Silverfish Call Out

I got a call to go out and deal with some silverfish today , it has been a very long time since I to eradicate this insect,in this type of industry it is funny where and when insects that you had almost forgotten about turn up.

Silverfish-what are they?

This was an insect that I used to deal with on a regular basis, they are found in older buildings, hospitals used to have a problem with them.Silverfish get their name because they move like a fish, I will never forget when I was once called out to a silverfish infestation,I could not believe it , there was loads of them and they literally were moving like a shoal of fish. Silverfish can case damage to fabrics and book bindings etc, not an insect you would want to have in a museum.

The female can lays about 50 eggs and once hatched they can live up to eight years, that is a lot of beasts.

Silverfish Solution

A residual spray treatment usually does the trick to remove the insect, however they can re-appear at a later date if the building is attached to a non treated building.

Do not worry the Silverfish will not bite you,they only eat the fabric around them.

We think we have a bedbug

The voice is usually shaky and strained as I answer the call,”we think we have bedbugs” they say, nine times out of ten they have guessed correctly. like a doctor I start questioning the poor victim,” where are  the bites, is there blood on the sheets, have you seen the bedbug?

I try to be gentle when I inform them that they have one of the worlds worst insects in their property THE BEDBUG,I then put on my detective’s  hat and begin the interrogation, “where have you been recently,where have the other occupants been,did you stay in a hotel, were you abroad, how long have you known about this etc etc”.

I inform the victim that all the bedding and clothing needs to be washed at a high temperature and bagged, all wardrobes,bookcases,shelves and  cabinets need to be emptied.Paintings, mirrors and calenders need to come down. “What” they cry, this is what is essential in treating the dreaded bedbug.

Pre bedbug treatment

The first course of action will be to treat the affected areas with a legally approved insecticide that will have a killing agent and an insect growth agent in it’s formula.This will be injected and sprayed in to the bedbug hiding spots , hopefully finding all the protective areas of this blood sucker. Insecticidal Dust will be applied to hard to get cavity s and electrical ducting points.

A second treatment will be carried out using another type of insecticide and we will check for live and dead bedbugs, again all furniture needs to be emptied prior to this follow up.

During this period the client will be keeping a diary of bedbug bites, this should be reducing as time goes by.

Finally we can carry out the last treatment with yet another insecticide, this is done to combat any resistant strain of bedbug.

Post Bedbug Treatment

A chat with a relieved client to keep them up to date and how to be on their guard for the dreaded bedbug is the best outcome that we all hope for.

Bedbug

Summer is a Pest

People  are always interested to learn about the type of pests that I deal with during the summer.The wasp calls start to come in around April, usually the nest is very small at this stage, about the size of a golf ball on average. At the end of the season they are the size of a football, this is the time of year that they can be very aggressive and are best left for a pest controller to deal with.

Wasp Pest

The wasp calls started to come in April, at this stage they are the size of a golf ball and by the end of the season they can be bigger than a football. The wasps can be aggressive at the end of the season as they are fighting for survival so keep well away.

I always get a laugh at how people try to treat wasp themselves, like blocking up the entry hole, not a good remedy as the wasps may come in to the house. One chap sprays a hair lacquer then uses a lighter, dangerous or what. Then there are those who phone me up and ask for advice , then tell me that their husband is going to try it himself.I  have a little snigger to myself when they call me back the next day and ask me to come round and deal with the wasp nest as their husband has been stung. I cannot help myself when I meet the husband by saying things like ” sore isn’t it”

Pest Maggots

The call comes in,” Help we have maggots dripping through the roof “. this usually causes pandemonium, people running out of the office never to return. The main culprit for this pest in Aberdeen is the Seagull, a dead one to be precise. Once the maggots devour the flesh of the bird they crawl off in order to find a place to pupate. Removal of the bird and a spray treatment of the building will sort this problem out.

Oh well,I hope your summer has been as interesting

Peter

Hero Rat

Animals are wonderful and intelligent creatures, during my pest control searches I came across this site HeroRat. I decide to adopt kim, they are doing a marvelous job saving peoples lives.

Rodents are very clever creatures and they will take advantage of anyway to get some food and HeroRat have used this method as their reward for training purposes.

People sometimes get the wrong impression about pest controllers thinking that they go about killing all day long , the truth is that most of the day is spent on prevention against pests entering in to your habitat.Rats are only a pest when they invade our space, I am sure that god has a purpose for them being on this earth.

Have you thought about sponsoring or adopting a rat?

Pest Control

When I carry out pest control in Aberdeen , one of the questions I am asked is”why have I got rats“ or whatever the pest may be.

Rats are intelligent creatures and they will not look a gift horse in the mouth. I am going to give to you straight, usually the customer is to blame, however it it is not deliberate on their part. They like to put out food for birds, they may also put out some water as well, this is just ideal for the rat too. Once he finds the food and water he may decide to find some shelter while he is at it.

Over the years i have found that people are installing  wooden patios etc, this has been a great place for the rodent to set up home. It is very important to remove any debris that has accumulated underneath here.

If you are doing your bit for the environment by carrying out composting, may I suggest that you have a look at the CEIH website where you can have a look at their advice on composting to deter rodents.

The Food Standards Agency Scotland has produced some good advice with regards to pest control. This is one of their production that you will find very informative. FSA

You do not need to employ the services of a pest controller , however it is advisable.

The fines involved due to pest related offences are horrendous and could damage you reputation. Pest control is not all that expensive,in relation to the running costs of a business, why don’t you call for a quote today, after all prevention is better than cure.

We will probably see more reports of rat infestations due to cutbacks, luckily here in Aberdeen we all have wheelie bins, which has helped the situation.

I suspect that this will lead to more illegal dumping in the future. here is a report form the BBC .

Try to keep your rubbish to a minimum by compacting your waste and do not leave it oust side in plastic bags as this will undoubtedly cause a rodent problem long term.

I had to laugh when I read this article from the Telegraph about ridding the island of Canna of rats. As pest controllers we are always wondering where our next job will come from, well as you will read in the link nature has a funny way of looking after us.

One of the main concerns of a customer when dealing with rodents, apart from their fear, is that they are usually worried about a smell after the rodent is deceased. I  inform them that in over twenty years of pest control, I can count on one hand the number of problems I have had to deal with.

A pest controller will check the property for any visual signs of a carcase, the majority of the time we will never see them again. Should there be a smell at a later date, we can return with a RODENT DEODORANT , which can come in a liquid or or a pre-impregnated sachet.

Anyway it is better to have the smell than the mouse or rat eating through your wires burning you out of house and home.

A hungry mouse      Killgerm©