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Bird Free Fire Gel

At regional pest services we have been trialing an exciting new pigeon proofing product (although it can be use for any bird) called bird free fire gel. The company that develop the gel claim that it has been used in Korea for the past 4 years and it works because to birds the gel looks like fire, to the human eye it simply looks like orange/yellow jelly but to birds which see in ultra violet (UV) it appears to them as fire. To us this seemed like outlandish claims so we decided to trail it on a couple of sites before we recommended to product to customers. To our surprise it WORKED. A customer of ours had a pigeon problem and because the building which had the problem had won awards for design they did not wont any spiking or netting, so we tried the fire gel to see the results, and six months later still no pigeon problem. we also tried it on a site that had a heavier level of infestation, where pigeons where using it as a roosting site and it has worked there too. The Gel is perfect for places where netting or spiking is not possible. It can also used in trees. Its not toxic and can used in all weather conditions, it lasts up to 2 years but other case studies have shown it to still be effective up to 4 years. We would recommend servicing the gel every 2 years it can still be more cost effective than expensive netting. For more information call us on: 01494 410880 or email us at: [email protected].
Check out the video link below:

Pigeons! What’s the problem?

Pigeons are an increasing problem and Regional Pest Services would like to advise you of the chief issues of concern regarding the potential hazards associated with pigeons, their droppings and nesting materials.

PSITTACOSIS (ORNITHOSISIS): This is an infectious disease. The organism is found in droppings, eye and nasal secretions of infected birds, which contaminate feathers and nesting materials. Transmission is usually through inhalation of contaminated airborne particles in which the organism can survive for several months.

The symptoms of human infection range from a flu-like illness with fever, joint, and muscle pains lasting a few days to more serious reactions including pneumonia.

BIRD LUNG (ALLERGIC ALVEOLITIS): This is an allergic condition occurring among bird keepers and people exposed occupationally to airborne particles in dust inhaled from bird corpses.

This can cause symptoms of fever and chest tightness with cough and in chronic form cause shortness of breath on exertion.

PATHOGENIC FUNGI Several pathogenic fungi find bird droppings, particularly if left to accumulate, a particularly good medium to develop. For most people, infection can appear to be little more than a bout of flu, but in susceptible individuals severe infections can occur.

INSECTS, MITES & FLIES: Urban birds have a number of blood-feeding parasites, which live in their nests and can bite humans including mites, fleas, ticks, and lice. Fleas will often infest office building carpets and cause biting insect problems.

Bird nests are also good harborage for other insect pests, which eat feathers, droppings and dead birds, but can live off and damage foods and textiles. These insects include carpet beetles, clothes moths, spider beetles, dermestes beetle and booklice.

Many of these pest outbreaks can occur even if the birds leave but nesting and droppings remain so that the insects forage as this food source breaks down.

When birds die inside or near buildings, the bodies can be a breeding site for flies.

PHYSICAL RISKS: The presence of bird infestations can produce foul odours, can deface and damage buildings and be a serious slip hazard when wet. Accumulations of droppings on pavements and fire escapes can result in injuries and complicated legal actions.

The defacement to building appearance can project a poor image to prospective clients particularly if in a food or professional business. Finally should a member of staff or public be unfortunate enough for birds to drop their faeces on them significant distress may be caused.

REMOVAL OF PIGEON CONTAMINATION: Guidance on this state that the following precautions are recommended:

• Personal protective equipment in the form of a disposable one-piece boiler suit with close-fitting hood or collar should be worn.

• Respiratory protective equipment is advised with filter.

• Good personal hygiene measures are essential and should include adequate washing facilities and separate eating facilities.

• The offending material should be removed in such a way as to minimise the amount of dust generated.

• Removed contaminated waste should be bagged and safely disposed of.

• Cleaned contaminated surfaces should be treated to eradicate residual bacteria & insects.

BIRD DETERRENT SYSTEMS Regional Pest Services are fully experienced in the installation of purpose-designed systems to prevent the re-occurrence of bird infestation by building proofing. This may include netting, sprung steel wires, bird spikes and repellent gel. All systems are fully licensed and are designed to not harm birds but to prevent access to the building from them.

Sales Promotion

Sign up by the 30th of September and get 10% off all pest control contacts.

Already got a pest control contract? We’ll match it and give you an additional 10% off*.
Why not join our growing number of clients already benefitting from our service and call to arrange a meeting. Our services include:

Pigeon proofing and control

Rodent control

All crawling and flying insects

Wasps and bees

24 hour 7 days a week call out service

Call us on: 01494 410880 Don’t delay offer ends 30th December!
Wren house 19-23 exchange road Watford Hertfordshire WD18 0JG
*must have had contract at least 6 months written proof of current contract required

Grey Squirrel

The grey squirrel is native to the USA and is a very adaptable species. In Britain the grey squirrel has few nature predators. This has lead to its rapid population growth and has caused the species to be classed as a pest. It can cause damage to roof spaces when nesting and to lawns when burying food such as nuts.

The grey squirrel is thought to be main reason in the decline of the red squirrel. This is thought to be because of the grey squirrel’s greater fitness hence a competitive advantage over the red squirrel.

In the UK if a grey squirrel is trapped under the wildlife and countryside act 1981 it is illegal to release it or allow it to escape into the wild. Instead they should be humanely destroyed.

Treatments include:

Proofing (e.g. squirrel accessing loft via roof)

Culling (Shooting)

Live trapping

These are the only treatment methods we use. There are other treatments such spring trapping and warfarin poising but we feel our methods are the most humane and least likely to affect a non-target species.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.