The grey squirrel was first introduced to the UK from North America in 1876. They were seen as ornamental species for the home until the damage they caused was recognised in the 1940s and were banned from being released into the wild. The rapid increase of the grey squirrel has pushed out the red squirrels for a number of reasons. When the grey squirrel is introduced to the territory of the red squirrel, it becomes nearly impossible for the red squirrel to survive due to the grey squirrel feeding off from a wider variety of food to survive and depriving its rival relative from resources.

They damage trees by stripping the bark at the bottom of the trees and cause extended damage to the wild forest and our environment. They cause extended potential damage to your home, and health, destruction to the forest life and impact on native wildlife, especially the red squirrel. In 2018, The Guardian shared a study revealing grey squirrels stealing million pounds of bird seed a year. The so-called ‘cute invaders’ are also known for feeding on birds’ nests for eggs and chicks.

Author:

Prime Pest Control Team

Sustainable repellent plants in the UK

Insects in general are necessary for the ecosystem but when the weather starts to warm up you may find they settle into your garden and create havoc. Some insects are considered pests and you may be looking for ways to maintain the beauty of your outdoor space by repelling them from your personal space.

Below are some of the most preferred, in the UK, natural repellents you can use.

Mint leaves are natural repellents that will keep spiders and ants away from your other plants. Mint plants multiply and spread very quickly, so it’s advised to place leaves or pots of mint strategically around your garden instead of planting them. Unless of course you like to enjoy refreshment drinks and add them to your summer drinks often and wouldn’t mind maintaining your plant from spreading around quickly.

Lavender is from the mint family and does a great job for repelling spiders, bugs and flies. Lavender thrives in the sun and they love the spring and summer seasons. Why not have a few lavender pots in your garden and you can even dry them and take them inside your home for a soft soothing scent.

Citronella grass is great to have around the seating area to keep mosquitoes away. Lemongrass also belongs to the same family, and the natural oils are used in most of the candles for repelling unwanted bugs.

Rosemary adds amazing flavour to dishes as well as repelling bugs from your garden and protecting other plants in your outdoor space. You can place rosemary in pots near other plants to prevent bugs and insects from being attracted to your garden for a snack.

Garden and outdoor space provides a peaceful and a great way to indulge in nature, relax and create the ambience for you, your family and loved ones. We hope this article was useful in providing you with some information on natural plants you can use for your outdoor space to repel unwanted insects and bugs. Please feel free to contact our team of experts for more advice and information.

Author:

Prime Pest Control Team

Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness

The bed bug problem could be complex and indeed influence our relationships and various activities in everyday life. The reality is that it is sometimes a flatmate or a family member that has unknowingly introduced the insect, suddenly affecting the other people living in the property. One thing is for sure – bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness. Our technicians try to joke sometimes, saying that “bed bugs do not discriminate”, knowing from experience that the bloodsuckers would take any chance to get a bite or free transport. It is actually true that bed bugs do not choose their hosts when ‘hitchhiking’ luggage, clothes or furniture, hence nobody should be ashamed or feel embarrassed because of the problem. 

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director of

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control

How are we keeping the public and our technicians safe

In our company, we pay meticulous attention to the smallest detail, especially where it concerns health and safety. One of our top priorities as professionals is to eliminate or reduce all work-related risks, whilst continually working to improve pest control success rates and efficacy. We take extra precautions in terms of personal protective equipment (PPE), wearing our gear before we enter the property, maintaining social distancing of at least 2 meters, safely disposing of all used PPE when our tasks are completed. The technicians issue a detailed generic and specific risk assessment after each survey, before commencing any treatment, bearing in mind that they will be unable to work further in case of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case within 72 hours of their visit onsite. We constantly monitor the health and well-being of our technicians, ensuring that they keep abreast of the latest updates on the all social and environmental concerns and issues. We conduct regular training of our technicians to equip them with the know-how to educate and handle every customer and treatment with the utmost care and diligence.

Many thanks to every individual who are working hard everyday to contribute to our society and care for our community. We are also grateful to our association – the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), for supporting the industry and the nation’s professional pest controllers in many ways than one. We wish to recognise their special efforts for lobbying our Government’s recognition of pest management work as a critical industry amid this pandemic and global crisis.

Author:

Prime Pest Control

Bed bugs travel with our luggage in nearly all cases of introduction

However, in more than ninety percent of cases bed bugs spread with luggage. The little bloodsuckers have an uncanny knack of hitching a lift in suitcases, handbags and lap-top cases.

Once introduced into your property, the bugs conceal themselves in the smallest of cracks and crevices and await a chance to feed. They detect human presence by our carbon dioxide emissions, odour and body heat. They will follow us anywhere in the property to get a bite and typically do not hibernate in the presence of people, quite the opposite, they do not seem to be the slightest bit shy. Another interesting fact that should be considered is that twenty percent of all people do not react to bed bug bites so infestations can go unnoticed for some time.

Since bed bugs travel most frequently in our luggage let us look at typical scenarios in regard to their introduction:

- The most common cause that we uncover is bed bug infestations after recent travel, often abroad.

- Following this is the popular occurrence of bed bugs introduced after a stay at commercial premises or shared accommodation, such as hotels and hostels.

- We have sometimes found bed bugs transferred from schools, homes for the elderly, offices, from the lockers at work, and public transport including planes, trains and buses.

How do bed bugs recognise our luggage and how to reduce the risk

The species has evolved significantly in the last century, bed bugs have seemingly adapted to modern life and seem to be able to recognise our luggage by the human odour. Also, since our luggage does not release heat or carbon dioxide, the bugs to choose our personal belongings as a means of transport, not as a permanent home. Very rarely do they travel on our clothes, as they sense that we are awake or moving, so try to avoid our awake state and instead get into our luggage. Our advice is to travel with properly sealed or zipped piece of luggage. Once you return back home from a trip, inspect visually the suitcase or shake the travel bag on a surface where you could potentially spot the hitchhikers falling off the luggage.

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director of

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control

Edited by:

Peter M. Cherry

BSc. (Hons) Biology

Director. Pests Birds and Bugs Ltd.

The professional pesticides in general are more toxic to the pests, compared to the toxicity of commercial products. Their efficiency is greater due to the level of toxicity but also the active ingredients are different. Professional-use-only actives achieve a quicker knockdown effect, while preventing reproduction, eggs hatching and moulting with insect growth regulators (IGRs). The professional equipment in combination with those advanced insecticides in the hands of an experienced and thorough technician is by far superior in comparison to the DIY methods. The application process is much more thorough, the residual effect and the longevity of the professional actives are greater.

With bed bugs, for example, in the majority of cases the commercial bed bug sprays and smoke bombs result in spreading this evolved insect throughout the property. Do-it-yourself methods and products encourage bed bugs to hide deeply in difficult to reach places, where there is not enough residue to completely poison them. Generally speaking, even the most efficient active ingredients applied through residual spray work slowly over time. In bed bug cases, the waiting period in-between professional treatments is usually 2-3 weeks, while the insects are getting slowly poisoned through their nervous system, after getting in contact with the residue. There are products that may work instantly when you spray directly on some pest insects, but others like bed bugs have evolved mechanisms to persist active ingredients or evade the treatment, hidden deeply in a crack or crevice.

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control

Unqualified pest control

Prime Pest Control London

This article is written from the position of a company which recognises the importance having a professional approach in the control, eradication and prevention of pests from the very first point of contact with our customers to the post-treatment feedback that we always seek to ensure the treatment has been successful and the customer is satisfied with our services. We are accredited by the BPCA, the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA), CHAS safe contractor scheme in the UK and the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA). During the years of experience in the pest control industry, we have seen cases of customers, who have suffered the consequences of improper use of insecticides in cases of pregnancy and allergy.

Incorrect approach to treatments, which had led to complication of the infestation and unnecessary additional costs, as well as overpriced and often failing treatments. This is why we would encourage everyone, who is on the hunt for a pest controller, to do their research first and ask questions regarding the treatment and the service. This would not only save you money but it will guarantee you that the service you pay for is reliable, safe and does not cause any harm to the wildlife and the environment.

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control

A rare sighting of the ‘cow killer’ wasp in the UK

We are very excited as the most recent sighting of the wasp has been reported by one of our website users! Being unable to identify the female wasp, which was crawling undisturbed in the garden of her residential property in Waterloo, Liverpool. Unfortunately, she could not take an image of the wasp, but the sighting was very real, judging by the detailed description provided. She thought it is the most unusual ant she had ever seen and we cannot blame her. For everyone’s relief, this amazing creature was not aggressive and nobody got hurt as we had to cover our eyes when watching the agonising video of Coyote Peterson, a brave lad who didn’t mind getting stung by the ‘cute’ wasp in the name of science.

The female ‘velvet ant’ is wingless, unlike the male, and only the female is armed with an inch-long stinger, which serves as egg-laying organ, called the ovipositor. They are also parasitoids, as the mated female usually digs into a bee or wasp nest on the ground level to lay the eggs on or near the larva of the insect host. The newly hatched ‘velvet ant’ larvae will feed on the bee or wasp larvae, eventually killing them. The adult ‘cow killer wasp’ feeds on nectar and is attracted by flowers and plants.

An interesting fact is that when being threatened, ‘velvet ants’ produce a squeaking noise with different sections of their abdomen, by moving them in and out. As well, they release smelly chemicals to discourage any potential predators by manipulating their behaviour. These sophisticated predatory wasps are very powerful and agile, armoured by an exoskeleton so tough, that it is almost impossible to crush them. Very often they escape from the jaws of much bigger predators and survive.

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control

References:

Richa Malhotra, BBC Earth (2015). ‘Superpowers of the near invincible velvet ant’.

Jody Green, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, US. ‘Velvet ant (cow killer ant)’.

Mark Macaskill, The Sunday Times, UK (2017). ‘Cow killer wasp causing a buzz’.

Bed bug bites or a carpet beetle rash?

Most importantly though, the hair or bristles of the larva’s abdomen and the traces of the insect’s blood are causing an allergic reaction to people, resulting in a rash that resembles bed bug bites. The contact with our skin may produce a mild reaction or severe rash and it is very difficult to determine what is causing the bites or the rash, by just the looks of it. The rash will fade away quicker if you do not scratch it, as well as the bed bug bites. In any case, you should consult with your general practitioner or skin doctor if you receive such a rash or allergic reaction to insect bites.

Our technicians are often called out to treat a bed bug infestation, without any obvious signs or evidence of bed bug infestation, apart from the bites received by the customer. Interestingly enough, in nearly all of the cases where it is not a bed bug infestation we encounter carpet beetles instead, or sometimes both pests. The adult carpet beetle usually finds entry points to access the property or just fly in through an opened window or door, unlike bed bugs that are being introduced with infested luggage or furniture. The adult beetle feeds on pollen so any plants and flowers may attract them. They may lay more than a hundred eggs at a time and they usually hatch into larvae within 7 to 35 days after being deposited.  The larva of the carpet beetle is the troublemaker as it feeds preferably on natural fabrics, especially leather, wool, feathers, fur and other fabric materials or animal products.

Bed bug and carpet beetle control

In all carpet beetle and bed bug cases, we advise our customers to remove and check any storage underneath the beds or drawers in the bed frames. Look through your clothes in the closet or the wardrobe and apply 60C degree wash, if applicable. Any delicate fabrics and clothes could be thoroughly checked and shaken outside the property or through the window, tumble dried or dry cleaned. The most common signs of the both carpet beetle and bed bug infestation are signs of black spots on wood or fabrics, which are the droppings and also shed skins. The carpet beetle larvae may survive long periods without feeding and it may crawl around the property, looking for a food source. The larvae can actually bite, as they eat up fabrics and may leave holes in your clothes, damage furniture, carpets and other fabrics. They can also feed on dead insects and skin, so it is a good idea to clean very thoroughly and inspect all areas around the skirtings, behind furniture, under the bed, mattresses, headboards and bed frames in general.

If the problem persists, then maybe you should seek professional help. Prime Pest Control London provide very thorough inspections and individual risk assessments, providing the most adequate advice on the spot. The treatment is undertaken on the same visit, applying usually heat and professional use only insecticide, as well as proofing of the whole property, which is the general best practice for preventing future infestations. More information about carpet beetles, bed bugs and ways to control them you can find on the other pages on our website.

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control

Super-heated dry steam treatment

Steam treatments are another popular and often requested method for pest control, treatment and prevention in domestic and commercial premises. Using super-heated dry steam to treat affected areas not only rids you of the pest infestation that you might have but it also sanitises the surfaces and eradicates organisms such as dust mites, which can have a very negative impact on people suffering from asthma. The steam treatment, similarly to the heat treatment, works on all life stages of the pests treated. The difference between the two treatments, however, is that the steam treatment is applied in targeted areas, while the heat treatment can be done in a whole room, affecting everything inside. Another difference is that the dry steam with some professional devices is heated up to 180 Celsius, while a heat treatment with hot air works at around 50-60 Celsius degrees. Typical pest infestations that can be easily eradicated with a steam treatment are beg bugs, fleas, carpet beetles, carpet mites, etc…

Biological pest control

Apart from the standard and popular methods for pest control and extermination, there has recently been an increase in the number of cases when predator pests are used to eradicate another pest. Using a predator pest is a biological form of control, which allows for a chemical-free and ecologically-friendly infestation eradication. It is very common in the agricultural industry, where some of the predator pests used are Argentine ants, falcons, bats, etc… Controlled biological pest control allows for 100% human and eco-friendly pest control, which delivers results and does not impact on the human health, the nature or the quality of the produce protected.

For advice on what pest control treatment options would suit you best or more information about our treatments, contact our friendly customer care team today. Prime Pest Control is a fully insured pest control company, which provides pest control services in London and the surrounding counties. We are proud members of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA), the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA), CHAS safe contractor scheme in the UK and Basis PROMPT professional pest register in the UK.

Author:

Blago Manov

Managing Director

Bed Bug Hunters & Prime Pest Control