Recent Work : Carpet Moths, Death Watch Beetle, Drones and more

We’ve attended some really interesting jobs recently, implementing solutions for rodents, birds and insects and more in domestic and business properties across the south.

Carpet Moths

This photo was taken on a recent job showing the damage that carpet moths can make. The larvae of carpet moths look somewhat like maggots and females will deposit their eggs in quiet, dark and warm spaces.

A beige carpet with damage caused by carpet beetles. There are some white egg cases which look like grains of rice scattered on the floor.

The telltale signs are the small white cases, which look like grains of rice, and are left behind when the eggs hatch.

Cluster Flies

Tim dealt with some cluster flies at a property which enter through gaps and holes in the fabric of buildings. In this picture, they gained entry through a damaged window vent which we repaired to prevent it happening again.

We applied a treatment to eradicate carpet moths and carpet beetles to stop them causing further damage to soft furnishings.

Ladybirds Hibernating

Tim took this interesting image of ladybirds hibernating a few months ago. These beneficial insects have found a way in through a small gap between the ceiling and the window frame. They will stay in out of the cold weather until the spring.

A wall and skirting board with a cluster of ladybirds which are hibernating.

Drone Survey Service

We can now offer drone surveys and can check out a property from all angles much quicker than needing to use ladders or scaffolding to gain access to the roof areas.

Our drone can conduct a survey to check all the nooks and crannies as there’s so many things that can’t be seen from ground level.

Issues it can identify include

Slipped and broken roof tiles
Roof damage
Blocked gutters
Chewed lead flashing and gulleys
Wasp nests
Damaged pointing on the chimney
Rodent and bird entry points under tiles and behind fascia boards
Roof leaks

Drone operator Kieran successfully used it for a job where birds were pecking at felt and squirrels were scratching a thatched roof.

Rodent Proofing

Tim conducted rodent proofing at a property where the customer had heard noises in the wall cavities and ceilings. Rats were getting in under the concrete foundations, so Tim dug down and installed a concrete plinth below ground level on two sides of the house.

He then made good and left it looking neat and tidy.

Bird Proofing

Luke is one of our bird proofing experts and he recently installed measures on a roof to prevent seagulls gathering and causing a mess.

A pest controller wearing high vis trousers fitting netting on a roof to prevent birds gathering.

A ridge of a roof with netting attached to prevent birds causing a mess.

He installed wires ready for netting to be attached. He also fitted posts and wire on the ridge to stop birds walking along it, just some of the bird proofing measures we can utilise – you can find out more here.

Death Watch Beetle and Wood Boring Beetle

Chris was at a really old property in Aprl, it is around 450-500 years old, and the owners had arranged for the render to be removed from external walls due to damp issues. Having exposed the timber structure it was apparent that there had been a major wood boring beetle infestation.

A 500 year old house with render removed, exposing wooden beams which are infested with wood boring beetles.

Close up of a wooden beam which is infested with wood boring beetles.

In this case it’s the death watch beetle which has made its way into the hard wood timbers and caused widespread damage. The holes are 3mm in diameter which is typical for a death watch beetle, and Chris also spotted smaller holes which would have been caused by the common furniture beetle.

The damage had caused the wood to become extremely soft, and there was also evidence of dry rot, causing severe damage to the beams.

Close up of a wooden beam with holes caused by death watch beetles.

As the beetles are still active, as well as the mould and damp, Chris carried out a combined treatment to address all the issues, to eradicate the beetles and also treat the rot. Once the treatment has completed, a carpenter will need to add new timber to make it structurally sound.