Ants
Workers are 3-4mm long, queen is 10mm long. Both brown/black in colour. Usually nest in lawns, flower beds, beneath paving stones and at the base of walls. They move indoors when foraging for food, particulary sweet foods. Ants mate during the summer and a new colony starts in the spring.
Apply ant powder directly to the nest if it can be traced. If not use a spray to treat outside the building. Be sure to treat door frames, air bricks and waste pipes to provide a barrier.
Cockroaches
Dark reddish brown in colour, 25mm long. They live in moist areas. Commonly found in basements, boiler houses, dustbin areas, cellars and walkways. Adult cockroachese live up to 1 years, during which time the femail produces approximately 150 young. THey will feed on starchy foods where possible.
Use insecticidal gels and residual insecticides where appropriate. Monitoring traps can be helpful to determine the full extent of the infestation.
Fleas
2-3mm long, shiny brown colour. Eggs are laid in the fur or feathers of the host, or its nest or bedding. 4-8 eggs are laid after each blood meal - 800-1000 eggs laid during an adult lifetime. The larvae thrive in dark, humid places and feed on organic debris and adult flea excrement.
Vacuum any fllors, upholstered furniture etc to remove animal hairs, flea eggs and pupae. Wash pet bedding or destroy it. Treat cats & dogs with insecticide recommended for this purpose. All floor areas should then be treated with a residual insecticide.
Flies - Common House Fly
6mm long with a 13-15mm wingspan. Eggs are laid in decaying material e.g rubbish dumps and manure heaps.
Remove and exclude breeding sites. Electric fly killers are effective once the fly enters the premises.
Flies - Lesser House Fly
6mm long with 12mm wingspan. They have a grey thorax with 3 longitudinal stripes. Like to fly around indoor light fittings. Eggs hatch in 24-48 hours and larvae develope in 8 days. From egg to adult takes about 3 weeks.
Spray surfaces with residual insecticde and maintain good hygiene.
Flies - Fruit Fly
About 3mm in length, usually light yellow in colour with red eyes. Eggs are laid on the surface of rotting fruit and soured milk. Commonly found in pubs and commercial kitchens.
Use residual insecticide for adult flies and maintain good housekeeping.
Wasps
10-20mm long with distinctive bright yellow and black banding. 2 pairs of wings are also present. The queen emerges from hibernation in mid-April, constructs 10-20 chambers and lays eggs in each one. Sterile femail workers hatch and by late summer the colony reaches 30,000-30,000 individuals. Males and new queens are produced in late summer.
Proof doors, windows and openings with screens and curtains. Use residual insecticide on the nest. Use ultra violet fly killers in corridors and near entrances. Use fogging or misting treatment if large numbers of wasps are present. |
