.

Food / Habitat

If you find these insects in your home, it is likely that you have brought them in with an infested dry product. This could be any of the following: cereals and cereal products, pasta, spices, nuts, chocolate, dried beans, flour, rice, biscuits (including dog or cat biscuits).

Evidence Of Infestation

Flea (Siphoneptera)

Description

Adult fleas are 2-3mm long, wingless and vary in colour from greyish to dark brown. They are well adapted to their way of life – their ‘armour’ makes it almost impossible to squash them, and their narrow body allows them to move around very quickly among hairs or feathers. Their back legs are highly developed enabling them to jump considerable heights. The three most common types of flea in the U.K. are the cat flea (the most common in Britain), the dog flea, and the bird flea, all 3 of these commonly bite humans.

Life Cycle

Generally speaking, an adult flea only lives for 2 or 3 months. Without a host for food a flea’s life might be as short as a few days. With ample food supply, the adult flea will often live up to 100 days. Newly emerged adult fleas live only about one week if a blood meal is not obtained.

Food

Fleas need blood to survive. The flea larva feeds on flea dropping until they become adult fleas.

Habitat

Fleas live exclusively on blood from warm-blooded animals, and although they have a preferred host, e.g. cat fleas prefer cats and dog fleas prefer dogs, they can be found on and feed from other animals and people. As well as being present on the host, fleas are often found on the host’s bedding. Problems can occur when cats or dogs are removed from a house as the fleas left behind have no choice but to move to people.

Evidence Of Infestation

Larvae Beetle (TBC)

Description

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Life Cycle

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Food

Info Coming Soon…

Habitat

Info Coming Soon…

Evidence Of Infestation

Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus Verbasci)

Description

Carpet Beetles are 4-5 mm in length, their thorax and wing cases are white, pale yellow, brown and black in colour with an oval body similar to a ladybird in shape.

Life Cycle

All species of carpet beetles undergo complete metamorphosis, passing through the egg, larva and pupa stages before developing into adults. The life cycle of a carpet beetle ranges from two months to several years in length. Larvae food sources play a significant role in determining the duration of a carpet beetle’s growth cycle.

Food

Varied carpet beetles feed on pollen and nectar. The larvae may eat seeds, animal food and other milled products in the pantry or kitchen. Larvae need high animal protein diet and can cause damage by infesting carpets, clothes animal furs and skins.

Habitat

Larvae will roll up when disturbed. Hairs may be an irritant to some people. Known as “woolly bears”. They are a common pest in museums and houses. Adults feed outdoors often on Spiraea plants. Mating takes place outdoors after which they fly indoors to lay eggs. They are a common inhabitant of birds’ nests.

Evidence Of Infestation

Common Clothes Moth (Tineola Bisselliella)

Description

The adult clothes moth has a body length of between 6 and 8 mm. The forewings are a shiny golden buff. The larvae which resembles a small maggot, is yellowish white in colour with a very small brown head and is up to 10mm in length.

Life Cycle

The adult female will lay between 70 – 100 eggs which are small and white and difficult to see. After a few days the eggs hatch, and the young (larvae), will start to feed, often, they will spin a fine tube around themselves. This tube becomes covered in scraps of material/droppings from where they are living and give the young protection. Once the young have eaten all they need, they will go into a pupa stage. (This is a shell like covering where the young will develop into adult moths). The development from egg to moth depends greatly on temperature, quality of food, and moisture in the air and could take anything up to a year. In perfect conditions the total lifecycle will take about 63 days.

Food

Adults do not feed although the larvae eat a range of recorded foodstuffs includes cotton, linen, silk and wool fabrics as well as furs. They will eat synthetic fibres if they are blended with wool.

Habitat

Clothes moths prefer darkness and are weak flyers.

Evidence Of Infestation

Mole

Description

Moles have black velvety fur with cylindrical bodies approximately 12-16 cm long with large spade like forefeet.

Life Cycle

Moles spend virtually all their lives underground. The female rears a litter of 3-4 young, the main breeding season being from February to June. The young weigh only 3g when born, and are fully grown by 8-9 weeks. The young moles leave their parents’ tunnel systems after a few months and either take over old systems or establish new ones of their own.

Food

They have a diet of mainly earthworms, but will also eat slugs and insect larvae.

Habitat

Small mounds of loose earth (mole hills) appear when moles are active. Moles can bite through surprisingly thick admins which interfere with their tunnels, but they do not usually eat plants. The damage they cause is indirect although livestock can injure their legs in mole tunnels. The shallow tunnels can also disturb annual crops. Mole hills in a lawn can make mowing difficult and spoil the look of it.

Evidence Of Infestation

Black Garden Ant (Lasius Niger)

Description

Worker ants are the ones most likely to be seen. Males and females are produced at certain times of the year. The so-called flying ants have wings and are common on thundery days in the summer. The workers, about 4-5mm in length, are black/brown in colour. The queens can be up to 15mm in length.

Life Cycle

The black garden ants are the most common type of ants found in gardens and other urban areas. This type of ant is best known for their nuptial flight, which happens once a year. This is when flying princesses and males take flight and mate. The most familiar type of garden ants seen are the small ones that move fast and actively. Typically, colonies have about 5,000 worker ants but can have as many as 15,000.

Food

It’s the workers that will forage for food and cause the nuisance in our homes, they are particularly attracted to sweet tasting foods often found in our kitchens but high protein foods will also be taken.

Habitat

Also known as the pavement ant, these ants build their nests almost anywhere; under rocks, along the lawns, and even under pavements.

Evidence Of Infestation

House Fly (Musca Domestica)

Description

An adult house fly is 5–8mm in length, grey thorax with 4 narrow stripes. They have buff or yellow abdomen and are covered with small hairs that serve as taste organs. Distinguished complex compound eyes – with thousands of lenses allows them a wide field of vision.

Life Cycle

On average, the adult housefly will live for around 30 days. They go through a complete four-stage cycle that consists of egg, larvae, pupae and adult stages. They breed in moist decaying vegetable matter.

Food

They are attracted to all types of food, including human food, pet food, animal feed, food waste and even faeces.

Habitat

Once indoors, house flies can be found resting on walls, floors or ceilings. Outdoors they can be seen on plants, the ground, fences; compost heaps and rubbish bins.

Evidence Of Infestation

Cluster Fly (Pollenia Rudis)

Description

Cluster Flies are 6 – 10mm in length with large reddish compound eyes. Their thorax is covered with yellow-gold hairs and they have a bristly yellow/black abdomen. Their wings overlap when at rest and they are sluggish in flight.

Life Cycle

Their eggs are laid in soil in late summer or early autumn. Larvae develop in earthworms – feeding on their host for several days. Then they pupate in the soil.

Food

It appears that cluster flies eat flower nectar and are not associated, as many nuisance flies are, with garbage, carrion and other unsanitary food sources.

Habitat

Cluster flies are commonly found in quiet, undisturbed parts of your home, such as attics and wall voids. They require warm places to hibernate over winter.
You may see a large group of cluster flies around a window, as they are attracted to the light on sunny winter days.

Evidence Of Infestation

Ground Beetle (Family-Carabidae)

Description

This ground beetle can grow a little over half an inch long but can vary in size. Colour is black, brown, green or violet (often metallic).

Life Cycle

Common Black Ground Beetles breed in late summer. The female lays eggs just below the soil surface. Larvae hatch and spend the winter in the soil. In early spring the larvae begin feeding and then turn into pupae (resting stage). They come out as adult beetles in the summer.

Food

The larvae are active voracious predators feeding on caterpillars, slugs, snails and vegetable matter.

Habitat

Black ground beetles live under leaves, old logs, and stones. They can be found in moist woods, fields, and gardens.

Evidence Of Infestation

Silverfish (Lepisma Saccharina)

Description

Silver fish are silvery-blue or grey in colour. They have a tapered, tail-like appearance and are wingless, with 2 slender antennae. These teardrop -shaped insects measure up to 10 – 12 mm in length.

Life Cycle

Eggs are laid in crevices and adults live for 1 – 3 years.

Food

Silverfish feed on carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches. Cellulose, shampoos, glue in books, linen, silk and dead insects may also be food sources.

Habitat

Silverfish eggs are commonly hidden in tiny cracks or crevices, making them extremely difficult to locate. Silverfish prefer warm, humid places such as bathrooms and kitchens and are especially attracted to paper and damp clothing.

Evidence Of Infestation

Wasp (Vespula Vulgaris)

Description

Wasps are distinctive by their yellow and black bands of colour. Their sting is carried in base of abdomen and they sting readily and repeatedly.

Life Cycle

The wasp’s year starts in the spring. As the days start to warm up the queen wasps come out from hibernation where they have spent the winter months in a deep sleep. At this time of year there are no active wasp nests, just queens which will begin to look for a suitable place to build their new nests.

Food

Will take insects and sweet foods.

Habitat

All wasps build nests, although they vary in their nesting preferences. A wasp habitat is a paper-like nest made from wood fibres that have been chewed into a pulp. These can be found in lofts, wall cavities, old rodent burrows, hollow trees, bushes and even garden sheds.

Evidence Of Infestation

House Mouse (Mus Domesticus)

Description

Mice are brownish-grey in colour, they are slightly lighter underneath. Mice are colour blind but have excellent hearing and sense of smell. Mice are very good climbers and are able to climb vertical walls. The adult mouse weighs less than 25 grams, it has large ears in relation to its body and small feet. Its tail is thin and the same length as its body.

Life Cycle

House mice live for 1 to 3 years, 2 years being the average. Gestation period is 3 weeks with the number of litters per year being 7-8. Litter size is between 4 – 16 young. From birth to sexual maturity is 8-12 weeks of age.

Food

House mice are omnivorous but prefer to consume grains, cereals, fruits and seeds. Although it is commonly believed that mice are attracted to cheese, they tend to prefer foods that are higher in carbohydrates.

Habitat

Mice are nocturnal creatures, preferring to keep hidden during the day and search for food from dusk till dawn.

Evidence Of Infestation

Diseases

Brown Rat (Rattus Norvegicus)

Description

A brown rat has a blunt nose, small ears, thick body and the tail is shorter than the head and body.

Life Cycle

Life span of a common rat is 6-18 months. Rats can breed very quickly, and can produce up to 3-6 litters a year with up to 7-8 young per litter; this makes it very easy for an infestation to build up very quickly un-noticed. Birth to sexual maturity is 10 – 12 weeks.

Food

Rats consume cereals, and grains. They can eat 1/3 of their own body weight in a single day.

Habitat

Brown rats are widespread in both city and country areas, and can be found anywhere offering shelter and food. Over 80% of rat infestations originate from sewers. Rats are efficient burrowers forming holes which average 100mm in diameter. Sometimes a complicated tunnel system with several openings is produced. Typically, such a system can be found around the outside of buildings, rubbish tips and overgrown gardens. Rats, by nature, are generally most active at night, but may be seen searching for food and water during the day.

Evidence Of Infestation

Diseases

Pigeon (Columba Livia)

Description

Feral pigeons plumage can vary considerably, through blue-grey, various ‘blues’ and ‘reds’ to chequered types and almost pure black. Feral pigeons are found worldwide and throughout Britain, mainly in urban environments, where they depend largely on man for their food supply.

Life Cycle

The number of eggs laid per clutch is 2. Number of broods per year is 2-3. Incubation is 17-19 days. Nests can be found on any ledges.

Food

Pigeons eat a variety of grains, seeds, greens, berries, fruits, and domestic scraps, feeding very close to their nesting sites.

Habitat

Pigeon living habits often bring the pigeon into conflict with man. They can nest and roost on the smallest of ledges and horizontal surfaces. The birds tend to create mounds of droppings in these sites. This not only affects the appearance of the buildings but also has an acidic damaging effect on the structure.

Evidence Of Infestation

Diseases

Cockroach (German Blatella Germanica / Oriental Blatta Orientalis)

Description

Cockroaches are large winged insects ranging from 12-30mm in length with long antennae. There are about 3500 different species of cockroach in the world of which the vast majority are tropical. The two most commonly found species in the U.K. can be distinguished by their size and colour: the Oriental cockroach is dark brown/black and ranges from 17-30mm whilst the more common German cockroach is lighter brown and smaller 12-15mm.

Life Cycle

The female cockroach produces up to eight purse-like egg cases at monthly intervals. The egg cases are thick walled and contain from 16-30 nymphs each. At room temperature this can take between 5-9 months depending on the species. The German cockroach carries the egg capsule behind her until the small wingless young are ready to hatch out some 2-4 weeks later. These nymphs (the small, transparent young insects) shed their outer skin 5-7 times as they grow to maturity. The Oriental cockroach deposits its egg case in a dark sheltered place. After about two months it splits open and the small nymphs emerge. These shed their outer skin 7-10 times before reaching maturity. The process takes 10 months to 2 years depending on temperature and food availability.

Food

Although they prefer sweets, meats and starches, they are also known to consume other items such as hair, books and decaying matter. Cockroaches are omnivorous and eat what is available to them.

Habitat

Cockroaches live in warm and damp places, like kitchens, bathrooms, and places where people eat and drink.

Evidence Of Infestation

Diseases

Mosquito (TBC)

Description

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Life Cycle

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Food

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Habitat

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Evidence Of Infestation