Whether it's bed bugs or cockroaches, rodents or wasps, pest infestations can stop us using our homes and commercial property in the ways that we really want and need to — causing a headache we could do without.
Here, SoGlos rounds up nine effective treatments offered by The Pest People, Cheltenham Borough Council's pest control service, to deal with all manner of pests, from one-off treatments to more in depth, tailored management programmes.
Ants
Though not a hazard to human health, ants can become a nuisance when they invade your property, inside or out. Known to nest in a variety of places including walls and floors, they are attracted to a range of foods, particularly sweet substances.
The Pest People uses insecticides to control ants, with costs starting at £85 for one treatment. It also suggests that owners block up any access holes into the property to help keep them out.
Moths, beetles and other insects
Potentially causing costly damage munching their way through upholstery, clothing and carpets, insects such as moths, beetles and woodlice will enter properties through easy access points in search of food, water and shelter. Woodlice infestations are often caused by issues with damp, which The Pest People recommends solving alongside treatment.
Solutions depend on the type of insect; some moths and beetles are dealt with using insecticides; other types of moth require a plastic trap; and woodlice are dealt with using diatomaceous earth, a fossilised coral powder which is used to dehydrate insects.
Prices range from £35 for one treatment for beetles and booklice to £150 for carpet beetles and moths.
Bed bugs
Not letting them bite is easier said than done — with bed bugs known to feed on warm-blooded animals, including humans as they sleep. Tell-tale signs are red spots on your skin where they've bitten you, along with black dots on your bed from their droppings.
One of the hardest pest infestations to deal with if not caught early, bed bugs can make their way into homes by being transported on clothes and luggage from other infested areas. Ways to prevent infestation include inspecting matrasses and furniture; washing clothes and bedding regularly; and keeping a tidy bedroom to limit the places they have to hide.
Prices start at £375 for one treatment from The Pest People, which involves using insecticides on cracks and crevices along with diatomaceous earth and traps. The worst-case scenario for severe infestations involves intensely heating whole buildings for short periods.
Fleas
Although most associated with cats and dogs in the home, fleas are also known to feed on a range of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
The Pest People says that for every flea seen around the home, there could be many more in various stages of development, with not every stage able to be treated with over-the-counter flea spays.
Professional treatment is recommended with prices starting at £95 for one to three rooms. Officers will carry out a thorough inspection to identify the source and severity of the infestation and treat the affected areas with a residual insecticide. Owners must also treat their host animals with a suitable veterinary-approved flea treatment.
Cockroaches
Surprisingly common and extremely secretive, severe infestations of cockroaches can go unnoticed for quite some time. Known to visit drains and sewers often, they eat anything that has nutritional value including excrement, the remains of dead animals and refuse, so can spread disease easily.
Notoriously difficult to get rid of, cockroaches are good at hiding in cracks and crevices and reproduce at an incredible rate. A combination of methods is used to treat infestations, including yeast-baited traps and a poisonous gel which one cockroach will eat, causing a domino effect with others becoming poisoned from eating the infected cockroach.
Flies
Though harmless and not carrying diseases that pose a threat to humans, cluster flies can become a nuisance in the home. They will seek out warm places to hibernate during the winter months, such as roof spaces and lofts, window frames and sashes.
Treatments include using industrial fog in loft spaces and insecticides on window frames. Prices start at £95 for one treatment with The Pest People.
Rats and mice
Rats and mice can spread diseases and cause expensive damage to things like furniture and wiring — which can lead to far more serious problems, such as house fires. Known to breed very quickly, it's recommended to take action as soon as you see evidence, including damage to things like food containers and trails of droppings and urine.
Treatment from The Pest People includes surveying the property to identify entry points and safely laying poisoned bait and traps. Prices start at £165 with problems usually resolved within three visits, but there are also annual contract options available for those with persistent problems.
Squirrels
Known to build nests in roof spaces in houses, squirrels — which are often heard scurrying about at night — can be quite destructive of property.
Treatment from The Pest People involves using traps which are checked daily, starting from £245. Property owners should also arrange for any access holes to be repaired afterwards.
Wasps
Dealing out painful stings if you get too close, wasps are known to establish huge colonies in manmade structures in the spring, led by a queen which makes a nest from a paper-like substance made of a combination of wood and saliva. The nest continuously grows throughout the summer and by the end of the season, as many as 10,000 wasps can come from a single nest.
The Pest People deals with wasps by destroying the queen and the colony with insecticides — the nest will not be removed and will not be recolonised. Prices start at £65 for one treatment.
Prices for all treatments from The Pest People vary depending on the scale of the problem and may only result in a £35 call out charge if no evidence of pests is found.
If you need help dealing with pests at your property in Cheltenham or the surrounding areas, contact The Pest People for a quote by calling 01242 264310, or visit pestpeople.co.uk for more information.
