Prepared by:

Best Pest Control

Copyright October 2016 Best Pest Control

http://www.best-pestcontrol.co.uk/

II

Contents
Preface 5
Introduction6

ANTS......................................................................................................7
Black Garden Ant.7

Ghost Ant...7
Pharaohs Ants..8
Red Stinging Ants..9
Rogers Ant 9
Aphids.............................................................................................................11
Woolly Aphids..12

Bed Bugs ..13

Beetles 14
Biscuit Beetle14
Varied Carpet Beetle....15
Fur Carpet Beetle..16
Furniture Beetle17
Red Lily Beetle..18
Chafer Beetle Larvae19
Rosemary Beetle..20

Mealy Bug 21
Cockroach 22
Oriental Cockroach22
German Cockroach23

Fleas ..24
Flies....25
Autumn Flies25
Blue Bottle Flies..25

III

Mice ..27
House Mouse...27
Wood Mouse27
Yellow Neck Field Mouse.28

Rat 29
Brown Rat.29
Black Rat30

Wasps .31
Bibliographies 32-34

IV

Preface

This PDF content is produce for sole purpose to help people with
pest problem.
All images that was seen in this pdf were all taken from Wikimedia
Commons under creative commons license, GNU license, public
domain and pixabay website.
We suggest that you follow instructions from the label of your
insecticide when applying by yourself.
However, we recommend to contact professional exterminator for
effective pest eradication.

Introduction

There are lots of organism that can be found in UK. Most of it are consider as pest
because, they are detrimental not only to plants and agricultural crops. Also, these pests are
bringing harm or damage to our property, health and businesses. Moreover, not all pest that
we found in UK were originated from Britain itself. For, some of them were just migrated to
UK. Thus, identifying them correctly and knowing their lifestyle is very essential in dealing
pest. When you want to eliminate them completely.

On the other hand, identifying these pests are not easy to do. Since, most of them looks
same apparently. But, when you analyse their sizes, colours and characteristics. You will
understand their difference with their group species. Likewise, when you able to identify
your pest correctly. You will be able to know the appropriate treatment to your pest
problem. Thus, incorrect pest identification will lead to wrong tactics of controlling pest and
waste of money.

However, not all pest organisms are can be treat by yourself alone. There are pest organisms
that is very dangerous to treat. So, only trained exterminator can do it. This pdf serves only
as guide about identification and lifestyle on some common pest in UK. Although we include
prevention and treatment on this pdf. We still to recommend to consult professional pest
control
for
effective
eradication
and
result.

Ants
Usually identified by their node structure and antennae.

Black Garden Ant (Laisus niger)

Description and Characteristics: This ant typically measures from 3-9 mm. The body is
divided in three section with three pair legs. They
have one queen per colony that measure around 9mm
with dark brown/black and reddish legs. Queen only
lay eggs and typically colony has 4,000 7,000 female
worker. But, the larger colony has 15,000 workers.
Workers are the one who forage for food and feed
their larvae. Likewise, build nest. The queen may live
for 29 years. Black garden ant is fast moving and very
active.

Habitat: Found in flower beds, lawns, Beneath paving stones, base of the walls. Build nest
in insulation layers in house and Usually enter through cracks.

Diet: Feed on honey drew and prefer sweet foods. Searching food item like greasy,
seed and living or dead insect. They eat on exposed pet food.

Show up: Summer months.

Damage: Building foundation can weaken when nest becomes larger and can
contaminate food.

Ghost Ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum)

Photo taken by Andy Brookestar at Wikimedia commons

Description and Characteristics: Workers were small in size with average length of
2mm while the queen measures 2.5 mm in length. Their
head and thorax is dark brown, while their gaster, legs
antennae are milky white in colour. The males head
and dorsum is dark while, the gaster is light in that may
contain several dark marks. Unlike black garden ant,
this ant has multiple queens and spread out in multiple
sub colonies.

Habitat: This ant nest indoors and outdoors. In outdoors, they can be found in tuffs dead,
moist grass and plant stems. Indoors, they can be found in wall spaces, cabinetry,
cracks, kitchen, bathroom, folded clothing or linen and baseboards. They also
nest in potted plants.

Diet: Feed on both dead and live insects and fond in honey drew. They also have to
look for places to drink, and this brings them into contact with areas such as
drains and rubbish bins.

Show up: They like hot houses.

Damage: They can through passive transfer disseminate germs and spores.
Pharaohs Ants (Monomorium pharoanis)

Souce: April Nobile / AntWeb.org, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Small in size with an average length of 2mm. The
workers are light yellow to reddish colour with lighter
abdomen. They usually have many queens and their
colonies ranges to 300,000. When they found food
they lay chemical trail. In addition, they really like
water and travel to waste food collection or drains.

Habitat: Nesting in inaccessible, warm and humid areas but near in water and food source.
Diet: Attracted in fatty and sweet foods. They will feed on meat, cheese, dead insects, mice
and mouse droppings. In hospitals they will also feed on blood, intravenous diet
fluids, the fluid associated with wounds and vomit.

Show up: Anywhere whenever uncover food is left even in shorter time.
Damage: May carry disease organisms and can penetrate, contaminate food stuffs and
sterile dressing.

Red Stinging Ant (Myrmica rubra)

Source: pixabay

Description and Characteristics: Workers have length between 4-5 mm with dark red
colour while queen has length between 8-9mm and similar colour to their workers. The red
stinging ant has colonies up to 250,000 workers ants with many queens that can live up to 15
years.

Habitat: Found in gardens, fallen trees, meadows, wastelands under stones and in the soil.
Diet: Honeydews, small insects and other anthropoids.
Show up: All year.
Damage: Red stinging ants can effectively sting humans. It gives a small burning sensation
that can last for a few hours to one day.

Rogers Ant (Hypoponera punctatissima)

pixabay/en/ant-at-the-morningbreakfast-wood-ant-1377444

Description and Characteristics: Head and body are relatively smooth. Waist has one
distinct segment that narrowly connected to gaster.
Total length is from 2.5 -3.0 mm. workers are usually
yellowish brown to dark brown. Their queen colour is
an orangish-brown with lighter appendages.

Habitat: They adapted human habitat like hot houses, heated building, compost piles and
horse manure wherein they form colonies. Likewise, found nesting in soil, rotting
wood, gardens and disturbed habitats.
9

Diet: Forage mostly underground. They use their sting to prey on small invertebrates.
Show up: Hot and decomposed matter.
Damage: They have been known to sting when agitated or trapped in clothing and are
most often encountered in large numbers during flight swarms. Produce a welt
or respiratory problems if there is an allergic reaction to the sting. A contaminant
in hospitals and other commercial premises.

Prevention: Seal any small gaps around window and doors.

Regularly wipe down surfaces
Keep your home clean of crumbs.
Avoid leaving dirty places.
Store all food in sealed containers.

Treatment: For natural way, you sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder or paprika in their
entrance. you can use chili pepper, bay leaves, mint, cinnamon, peppermint,
pepper and borax by spreading any of these items along the places you have
seen ants.
For other ways, you can use ant bait which can be purchase at local groceries.
Please follow the indicated instructions.

10

Aphids (Aphidoidea) Common names aphids, greenfly, blackfly, plant

rice.

Description and Characteristics: Aphid have pearl shaped bodies with long antennae.
Their size is from 1 to 10mm. Sometimes they can
appear light green, black, yellow, pink, gray, brown
and white. Some may have a waxy or woolly coating.
The nymphs look similar to adults. In addition, they
look invisible to the naked eye.

Habitat: Found in any plants.

Diet: Nymphs and adults feed on plant juices, attacking leaves, stems, buds, flowers, fruit,
and/or roots, depending on species.

Show up: Appear during spring to late summer in garden but in indoors is all year round.
Damage: The honeydew can sometimes develop a fungal growth called sooty mold,
causing branches and leaves to appear black.
Aphids feeding on flowers or fruit can cause them to become distorted.
When aphids feed on trees, their honeydew can drop onto cars, outdoor
furniture, driveways.
Aphids may transmit viruses to certain plants, and also attract other insects
that prey on them.
Some aphid species cause galls to form on roots or leaves.

Prevention: You can purchase beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, lacewings, and
parasitic wasps, which will feed on aphids.
For fruit or shade trees, spray dormant oil to kill overwintering eggs.
Companion planting can be very helpful to keep aphids away from your
plants in the first place.

11

Garlic and chives repel aphids when planted near lettuce, peas, or rose
bushes.

Treatment: For natural way, Aphids have many natural enemies, including ladybirds,
hoverfly larvae, lacewing larvae and parasitic wasps.
On chemical way, it is only feasible to control aphids on plants that are small
enough to be sprayed thoroughly. Always read the label use pesticides safely.

Woolly Aphid (Eriosoma)

By S. Rae from Scotland, UK (Poodle or Aphid) CC BY 2.0) or CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Long white or occasionally blue-grey insect with waxy
residues which look like cotton wool appear on the
bark and branches especially around old pruning
wounds. The adult aphids are elliptical in shape and
up to 2mm long. They only look white because of their
waxy coating but they are pinkish brown.

Habitat: Found on plant fluids.

Diet: Feed on foliage, twigs, buds, bark, branches and even in roots
Show up: April to October
Damage: Wax accumulation is sometimes seen as well, along with the sweet, sticky residue
known as honeydew.
Attacks on the bark leave the tree weakened and open to infestation by other
bugs and diseases.

Prevention: Buy apple trees on rootstocks which are resistant to woolly aphid attack.
Correct pruning methods and avoiding damage to the bark of your trees.

Treatment: Scrubbing the aphid colonies with a stiff-bristled brush on small trees with
light infestation can control woolly aphid.
On chemical way, please ask for trained exterminator for effective result.

12

Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)

By Content Providers(s): CDC/ Harvard University, Dr. Gary Alpert; Dr. Harold Harlan; Richard Pollack. Photo Credit: Piotr
Naskrecki Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Parasitic insect that feed on blood. Nymphs are
translucent lighter in colour and become browner as
they moult and reach maturity. Adults grow to 4-5
mm long and 1.5-3mm wide. Usually, light brown to
reddish-brown with flattened, oval-shaped, and have
no hind wings. A new research from University of
Sydney suggests that bed bugs have developed a
thicker cuticle thats enabling them to survive
extremely high doses of common insecticides.

Habitat: Found in bed frame, mattress, bedside furniture, skirting boards or wallpaper.
They prefer wood or fabric than metal and plastic.

Diet: Feed on human blood and prefer exposed skin.

Show up: Attach in luggage and found mostly in second hand furniture.
Damage: Bites may lead to a range of skin manifestations from no visible effects to
prominent blisters. Effects include skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic
symptoms.

Prevention: Inspect your family's beds once a month.

Keep luggage away from bedrooms at home, preferably in the garage or shed.
Check every hotel room you stay in.
Wrap bags in cling film at the airport if you are particularly worried.
Dont use soft bags for travelling. Hard cases have fewer crevices for bugs to
hide in.
Dont reach for a can of insect spray. It doesn't kill bed bugs but it will
encourage them to move to another part of the house.
Dont throw away mattresses or beds if you think you have bugs. All this will do
is spread them through the house as you bump furniture down the stairs.

Treatment: Bed bugs are difficult to treat by yourself alone because they can resist on
some insecticides. Hence, it is better to call professional pest control.

13

Beetles (Coleoptera)

The largest insect in Britain with around 4,000 species and 3,000,000 species worldwide.
They are easy to recognize as their front wings are hard, covering
the second pair of wings and the abdomen. All beetles have biting
mouthparts.

Biscuit Beetle or Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium Paniceum)

By en:User:Kamranki (Wikipedia en) GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Biscuit beetle is small insect between 2 to 4mm in

length and has large dark eyes. Usually reddish
brown in colour.

Habitat: Found home and other buildings containing processed and package food/products
or museum/herbarium specimens.

14

Diet: Larvae feed on a very wide variety of materials of vegetable and animal origin
(including drugs poisonous to humans, spices, tobacco, leather, wood, textiles), may
attack dried plant collections, old books and paper. Adults do not feed.

Show up: Year-round indoor.

Damage: They also infest almonds, peanuts, paprika, red pepper, alfalfa meal, cornmeal,
flour, milo, wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, dry dog and cat food, bread,
birdseed, beans, coffee beans, fish meal, spaghetti, instant chocolate, powdered
milk, books, manuscripts, dried flowers, certain fillers and fabric coverings of
furniture, leather, museum specimens, and other foodstuffs.

Prevention: Use older packages before new ones, avoid spillage in cabinets, and always
keep food storage areas clean.
Purchase seldom-used foods in small quantities to prevent long storage
periods of one month or more.
Examine foods such as cornmeal and macaroni for infestations, and check the
packaging date to establish freshness.
Susceptible foods should be stored in insect-proof containers of glass, plastic
or metal, or store in a refrigerator.

Treatment: Throw out any infested food and thoroughly clean out any food residues from
areas where the beetles or their grubs are found. Also check the loft or eaves
of your house for an old bird nest, as these can be a common source of Biscuit
Beetles.
If heavily infested, consider using a professional company as these pests can
cause problems and a lot of the treatments are only available to professionals.

Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus Verbasci)

By Line Sabroe from Denmark (Varied Carpet Beetle) CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The adult beetle is between 2-3mm long. Its body is
broadly oval in shape and dark brown or black in
colour with mottled white or yellow patches. The
larvae are short brown hairy grubs up to 5mm (1/5th")
long and have dense tufts of golden hairs on each side
of the hind part of the body. The larvae grow and
moult six to eight times and do not pupate until about
15

March of the following year. If the temperature is

unsuitable the larvae may not pupate until three or
more years time. The larvae are, known as 'woolly
bears'.

Habitat: Found in natural situations such as birds nests, wasps nests and animal burrows
and in some museums and houses they have a direct route into the premises from
nests in attics and chimneys.

Diet: Larvae feed on wool, silk, fur or feathers. Silken clothes are eaten too, especially if
they are stored in a soiled state. Larvae will also eat cereals - but only rarely. The adult
Carpet Beetle feeds only on pollen and nectar of garden flowers.

Show up: April to June

Damage: The larvae are voracious feeders and will rapidly make neat holes in woollen
textiles, animal specimens, fur and feathers. They will also graze on animal glue
in book bindings and picture frames. Clean cotton materials are not normally
attacked, although larvae may bore through this on their way out of a feather
cushion.

Prevention: Check the loft and eaves for old birds nests or dead birds and remove them.
Vacuum clean all fluff and debris from airing cupboards, shelves, floorboards,
carpets and upholstery.
Lift carpets and underlay and clean floor and carpet thoroughly.

Treatment: An insecticide is needed to deal with woolly bears and affected items should
be sprayed or dusted with a product labelled for carpet beetle control.
Treat between floorboards, under carpets and underfelts and into crevices
where fluff may collect and attract the insects.
Consider using a professional company as these pests can cause significant
damage.

Fur Carpet Beetle (attagenus pelio)

By AfroBrazilian (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The larvae have distinctive tuft of very long hairs that
projected backwards. Adults is between 4.5 to 6mm
long and body shape is oblong. Its colour is black with
small patch of white hairs on either side of elytra.
Also, thorax is covered with white hairs.

16

Habitat: Mostly found on textiles, grains, carpet and fur. In outdoors, they are found in
pollen and nectar. They can be found wandering on walls and windows.

Diet: Feed on a variety of animal-based materials including wool, fur, silk, feathers and
leather.

Show up: Autumn

Damage: Silk, clothes, wool, leather and carpet.
Prevention: Clean rugs, carpets, draperies, furniture, baseboards, air vents, mouldings and
other hard-to-reach places regularly.
Periodically brush, air outside, or dry-clean furs, woollens, blankets, etc.
Use one pound of naphthalene flakes or balls or paradichlorobenzene (PDB)
crystals per 100 cubic feet of closet space for limited protection (but always
remember the health risks to children who may think moth balls are sweets).
Use a strong suction vacuum cleaner with proper attachments to remove lint,
hair and dust from floors, shelves and drawers.
Any tight box or bag that can be sealed is a good storage container.
Avoid storing goods with a natural fibre content (like old carpets and clothing)
in roof spaces as they are potential food sources.
Remove dead birds or rodents when found in chimneys, under floors or in loft
spaces.
Remove old / unoccupied birds' nests from eaves and loft spaces.

Treatment: Although you can use insect spray. Consider using professional company for
safety treatment.

Furniture Beetle (Anobium Punctatum)

By Janet Graham CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The adults are small oval brown beetles approximately
4-6mm long. Majority of their lifecycle is spent as
larvae. These are greyish white in colour with a
narrow dark band over the mouth parts and grow to
about 6mm long.

Habitat: Frequently found on the timbers of the house and on wooden furniture.
Diet: Target all types of older, seasoned hardwood and softwood, especially the sapwood
of softwood trees such as pine and poplar.

Show up: Spring and summer.

17

Damage: Attack structural timbers, lumber, wood framing, flooring, and wooden objects.
It is in the larval stage that causes most of the damage to timber.

Prevention: The application of solvent based varnishes and finishes which prevent the
deposition of eggs in suitable materials.

Treatment: Woodworm in furniture can be cured by application of proprietary woodworm

killer.
Coat all surfaces, polished and unpolished, and inject fluid into a few flight
holes with a special injector. As a precaution against woodworm, you can buy an
insecticidal polish.
Cover electric cables and the cold water storage tank.
Floorboards must be lifted to get at the undersides and the joists.
Follow label recommendations carefully.

Red Lily Beetle (Lilioceris Lilii)

By: GLady

Description and Characteristics: The adult lily beetle is between 6 to 9mm in length. Its
harder forewings are bright light scarlet and shiny
while, its underside, legs, eyes, antennae and head are
all black. It has large eyes with slim thorax and a wide
abdomen.

Habitat: Garden
Diet: Older grub eats leaves, stem, petals and seed pods.
Show up: March to October
Damage: creating oval holes on leaves, flower, stem and seed pods.
Prevention: Regularly search through plants from early April onwards and remove any
adults, larvae and eggs that can be found.
Plants that are grown in pots can be repotted in the winter into fresh clean
soil in order to remove any overwintering adults.

Treatment: The plants should be regularly inspected from late March onwards so that
adult beetles, larvae and eggs can be removed by hand.
Pesticides are likely to be more effective on larvae than adults.
18

Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

Chafer Beetle Larvae (Horticola and Hoplia Philanthus)

By: Benmenting

Description and Characteristics: Chafer grubs are white in colour and comma shaped,
fleshy grubs with brown heads and 3 pairs of legs on
the front segments of their body.

Habitat: Found in lawn and garden.

Diet: The larvae feed on the roots of grasses during the spring and summer.
Show up: Grubs September-April; adult beetles May-June.
Damage: lawn
Prevention: check regularly for sign of infestation and deal them quickly.
Scarify and aerate lawns in autumn.

Treatment: Re-sowing grass seed when chafer grubs have moved deeper into the soil to
pupate.
Paid attention to feeding, watering and moss prevention can help avoid
damaging infestations.
There are currently no chemical controls for chafer grubs on lawns which can
be applied by home gardeners.
Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

19

Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina Americana)

By Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA (Rosemary Beetle) [CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: This insect has a length of 8mm. They have colourful
elytra with metallic green and purple longitudinal
stripes. The wings are quite short. Larvae are greyishwhite with darker stripes running along their bodies.

Habitat: Found in stems.

Diet: Eats foliage and flowers of different aromatic plants.
Show up: August to April.
Damage: Leaves would have short stumps with greyish-brown discoloration where the
damaged tissues have dried up.

Prevention: Check plants on a weekly basis for signs of infestation.

Encourage insectivorous birds.

Treatment: Observe plants regularly.

Removing them by hand will help to reduce numbers.
Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

20

Mealy Bug (Planococcus citru)

By Dbxsoul CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Females do not have wings while males though few in
numbers but have wings. Females has 4mm length
with flattened, soft, oval-shaped bodies. They are pink
in colour, but appear white because of the waxy
powder that covers their bodies.

Habitat: found on greenhouse plants and houseplants.

Diet: feed on plant sap, roots and sometimes on bottom of stored fruit.
Show up: all year round.
Damage: weaken plants and cause leaves to drop.
Prevention: Inspect new plants thoroughly.
Destroy all infested material.
Remove dead leaves and pruning.

Treatment: Predatory insects, such as lacewings, syrphid flies, ladybirds, and several small
parasitic wasps, prey on outdoor mealybugs and can often keep their
numbers down.
Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

21

Cockroach There are about 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with
human habitats. Only four species are well known as pests. They are
distinguished by their very long whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies and rapid,
jerky walk.

Oriental Cockroach (Blatta Orientalis)

By Alvesgaspar GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The adult is about 20-24mm long and dark brown to
shiny black in colour. They have well-developed eyes,
long antennae on the head, and although equipped
with two pairs of wings, are incapable of flight.
Females can lay about five egg-cases, each one
containing an average of 16 eggs. These are deposited
in cracks and crevices and hatch in about eight weeks.
The resulting nymphs then moult 7-10 times and
become adult after 6-18 months depending on
temperature and food supply. Adult can live up to 2
years.

Habitat: Found anywhere in house such as laundry, kitchens, food packages, through air
ducts or ventilators and under the door. They can also found in hospitals, sewers,
upper floor, damp basements and utility chases. In addition, they climb water
pipes. They can be found outside in bushes, under leaf groundcover, under mulch,
and decaying organic matter outdoors.

Diet: They feed candles, soap, paper, human waste, etc.

Show up: Any dark places and damp location.
Damage: Disease carrier such as Typhoid, Gastroenteritis, Salmonella and Dysentery.
Contaminating food with their faeces.

22

German Cockroach (Blatella Germanic)

By Dechatorn

Description and Characteristics: Their length is approximately 14mm, light brown with
two dark longitudinal stripes on the thorax behind the
head. The female produces an average of four egg
cases during its life-span containing between 18 and
50 eggs and carries the case until 12 days before
hatching. Egg will be on nymph stage after 3 t0 4
months. Then, it will reach the adult stage of the life
cycle which lasts for more than 200 days. They cannot
survive severe cold.

Habitat: Found often warm, dark, and have small cracks and crevices or other small
openings into dark confined areas where food and water is near.

Diet: They are attracted particularly sugars, meats, fatty foods and starches. Also, they may
eat household items.
Show up: Active at night.
Damage: Disease carrier such as Typhoid, Gastroenteritis, Salmonella and Dysentery.
Contamination occurs when the cockroaches come into contact with foodstuffs.
Germs can be spread from the body of a cockroach or from their droppings.

Prevention: Good hygiene practice is essential.

Fix any leaks and sweating pipes.
Provide ventilation to moist areas.
Mop up any spillage's.
Do not leave washing up soaking overnight and empty any pet bowls
overnight.
Food should be kept in airtight storage jars and any crumbs or waste should
be cleared up straight away.

Treatment: They can then be killed with hot soapy water.

Placement of sticky traps are another non-chemical form of trapping.
You can use dusts, baits and sprays. Follow the label instruction.

23

Fleas (Siphonaptera) wingless insect that pierce on skin using their

mouth to such blood. There are four common flea species and
those are cat flea, bird flea, dog flea. But, the most common is cat
flea which is known for biting humans.

Description and Characteristics: The adult fleas have an average size of 2mm with
flattened backwardly directed spines and long leg
designed for jumping. They can jump vertically up to
18cm and 33cm horizontally. Their usual colour is redbrown.

Habitat: Live in bedding, furniture, carpets and floor crevices.

Diet: Larvae feed on organic matter while adult fleas feed on humans and animals blood.
Show up: Warm climate.
Damage: Can carry disease.
Prevention: Wash regularly your blanket, pet's bedding and other washable items with
hottest water.
Vacuum frequently your furniture, carpet and pet areas.
Keep your garden neat and tidy.
Apply veterinary approved Flea products to your pet on a regular basis.

Treatment: Contact a professional pest control company.

24

Flies (Diptera) A two-winged insect that feed by vomiting saliva on to the

food surface and sucking up the resulting liquid.

Autumn or Face Fly (Musca autumnalis)

By Heiko Stein

Description and Characteristics: The average size is 7 to 8mm long with four dark
stripes on the thorax and grey-black patterned
abdomen. Their colour is grey.

Habitat: Found in the faces of cattle while adults also found on flowers and fences.
Diet: Larvae feed on fauna and microbial flora. Adult feed on the surface of manure
deposits and plant sugars.

Show up: March to October.

Damage: Transmits eyeworm Thelazia rhodesi to cattle and horses, and pinkeye in cattle.

Bluebottle Fly or Blow Fly (Calliphora vomitoria)

By An Nguyen

Description and Characteristics: Blow fly has an average between 10 to 14mm long. The
head and thorax are dull grey in colour and the
abdomen is bright metallic blue with black markings.
Their body and legs are covered with black bristle-like
hair. Eyes are red and the wings are transparent. One
Blow fly can lay up to 600 eggs will hatch in under 48
hours in warm weather and produce maggots which
can become fully developed in a week.

25

Habitat: Found in rotting animal matter, refuse tips dirt and dustbins.
Diet: Eats from animal poop, dead animals or meat, living animals with open wounds and
other decaying matter.

Show up: Breed during warmer months of and year.

Damage: Contaminate food, cause of infection and blood poisoning.
Prevention: Clean the kitchen thoroughly.
Keep all the bins covered.
Cover compost buckets.
Hide the pet food.
Block of the window.

Treatment: Use an insecticidal dustbin powder.

Indoors, use an aerosol fly spray.
Consider fitting fly screens over kitchen and dining area windows.

26

Mice (Mus) a body-length scaly tail with pointed snout and small rounded ears.
House Mouse (Mus Domesticus)

By Silvia

Description and Characteristics: The body length is 7.5 to 10cm and length of tail is 5 to
10 cm. Typical weight is between 40 to 45g. Both ears
and tail have little hairs. The hind feet are only 15 to
19mm long with high pitched squeak voice. House
mice rely on their pheromones to communicate.

Habitat: Their nest is often build inside houses and commercial buildings wherever there is
access to a good source of food.

Diet: They eat almost everything man eats but drink very little.
Show up: Anytime of the year.

Wood Mouse or Long Tail Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

By Alexandra

Description and Characteristics: Adult field mice have 8.1 to 10.3 cm; their tails measure
7.1 to 9.3 cm in length and weigh 13 to 27 grams. They
have larger ears. Eyes is more prominent longer tail
than the house mouse. They have dark brown fur on
the top part of their bodies with white/grey
undersides.
27

Habitat: Live just about anywhere there is plenty of food and shelter. Their nest is usually
consisted of a ball of dry grass, moss and leaves.

Diet: They are seed eaters particularly seeds of trees such as sycamore, beech, lime, oak,
ash and hawthorn. They carry them back to their nests for storage, if seeds are
plentiful on the ground. They also eat small invertebrates such as snails and insects
even roots, fruits and berries.

Show up: Active at night.

Yellow Necked Field Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis)

By Vojtech.dostal [CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: The appearance is almost similar to wood mouse. They
differ in tail, ear and fur across the neck. The adult
head and body length is 3.5 to 5.25 inches with slightly
longer tail and the weight is between 28 and 43 g.
They have brown fur with paler, white bellies and has
a collar of yellowish fur, which forms a bib on the
chest.

Habitat: Prefers mature woodlands, hedgerows and wooded gardens.

Diet: They are omnivorous. They eat seedlings, nuts, spiders, insects, buds, larvae and fruit.
Show up: Active at night.
Damage: Spread some nasty diseases to humans such as Salmonella, Listeria, which can
cause food poisoning.
Can cause serious damage to water and gas pipes, woodwork and electric
cables.

Prevention: Cover any household waste where mice can get access to it.
Close dustbin lids and cover compost heaps.
Eliminate any harbourage points such as sealing gaps around pipes and under
sheds.
Remove potential nesting sites by keeping yards and gardens clean and tidy,
by cutting back overgrown areas and clearing any piles of wood/debris.

28

Treatment: There are traps, bait and poison that you can use but those are dangerous to
children and If you have pets. We suggest to contact a professional pest
control company for effective treatment.

Rat There are two species of rat in Britain, Rattus Norvegicus which is commonly known
as the Brown Rat or Common Rat. The Rattus Rattus, known as the Black Rat or Ship
Rat is now rarely found in the UK. They have well developed senses of smell taste and
touch and acute sense of hearing.

Brown Rat (Rattus Norvegicus)

By AnemoneProjectors CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Description and Characteristics: Large rodent whose fur is usually brown in colour with
greyish shade and paler fur on the undersides. Body
length is 10 inches long and the tail can reach up to 9
inches in length. Weight is around 250 to 350g. Tail and
ears stand out prominently but no fur.

Habitat: Highly adaptable species. They can occupy sewers, industrial sites, smallholdings
sewage farms, rubbish tips, farms and allotments.

Diet: A true omnivore and will consume almost anything, but cereals form a substantial part
of its diet.

Show up: Active at night.

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Black Rat (Rattus Rattus)

By Karsten Paulick

Description and Characteristics: The body usually measures between 12 to 18 cm long

then, tail is between 6 to 10 cm long and weight is up
to 340 g. They have pointed muzzle, almost hairless
ears and slender body. Their colour is black to light
brown. Moreover, they have tail longer than the body.

Habitat: They are found around residential buildings, warehouses, other human
settlements and agricultural areas. They are also found in riverbanks, fences,
reservoirs, streams and ponds.

Diet: Eat a wide range of foods such as leaves, stems, seeds, grain and fruits. They
consumed 15grams of food and 15mm of water per day.

Show up: Active at night.

Damage: Rats carry many nasty diseases which they can spread to humans, normally
through their urine like Listeria, Hantavirus, Leptospirosis or Weil's disease,
Salmonella and Toxoplasma gondii.
They can cause serious fires by gnawing away the insulation around electrical
cables, floods by puncturing pipes and even death by chewing through gas
pipes.
They damage woodwork, plastic, bricks and lead pipes, and will strip insulation
from electrical cables.

Prevention: Ensure that drain inspection covers are in a good state of repair.
Remove potential nesting sites by keeping yards and gardens clean and tidy.
Cover any household waste where rats can get access to it.
Use a bird table or feeder basket if possible.
Eliminate any harbourage points such as sealing gaps around pipes and under
sheds.

Treatment: We suggest to contact a professional pest control company because rats are
adaptable. Thus, it is difficult to control rat for the untrained individual.

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Wasp There are a number of Wasps that live in Wasps nests in the UK. They all have
complex social structures and ways of doing things. But, they all share a common aim
to survive as a species.

By Claudia

Description and Characteristics: Their waisted bodies measure between 10 to 15mm

long with yellow and black striped. They have a sweet
tooth at one end and a painful sting at the other.

Habitat: Generally, nest built by new queen end Oct (approximately) about the size of a
golf ball; queen sleeps through winter & about early spring wakes (is all
fertilised) and the nest begins - probably football size by now (tend to be in
lofts/garden sheds etc...) if left can grow to m2 possibly bigger depending on
food supply etc...)

Diet: Tend to eat other insects. They prefer sweet food.

Show up: Between may - end September (usually; a lot depends on current weather & the
previous winter)

Damage: Wasps will attack and sting if threatened but sometimes even unprovoked.
Prevention: It is difficult to prevent wasps because they are natural pest controller in your
garden that eat aphids, caterpillars and caterpillars larvae.

Treatment: Consider using professional company for safety treatment.

31

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33

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