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What poisons and why? Chelsea London

People often ask me what poison we use and how do they work. All our rodenticides are second generation anticoagulants which work by thinning the blood by blocking the vitamin K cycle which stops blood clots forming which is essential for the body’s survival. We use many different types of anticoagulant rodenticides because in some areas such as parts of London rodents can be resistent to them. This normally happens due to prolonged over use of a particular poison. Just because the rodents are eating the bait does not always mean it is working. The different types we use are Bromadione, Flocoumafen, Brodifacoum and Difenacoum. I once had a job in Chelsea which had a large mouse infestation. I had to try three different types of anticogulants in many different forms before I found the one that worked and the problem was resolved. It is not just the type of poison we have to worry about but also the form it is in. They can come as a wax block, a grain block, pellets, pasta sachets, gel base and even paste. In the case above I found a brodifacoum paste worked. In many cases we have to keep trying different combinations of baits and the form they are in before we find the one that works.

Wood Worm

WOOD WORM TREATMENT
Woodworm is a generic description given to the infestation of a wooden item (normally part of a dwelling or the furniture in it) by the wood-eating larvae/grubs of one of many species of beetle. Whichever type of beetle maybe involved, the principals in treating woodworm are the same. First you have to identify if treatment is need as some heavily infested wood may be rotten and will need replacing.
Woodworm treatment is designed to disrupt at least one of the lifecycle stages of the beetles. The treatment targets the young larvae in the timber. Any eggs and beetles leave in cracks, crevices or holes of the treated timbers will not survive, therefore breaking the woodworm lifecycle.
Our method of treatment is a water based treatment – these are designed to minimise the exposure of people, pets and the environment to chemicals used within our treatments. To assist with long-term protection the solution will remain within the layers of the timber, cracks, crevices and  holes to prevent any future infestations becoming established.

Maidenhead invaded by rats

A branch of Nationwide, and several other retailers had to close their shops for several days to eradicate an infestation of rats. And this in a prospeperous Bucks city centre!

The article in the Maidenhead Advertiser identified the probable source of the infestation as rats coming in from the railway line. Railways provide a “safe passage” for rats insofar as there is limited access for creatues rats see as predators (dogs, human beings, etc.) and there is much cover in the form of brush, equipment and even the rails themselves in which the rats can hide if necessary.

Because of this premises near railway lines, both business and domestic, need to use more advanced strategies to control vermin in the area and simply ridding one premises of rats won’t stop others coming back and taking their place.

Expand Your Business

Pixabay Image 1734176

Would you like to add pest control to your list of services? We are a locally company based in Watford that specialise in commercial pest control. We work with many facilities companies already, such as 1st choice,SGP and Pinnacle.

Why not expand your business into the pest control sector.

Benefits include:

  • No cost to yourself
  • You make a set percentage on every job we do
  • Adds a service to offer to your customers
  • Gives an “edge” over other companies that do not offer this service
  • We are members of the BPCA and safe contractors
  • All our vans are unmarked to save embarrassment and confusion to which company we work for

Ring us to discuss on: 01923 205756 or email us at info@regionalpest.co.uk FAO Graham Farmer (Area services manager)

Regional Pest Services
Wren House
19-23 Exchange Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0JD

Regional Pest Services VAT 165204429

Weird wasps stories – Chesham-Uxbridge-Amersham-Watford

I was recently called to a house in Chesham where the owner kept finding dead wasps by their patio doors In there living room and did not know where they where coming from. I could not find a nest anywhere I looked in the garden, in the loft even next door. So I called a colleague of mine to come and help. He was at a loss too, but as we where standing in the living room staring at about 20 dead wasps on the floor next to the patio doors, a wasp came buzzing from behind us and flew straight into the patio doors.

We turned around and moved a sofa and found a tiny hole in the wall. There used to be a fire place which had been blocked up with plaster board. The wasps had made a nest in the top of the chimney and had chewed their way through the wall. They were killed by drying up in the magnified sun from the patio doors when trying to escape. We blocked up the hole and then we were able to deal with the nest.

Image of large Viking Rats found living in Sweden

Viking Rat

A rat measuring 15 inches (not including it’s tail) was found living in a kitchen of a Swedish family. The giant rodent had gnawed it’s way into the house between a wooden panel and concrete and was living behind the dishwasher.
The Bengtsson-Korsas family from Solna, a suburb of Stockholm called the pest control when they discovered the super sized beast when they took out the bins.
 

Harlequin Ladybirds

If you have recently noticed in colder months you have an infestation of ladybirds in your home/office etc. mainly around your windows, you probably have an infestation of Harlequin ladybirds. Harlequin ladybirds are not native to the UK. They originate from eastern Asia and are commonly known as the Asian lady beetle outside of the UK. The Harlequin ladybird did not reach Britain until 2004 and has had a detrimental effect on the UK’s native species.

These beetles can be hard to identify because of variations in colour. The two most common are black with big red dots and light red with small black dots.

Harlequin ladybirds are becoming a nuisance pest due to their tendency to overwinter indoors and the unpleasant odour and stain left by their bodily fluids. Sometimes the beetles will bite people.

Harlequin ladybirds can get into houses through the tiniest holes even if windows are closed. There are numerous methods of control that can be used. The best way to control the entry of any beetles is to seal any holes and gaps
found. Pesticides and traps can be used. But I have found the best method of control is to seal any gaps and to use a desiccant dust (a non-toxic silicon based dust) around the seals and hoover up any that may be left. It is the most affective and safest way of solving the problem.

All about wasps

In Britain there are two main types of wasps we deal with. They are the common wasp (vespula velgaris) and the German wasp ( vespula Germanica) there is a third which is manily found in southern areas of Britain called the median wasp (dolichouespula media) which has cause many scare stories in the news known as the Euro-Wasp. The median wasp is the largest in size followed by the German wasp and the common being the smallest.

We treat wasp nests using an insecticide called FICAM D which contains the chemical Bendiocarb 1% w/w. This is a modern biodegradable insecticide that is not highly toxic to mammals, but is extremely so to the hymenoptera group of insects (Wasps, Bees and Ants). The entrance to the nest or the nest itself will be treated using this insecticide. After treatment the nest will remain in a hyperactive state for a few hours, but usually Wasp activity ceases much sooner.

After the treatment many people want the neat removed but this is not always necessary. Firstly if a nest was removed as soon as the treatment was carried out then the wasps that were out foraging would return, find no nest & attempt to rebuild the wasp nest. They only attempt to rebuild the nest if it isn’t there.  So we would suggest waiting at least 4 week before any attempt is made to remove it. In a lot of cases the wasp nest is not accessible. The nest may be in a cavity wall or roof area that cannot be accessed.

Being a pest controller we get to deal with many different nests in all sorts of places it’s what makes our job so different and interesting.

 
 

Glis Glis

Glis-Glis (Edible Dormouse)

The edible dormouse was accidentally introduced to England in the town of Tring through an escape from Lionel Walter Rothschild’s private collection of six in 1902. As a result the British population of Glis-glis is now thought to be about 10,000. They are concentrated in a 200 square mile triangle between Beaconsfield, Aylesbury and Luton the area known as the Chilterns. This is the only area in the country they are found.

There nickname is the seven sleepers because they hibernate for seven months of the year November to May.

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE

Glis-glis look like a small grey squirrel they are actually closer related to a dormouse (hence the name edible dormouse). They are grey in colour with a bushy tail and large eyes. An adult male will reach about 8-10 inches in length.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE GLIS-GLIS

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Glis-glis are protected and the act prohibits certain types of killing and trapping them. The remove may require a licence and should only be done by professionals. If you think you may have Glis glis please contact us for advice.   

Ants

Ants are found all over the world wherever you go, there are many different types of ant approximately 11,500 different species worldwide and 47 of these can be found in the UK. The most common type of ant found in the UK is the Black garden ant, the red fire ant and the pharoah’s ant.
Why it is a pest:
Ants are highly organised social insects. The worker ants will invade buildings in search of food. Ants are typically from 3 to 5mm in length and are attracted to sweet foods which they take back to their nest.
Flying ants are the reproductive males (drones), these will develop wings in late summer and future queens will also develop wings in order to mate. Mating happens in the air and the queen will then seek out a suitable nest site where she stays for the winter, laying eggs the following spring in order to start up a new colony. A single queen ant can life for up to 15 years.
What to do about it:
The majority of black or garden ants will only enter your home to search for food and are attracted by sweet and sticky substances. Make sure no food is readily available to become a food source. You can do this by making sure all food is kept in sealed containers, cleaning up any food or liquid spillages straight away and if you have pets clear away your Pet’s food immediately it has finished eating.
Whilst a wide range of DIY Products are available to kill Garden Ants, an established problem may need professional treatment to ensure that it will not reoccur, especially with Pharoah’s Ants as DIY treatments can make the infestation worse.