The common black garden ant is actually brown in colour and comes into our homes and workplaces in search of food.  Any food they touch will be contaminated so shouldn’t be consumed. 

Ants are drawn to sweet foodstuffs but also protein such as meat.

They are very clever and can get into jars and other containers.  

it’s always best to call a professional pest controller such as Eradipest before dealing with ants yourself as you may accidentally create multiple colonies.

Bedbugs rely on blood for survival and are active at night, biting people while they sleep. 

Their bites are very itchy and you might find bloodstains on your pillows or bedclothes.

Chemical treatments are often required to eradicate bedbugs.  Eradipest use safe insecticides to ensure no harmful residues are left on bedding.

There are more than 200 different types of bee in the UK.   They are extremely beneficial as pollinators and pollinate around a third of everything we eat.  They are key to the ecosystem around our homes and gardens so unless there is a serious threat then we usually try and leave them alone.

Bees are not protected but they are an endangered species. We will therefore only consider eradication if all other avenues have been explored.  We can often relocate their nests, and swarms can be collected and moved.

The best way to avoid getting stung is to keep your distance around bees.  Don’t provoke them and they will happily focus on their main job, to help plants grow, breed and produce food.

There are many types of beetle in the UK, including the biscuit beetle, larder beetle and spider beetle.

The carpet beetle is a common pest and death watch beetles are wood-boring insects whose larvae can live for up to 10 years in timber, emerging as 7mm beetles. 

You can sometimes hear death watch beetles make their mating cry, a knocking sound made by tapping their head against the wood.

Plaster beetles feed on damp plaster, either when newly laid or in older properties. 

Birds can be a pest when they cause damage to property, or cause issues such as noise pollution and crop damage.  Their droppings are unsightly and may stain your property, and in the case of geese their excrement can be a health hazard.

Examples of birds which we deal with include seagulls, pigeons, sparrows and geese. 

The pecking noise made by woodpeckers can be irritating, and they can cause structural damage to sheds.

Seagulls can be a huge pest near coastlines, stealing people’s food and can drive away customers from cafes and pub gardens.

Booklice are pale brown or cream in colour and only 1-2mm long.  They love dark, warm and humid places, and not just books as their name suggests.

You might find booklice in kitchens or bathrooms, particularly if you have mould as this is what they feed on.  Leaky pipes could also be the perfect home for them, or dark cupboards and storerooms, and books or paper products.

They are most prevalent during spring and summer, so it’s best to keep rooms well ventilated and airy, to reduce humidity as much as possible.

Controlling box moth caterpillars requires vigilance and a multi-faceted approach.

Regular inspection of box plants is crucial for early detection. Removing caterpillars and eggs by hand can be effective for small infestations, while pheromone traps can help monitor and reduce moth populations.

For larger outbreaks, chemical treatments may be necessary. Professional pest control services can provide targeted solutions, including specialised treatments and ongoing monitoring, to protect prized box plants and maintain the aesthetic appeal of gardens and landscapes.

Cluster flies are similar in looks and size to a housefly but they don’t carry disease. So-called because they often gather in large clusters as they look for warmth.

They are annoying rather than dangerous because they make an irritating buzzing sound as they fly often banging into windows and doors.

Cluster flies can be problematic in the home though, even causing a fire!  Find out more in our blog below.

There are over 4,500 species of cockroaches in the world but only two are commonly found in the UK – The German cockroach which thrives in high humid temperatures, and the Oriental cockroach that prefers cooler, damp environments.

Although cockroaches have wings, they do not fly but can glide a little.

Cockroaches are troublesome as pests as they can easily spread disease and bacteria that can cause food poisoning, allergic reactions, and breathing difficulties.

They don’t smell too good either!

Fleas are tiny, jumping, bloodsucking insects that cause intense itching when they bite, for both humans and other animals.

Human fleas are not common in the UK any more but pet fleas are.

They land on our cats and dogs, and start to lay eggs on their skin. These eggs can easily fall off and end up in our carpets and furnishings before hatching in a warm environment.

It is usually difficult to see fleas due to their size but you may notice their eggs or droppings in your pet’s fur.

Flies are two-winged, six-legged, flying insects that can cause great distress and illness.

There are numerous types of flies of varying sizes, each with its own characteristics and preferred food source.

Some prefer to feast on sweet human foods, others animal faeces, and some thrive on decay and can be found on dying or diseased animals.

Each time they land, they are capable of spreading bacteria which can cause food poisoning, blood diseases, and meningitis. Others can bite, which often causes an allergic or itchy reaction.

Mice are small rodents.  There are hundreds of types of mice, but the most common in the UK is the house mouse.

They will happily live alongside humans in our homes and outbuildings as here they will find everything they need to thrive: food, shelter, and water.

Mice are destructive and dangerous as they will chew through cables and water supplies and spread disease and bacteria via their urine and droppings.

Mites are part of the arachnid family, so similar to spiders in that they have a head, body, and eight legs. They are mostly less than 1mm in size so are not usually visible with the naked eye.

There are thousands of species of mite and they can live on plant life, humans, and animals and cause great distress including skin and breathing problems. Whilst an infestation in its own right is common, it can also be a result of earlier pests such as rats and birds.

Dust mites live on bedding, carpets, upholstered furniture, carpets and curtains. They eat human and pet skin which we shed every day.

There are many species of moths but the most troublesome in the UK are clothes moths and pantry moths.

Damage due to an infestation of clothes moths is caused by the hatching larvae which will eat through natural fabrics found in clothes and carpets. The larvae are almost invisible at 1mm long, but the yellowish-brown moths can be around 7/8 mm in size.

Pantry moths are brown in colour and are slightly larger at 1cm. They thrive in kitchen store cupboards and enjoy eating living in dry goods such as flour and other baking ingredients.

Carpet moths and beetles cause damage by eating carpets.

Rabbits are medium-sized furry mammals well known for their long ears and short fluffy tails. Domestic rabbits make great pets, but wild rabbits are considered a big pest problem in the UK.

They breed easily and produce many offspring each year. They will feed on pretty much anything in your garden or farm, and particularly enjoy low-level shrubs, fruit and vegetables.

They will destroy crops and decimate food supplies that other animals rely on.

Whilst rabbits make their nests underground, hares live above the ground and are slightly bigger, using their strong legs to quickly escape danger.

Rats are medium-sized rodents easily identified by their long tail and big front teeth. Rats are a huge pest problem as they breed quickly and spread disease.

They will often invade homes, gardens, and public areas as they come looking for food, water, and somewhere to breed.

Rats can cause damage to property as they constantly gnaw and chew things to make their nests.

As they are usually nocturnal, you may hear them before you see them or find pellet-shaped droppings or chewed-up debris around the home.

80% of domestic rat infestations happen when they gain access through drains, coming from underneath the property. 

We offer drain surveys to check for rats so contact our team if you’d like to book this service.

Silverfish, known as carpet sharks or fish moths, are actually not fish at all! 

They are long, wingless insects with tiny legs and long antennae and are named due to their fish-like movements.

They thrive in damp areas with poor ventilation and humidity so infestation may well start in bathrooms, kitchens, lofts, and basements.

They feed on and destroy dried food, old books, photos, wallcoverings, and damp clothing.

There are thousands of varieties of spiders worldwide and these creatures cause one of the biggest phobias known to man – arachnophobia! These eight-legged arachnids, can be so small you can barely see them, or much larger with the biggest on record measuring 28cm (thankfully not in this country).

They enter the house through small cracks and may build their webs in lofts, garden outbuildings, and other secluded places.

Most spiders in the UK are harmless, but if you start to notice a large quantity in one area of your home, you may have an infestation that needs to be removed. Similarly, if you are becoming distressed or spot the venomous false widow spider, treatment will be needed. The false widow, a cousin of the black widow, can be identified by its huge orangy-brown abdomen with distinctive cream markings.

Squirrels are small mammals most commonly spotted in vast numbers in woodlands of the UK. With their cute little hands, puffy cheeks, and bushy tails, most of us love to watch them running along tree branches in woodlands.

However, if they decide to build nests in your garden or home, they can become problematic.

They will strip bark from trees, rip up bulbs and new plants, and eat birds’ eggs from your garden.

In your home, they will eat through cables, gnaw on woodwork, and can cause damage to your domestic water supply.

Wasps are a common pest, both for UK homes and businesses. This black and yellow flying insect can be a huge nuisance, inflicting a painful sting to humans and animals if provoked.

The queen will lay a nest in warm enclosed areas such as trees, bushes, sheds, lofts, and under eaves or gaps in brickwork.

You will probably suspect a wasp nest before you see it, as you will notice lots of wasp activity as they fly in and out. The nest itself is a pretty grey, delicate cylindrical shape.

Wasp nests don’t always need to be removed unless they are causing a problem to your safety or business.

Woodworm damage is caused by tiny beetles and their larvae, most commonly the deathwatch, furniture, longhorn, and powderpost beetles.

If the beetles enter your home to lay their eggs, the hatching larvae will eat away at the wood in your furniture, floorboards, lofts, and joints.

You may notice tiny boreholes and piles of dust. If left untreated they can cause significant damage structurally and cosmetically. However, they can be destroyed professionally once identified.