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To help you with your DIY pest control we have put together
some information about pests that are found in the UK starting with
rodents...
Mice
First the danger. Mice are more of a problem in buildings because
they live indoors. They are more liable to cause fires by gnawing
cables and they can damage insulation in animal housing causing
costly heat loss and expensive replacement.
Mice carry diseases such as salmonella and they can also transmit
a type of leptospirosis, but not Weil's disease. Their continual
dribble of urine contaminates food and feedstuffs. Mice are a particular
problem in poultry units and pig housing and a very real pest in
grain stores, warehouses, shops, hospitals and even domestic premises.
Being so small they are very easily carried, unnoticed, in egg
boxes, food packaging, laundry baskets, etc. Entering a new location
through gaps as small as 6mm, mice build nests which are hard to
find, populating an area with new colonies quickly with devastating
effect. Because mice can reach sexual maturity 42 days after birth,
populations grow much faster than those of rats, which take about
twice the time to reach maturity.
The difficulty of preventing access, coupled with the rapid population
growth and natural dispersal of mice, means that a large building
may contain a number of colonies.
Mus domesticus
Common Names: House mouse
Adult Weight: 15 grams
Length: (head + body): 60-90mm
Length: (tail): 80-100mm, usually longer than head and body.
Fur colour: Brownish grey. Lighter shades occur.
Ears, hearing: Large with some hairs. Excellent sense of hearing.
Eyes, sight: Small. Poor sight, colour blind.
Snout, smell and taste: Pointed. Excellent sense of smell and taste.
Droppings: Scattered. Rod shaped, 3-6mm long.
Habits, habitat: Sometimes burrows. Lives indoors and outdoors but
is almost unknown in sewers. Nests generally within stored materials
but may burrow. Climbs. Erratic in habit. Inquisitive towards new
objects. Range: 1.5-5 metres.
Feeding habits: Nibbles. Prefers cereals. Consumes 3 grams per day.
Unlike rats, mice can survive with very little water and often obtain
sufficient water in food without the need to drink.
Life cycle: Span: 9-12 months.
Sexual maturity: 6 weeks.
Litter size: 5-6 offspring.
Maximum reproduction rate: 8 litters per year.
Rats
Rats are a worldwide pest due to their capacity to cause structural
damage, to spread life-threatening diseases, and to compete with
man for food.
The species most commonly found in Europe is known as the Norway
Rat (Rattus norvegicus). A less commonly found species, the Black
Rat or Roof Rat, (Rattus rattus), is largely restricted to port
areas.
Rats live alongside man, invading his buildings and eating his
food. Rats transmit disease which are potentially fatal to man such
as Weil's disease and murine typhus. They also carry organisms which
can damage man's health such as salmonella bacteria, viruses and
parasites such as nematodes and worms.
Damage by rats to the fabric of buildings can be costly. Fires
can easily be started after a rat has gnawed a cable. Gas and water
pipes are also at risk and rat burrowing can undermine foundations
and damage water courses.
Physically very strong, rats have been known to survive for two
days in open water, to swim a mile in open sea and to get through
a gap of less than 25mm.
Rattus norvegicus
Common Names: Norway rat; Common rat; Brown rat; Wharf rat; Sewer
rat
Adult Weight: 300 grams
Length: (head + body): 200-250 mm
Length: (tail): 150-200mm, shorter than head and body.
Fur, colour: Harsh and shaggy. Brown and black on upper head and
body, grey or off-white underneath.
Ears, hearing: Thick, opaque, short with fine hairs. Excellent sense
of hearing.
Eyes, sight: Small. Poor sight, colour blind.
Snout, smell and taste: Blunt. Excellent sense of smell and taste.
Droppings: In groups, but sometimes scattered. Ellipsoidal capsule
shaped, about 20mm long.
Habits, habitat: Does burrow. Lives outdoors, indoors and in sewers.
Nests in burrows. Can climb though not agile. Very good swimmer.
Conservative, somewhat predictable in habit. Will avoid unfamiliar
objects, e.g. bait trays, placed on runs, for some days. Range:
50 metres.
Feeding habits: Omnivorous, more likely to eat meat than Rattus
rattus. Consumes up to 30 grams per day, drinks water or eats food
with high water content.
Life cycle: Span: 9-18 months.
Sexual maturity: 2-3 months.
Litter size: 8-10 offspring.
Maximum reproduction rate: 7 litters per year.
Rattus rattus
Common Names: Ship rat; Black rat; House rat; Roof rat.
Adult Weight: 200 grams
Length (head + body): 150-220mm
Length (tail): 180-250mm, usually longer than head and body.
Fur, colour: Smoother and softer than Rattus norvegicus. Usually
black or grey.
Ears, hearing: Thin, translucent, large and hairless. Excellent
sense of hearing.
Eyes, sight: Large and prominent. Poor sight, colour blind.
Snout, smell and taste: Pointed, Excellent sense of smell and taste.
Droppings: Scattered. Spindle or banana-shaped, about 12mm long.
Habits, habitat: Non-burrowing. Nests mainly in walls, attics, vines
and trees. Active agile climber, rarely found in sewers. Rather
more erratic and unpredictable in habit than Rattus norvegicus.
Less wary of new objects than Rattus norvegicus. Range: 30 metres.
Feeding habits: Omnivorous, mainly fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables.
Consumes 25-30 grams per day, drinks water or eats food with high
water content.
Life cycle: Span: 9-12 months.
Sexual maturity: 2-3 months.
Litter size: 6-10 offspring.
Maximum reproduction rate: 6 litters per year.
Ants
In the UK, the Common black ant (Lasius niger) nests outdoors -
often under lawns, within decaying trees, under building foundations
and within wall cavities of our homes. Ants, like wasps, are social
insects living in organised colonies controlled by a queen. The
workers will forage widely in search of food. In doing this, they
tend to follow well-defined trails and cluster around the source
of food. Sweet foods are of particular attraction, hence the ant's
interest in kitchens, storerooms and warehouses. Pharaoh's ants
(Monomorium pharaonis), which are smaller than black ants and yellow-brown
in colour, are more commonly found in hospitals - attracted by soiled
linen and excrement - and are more likely to spread infection.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches present one of the most significant public health risks,
carrying diseases such as dysentery, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea,
typhoid, poliomyelitis and salmonella. They are most commonly found
in commercial premises in which food is produced or handled, such
as restaurants and catering establishments. However, they are not
uncommon in domestic situations where they live in kitchens and
drains.
The three most important species are the Oriental cockroach (Blatta
orientalis), the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) and the
American cockroach (Periplaneta americana).
The Oriental cockroach reaches 20-24mm in length in its adult stages,
is almost black in colour and is largely found in cooler, less humid
areas than its German counterpart, which, at 9-14mm long is markedly
smaller. Blattella germanica, yellowy-brown in colour, is a better
climber than the Oriental cockroach and thrives particularly well
in kitchens and canteens. The largest of the species, the American
cockroach, is red-brown in colour and can reach 30-35mm in length.
This species survives well in drains and sewers.
Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures, which spend the daytime hours
hiding in cracks and crevices around sources of food and water such
as cookers and sinks. Complex pipework systems and underground ducts
in larger buildings can make their control all the more difficult.
Food contamination occurs when the cockroach moves from refuse to
food preparation areas. Cockroaches will eat practically anything
from human food to leather, wallpaper and even other cockroaches.
Fleas
The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the cause of over three-quarters
of all flea infestations. At 2-3mm long, it is often found in host
bedding and, in instances of infestation in commercial premises,
can often be traced to a feral cat problem. Human and dog fleas
are less common and the majority of human flea bites come from cat
fleas. Adult fleas live off the blood of a variety of warm blooded-animals
and birds. They are more nest than host specific and will feed on
other animals in the absence of the preferred host.
Fleas are carriers of both disease, such as typhus and bubonic
plague, and also parasitic worms. Rodent fleas, in particular, are
a prevalent source of murine typhus. In the UK, fleas are less of
a concern from a disease perspective but their bites - visible as
small deep-red spots within a reddened area - are painful and irritating
and carry a social stigma. Flea larvae develop easily in typical
living room conditions with wall to wall carpeting and central heating.
Flies
The Common Housefly (Musca domestica) can remain active and reproduce
throughout the year in warm environments although, more commonly,
they tend to stop breeding during the winter months.
As potential carriers of typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, gastroenteritis
and dysentery, they must be controlled. Solid foods are liquefied
by regurgitating digestive juices on the surface of the food. Rotting
food is of particular attraction and decaying household refuse provides
an ideal environment for laying eggs. House flies have been known
to cover distances as large as 9 miles.
Bed Bugs
5mm long, and looking like a small, flat red-brown disc, the common
bed-bug (Cimex lectularius) is found in human habitations world-wide.
Bed bugs feed on the blood of humans, emerging at night from cracks
in furniture joints, bed frames, wallpaper and skirting boards to
bite humans, its princludingipal host, and to leave its characteristic
speckled excrement. Bed bugs leave a characteristic almond-like
smell in rooms where they are active. Bites can be painful, giving
rise to hard whitish swelling.
Pest information supplied by Sorex. |
