I recovered my senses and snapped the taps shut. I went to pull out the plug but was left cursing the lack of a chain as I grappled amongst the corpses trying to release the stubborn little rubber bung.

With the bath finally drained I checked the taps in the kitchen. The water there also had six legs, wings and eyes! I gave up on the idea of a bath and also decided against making a cup of tea. Instead I sat in front of the fire and tried to figure things out. Had I insulted a local wizard, was I now under a horrible curse and doomed to be plagued by flies for the rest of my life?

Given that I lived near Glastonbury in Somerset it was possible I’d insulted a wizard but I dismissed the new age curse nonsense and instead applied cold logic to the situation. The water came from the small loft space in the cottage roof where the header tank was. Perhaps there was a dead bird in the tank and it had attracted flies. Reluctantly, I squeezed myself into the tiny roof space to investigate.

Time for another horror moment. This time it came as I realised that the gritty stuff coating the loft floor, the dirt I was now laying on, was a carpet of dead flies. I ejected myself from the loft opening, kicking the step ladder away, and crashed down into the hallway in a fly strewn heap.

I reasoned that flies in that quantity, dead or alive, were best left in the hands of a professional fly person. Although not literally, hopefully. A few hours later a pest control expert arrived and quickly passed judgment on the nature of my plague.

“Cluster flies,” he barked as he crunched around above, having somehow squeezed his considerable bulk into the roof space.

“They’ve probably over-wintered up here and became active when the weather got warmer. The lid’s off your water tank and a lot of them have decided to go swimming! You’ll have to flush this tank, it’s thick with them!”

Great. I’ve spent winter with a new baby in tiny country cottage, along with a million flies. Now my water system is infested with their bodies. Yuk! More importantly though, can this man wipe these pests from the face of my cottage and ensure they never darken my roof space again?

“I’ll have to set off some smoke generators, they’re like candles that produce clouds of smoke and kill all the flies,” replied the expert.

Yes, launch the attack! Exterminate! Exterminate! I was in no mood for mercy.

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to stay here for a couple of days, sir,” he said, as he clambered back in to the hallway and dusted a few hundred flies off onto the carpet. “Especially what with the baby, the smoke wouldn’t be good for the baby.”

What? Now I was being driven from my home by a swarm of cluster flies and a man with a broad west country accent and some weapons of mass destruction.

Cluster flies like to overwinter in a place that’s relatively warm. They will often buzz around in your conservatory, leading you to wonder what on earth these pesky flies are doing bothering you in mid-winter! They don’t need bait such as a dead pigeon to congregate, just a convenient shelter they can get access to. They don’t lay eggs in your rafters, they do that in earthworms! But if you get an infestation it’s really not pleasant and your best option to get it sorted is calling in a professional.

“Oh, and best warn the fire brigade,” said the flied-piper. “They might get some calls once people see smoke coming out of your roof, especially with this place being so high up on the hill.”

I went and spoke to the fireman on the phone, spending rather longer than I’d hoped explaining that I didn’t mean it like that when I said the smoke from the roof would be deliberate!

Two days later, after the smoke bombing run, I returned to the scene of the plague. The man had done his job, he had killed all the flies. However his brief apparently didn’t include cleaning up the corpses and that dreadful task had fallen to me.

And I’m not even going to try to describe what sound a bin-bag full of dead flies makes…

Written by Glenn Le Santo,  social media guru and  live event reporter.

Flies aloft is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Tsetse Flies

While a bug bite here in the States will seldom do more then leave you irritated and scratching at it, bug bites abroad can be serious business. Dengue fever, malaria, or sleeping sickness—which are potentially life threatening illnesses—are just a few of the horrifying possibilities, and all of them are transmitted by insect bites.

Your first line of defense is to avoid areas where the bugs are prevalent. If that fails, keep covered and wear plenty of bug spray. A compound of 50% DEET is preferred. Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants instead of shorts, boots instead of sandals or open-toed shoes, and tuck your pants into your socks to protect your ankles, a favorite spot for mosquitoes.

In areas prone to ticks, like grasslands and treed areas, keep your hair covered as well and inspect for ticks regularly. If you are sleeping in the open or in an unventilated area, you need to use a mosquito net around your sleeping area to protect yourself through the night.

Tsetse flies are attracted to airborne dirt, so if you’re riding in an open car, it’s preferable to sit up front to avoid them. You’ll want to wear light-colored clothing and avoid yellow, the color reminds many arthropods of the food they eat and might attract them to you. Finally, there are medications that can protect you from some of these illnesses, so check with your physician well in advance of traveling.

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are a problem at hotels and hostels around the world. In order to avoid bringing the six-legged hitchhikers home with you, do a visual inspection of your room upon entering. Look at the bedding, pull back the sheets and check the mattress for critters, and check floors. They are keen on carpeted and soft areas, like your luggage, so DO NOT set your suitcases down on beds or floors. Instead, upon entering your room, it’s best to put them up high on a shelf or in a tiled bathroom where bedbugs are unlikely to be until you are sure that the room is clear of pests.

If you do run across bedbugs, you’ll need to deep clean every piece of fabric before you bring it back into your home to avoid an infestation.

Outdoor Adventure Safety

When experiencing the great outdoors through activities like hiking, mountain climbing, and horseback riding, make certain to follow the above outlined tips for keeping safe from biting insects. However, you’ll also want to take further precautions if you know you will be outdoors in pest-stricken areas.

Many areas of the world are home to particularly dangerous ants, wasps, hornets, spiders, and other nasty, nest-y pests that you’ll want to make certain not to disturb. If hiking at night, you’ll want to stay aware of your surroundings and utilize a durable, long-lasting light source (I like the flashlights from 5.11 Tactical to make sure you can see where you are stepping. Stay on well-traveled trails where they are less likely to nest.

During the day, keep your vision keen on the trails. Sunglasses are recommended for blocking out the sun’s glare and allowing you to clearly see any potential pests in your surroundings. Before setting up a tent, make certain to thoroughly inspect potential campsites for anthills and nests. Also, many of these critters build nests under the cover of vegetation so steer clear of dense growths.

Finally, if you’ll be hiking through areas of stagnant water, you’ll want to keep yourself protected from leeches and other pests by wearing hiking boots that fully cover your ankles.

Water-Born Illnesses

If you are traveling to an area that has poor sanitation, you need to beware of the dreaded Traveler’s Diarrhea, which is caused by exposure to unclean drinking water. Your best defense is to not drink the water, not ever, if you are unsure whether it’s sanitary. Simply stick to bottled water, sodas, drinks that have been boiled—like tea, coffee, wine, or beer.

It’s easy for contaminated drinking water to sneak past an unwary traveler, so remain vigilant. Something as inconsequential seeming as brushing one’s teeth or drinking a soda that has water droplets on it from melted ice can be enough to make you sick. Also, when in doubt, leave it alone. If you don’t see something opened in front of you, refuse to drink it. Make certain that you carry your own liquids with you so that you always have access to safe, clean water.

Adria Saracino is a blogger, marketer, and hiking enthusiast. She often writes for  5.11 Tactical, which sells everything from polarized sunglasses to hiking gear. When not exploring the great outdoors, you can find her writing about style at her personal fashion blog, The Emerald Closet.

Avoid Foreign Pests While Traveling is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Recently, when sat aboard my boat tied up in a town centre marina, I watched evening revellers enjoying their drinks on the boardwalk blissfully unaware of rats crawling inches below their feet. As people sat sipping gin in the fading evening light, brown rats were scampering along the edge of the dock just inches from their feet. The rats were out of sight and out of mind for the drinkers but my vantage point on the water revealed just how close these animals can be to us. There will be many other places where you’ll be indadvertedly cozying up with rattus norvegicus. Factories, rivers, canals, farms and of course the city streets are all favourite rat habitats. In urban areas rats are gifted an abundant food supply in the form of our litter and sewage and they thrive on that generosity. On farms rats can be a major pest; eating, destroying and contaminating grain, seed and produce. Some statistics even claim that rats chomp their way through as much as one fifth of the world’s food supply!

Rat droppings even get into food. But don’t worry, in the US at least, legal limits are set on the amount of rat poo permissible in foodstuffs! Some cultures turn the tables on the rat and bite back. Barbecued rats are on the menu in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. As the saying goes (sort of); if you can’t beat them, eat them!

I’ve had the displeasure of rats in my home although, I hasten to add, not on a dinner plate! During refurbishments to a bathroom our builder failed to properly block up a gap where the drain pipe exits the wall. A couple of rats soon exploited the hole, which only needs to be as big as their skull to allow them to squeeze in. Following their noses in search of all the food they could no doubt smell inside our home, the pair got into our house and under the bathroom floor. One subsequently found its way into our kitchen, probably through the wall cavity and began rummaging noisily for food. This proved to be a foolish move as my partner, enraged by the sight of a rat in our kitchen, soon cornered and killed it with a swift blow to its head with a broom! Its partner must have heard the commotion and died of fright for it never emerged from under the bathroom – that is not until we were forced to disconnect the plumbing, move the bath and lift up the floor to rid ourselves of the very smelly rotting rat carcass. The moral of this story is to make sure you don’t leave routes for rats to enter your home as the consequences of an infestation could be very ugly.

We called in a rat catcher who came with that most traditional of rat catching tools – a Jack Russell hound! This little mutt soon tracked the rats back to a large and well established nest under the garden shed. Acting upon the intel garnered from his faithful hound, the rat catcher man laid poison and the rats were never seen again.

Rats don’t just eat what we think of as food. They can chew their way through all manner of things, many of them expensive to replace or even dangerous. Rats chomping electrical cabling could cause fires or even electrical shock when the insulation is bitten away. Rats can munch through wood and it is said that they can even work their way through copper and aluminium. Estimates put global damage to property by rats at a staggering $19 billion, illustrating just how serious a problem this prodigious little rodent has become. Although rats keep themselves very clean, they are implicated in the carrying and spread of disease – most famously they were hosts to the fleas that spread the Black Death, bubonic plague

Controlling rat numbers is difficult. They breed extremely prolifically, one pair can multiply into 200 individuals within a year and they will think nothing of indulging in incest to help keep numbers up. Their propensity to breed would mean nothing though without a food supply as baby rats can only grow up and breed their own families if they’ve got plenty to eat. Rats are opportunists and we can’t blame them for being so prolific when it is us that constantly gifts them such great opportunities to survive and thrive.

As well as ensuring rats can’t get into your house you should take steps outside to discourage them. Don’t leave open bins or unprotected bin bags around. Keep your drains clean, have them rodded regularly to stop any rat attracting waste building up inside them. If you suspect you have a rat problem seek professional advice quickly otherwise you’ll be giving them a chance to reproduce rapidly and even damage your property.

Written by Glenn Le Santo,  social media guru and  live event reporter.

The Rats Are Never Far Away is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

What are Silverfish?

Silverfish have flat elongated bodies about a third to three quarters of an inch in length. They’re unable to fly due to their lack of wings but compensate for this by being able to move incredibly quickly. They’re also nocturnal so you’re unlikely to sight them during the day.

You may be unsure as to why they really enjoy loitering in your bathroom, why don’t they watch TV in the living room or nestle in the voluptuous folds of your bedding? The fact is they love damp conditions, so your bathroom is the perfect habitat for them (particularly if you enjoy long soaks on a regular basis).

Preventing Silverfish Appearing

As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure so before you and the creepy critters start brushing your teeth together, you need to devise a plan to keep them out of your home.

Due to silverfishes’ addiction to moisture, the most effective way of preventing them is to ventilate your bathroom properly during and after showering. Always open your window whilst showering, even if it’s only slightly, to let the steam out before it starts to turn into condensation and dampen the walls. Extractor fans are also effective at clearing the steam, particularly if you don’t like opening the window whilst showering, and can prevent mold and mildew developing too.

Believe it or not, silverfish are rather shy creatures, which is why they choose to hide in the most awkward of places through the day. The more junk you have in your bathroom the more hiding places you’re providing them with. Wet towels to silverfish are like mansions to humans, if you leave them strewn on the bathroom floor the silverfish will be moving in faster than you can say “pest control”.

Cracks in walls and skirting boards are also popular hang-outs for silverfish. Get your hands dirty with a spot of DIY and seal them properly to eradicate another one of their common hiding places.

How can I get rid of Silverfish?

If you’re unfortunate enough to already be inundated with the microscopic monsters then you’ll need to take quick action to force these imposters out of your home. If you see more silverfish than people on an average day however, you will need to call pest control experts as you may have an infestation problem which needs to be taken care of. Check in other rooms for signs of silverfish activity too, they’re most commonly sighted at the back of cupboards and drawers.

Some homeowners have found that wiping the walls with a solution of bleach and water has helped them to eliminate their silverfish problem. This can also eradicate bathroom mould too, which is a feast for silverfish as well as unsightly in your bathroom. There are insecticide sprays which you can purchase too, to finally enjoy your bathroom alone.

Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Tapshop321 kitchen taps. Steph’s a true hater of all creepy crawlies and hates those hair raising moments when you spot a spider on your wall…

Silverfish Prevention and Cure is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

But the downside of owning an animal that considers rolling in the grass an acceptable method of scratching his back is that they can bring many pests into your home. Below we break down the most common pet pests and what you can do to prevent them.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas lack wings but are superb leapers, making it easy for them to find a host. It is not the bite that causes the itch but the flea’s saliva, to which most cats and dogs are allergic. And if it makes the leap from your pet to you, you’ll likely find you are allergic, too. This causes excessive scratching that can break the skin and result in severe rashes.

Ticks are similarly attracted to warm bodies, crawling from leaves and grass onto your cat or dog. If your pet has long shaggy hair, these pests can be particularly difficult to detect. As ticks feed on the blood of their host, they can insert nasty diseases as they go, including Lyme disease, canine ehrlichiosis, canine anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These are serious diseases that when passed to humans can start as a cough, fatigue or fever and progress into major problems, such as heart and central nervous system damage.

Both of these pests can be easily prevented and expunged with regular bathing. For fleas, if you know the population is at its peak or see your pet scratching excessively, it is a good idea to pick through your pet’s hair with a fine toothcomb, removing any pests that you spot while wearing gloves. Fleas are further preventable with daily medication. This can be purchased from your vet and is usually covered under your dog insurance plan.

For ticks, if you live in a tick-prone area, make sure to keep your lawn freshly cut, as ticks thrive in overgrown grass. Frequently do tick checks on your pet by running your hands over his/her body while wearing gloves and separating the hair to check the skin surface beneath. If you feel or see something odd, immediately remove the tick with a tweezer while wearing gloves. Make sure to dispose of it properly, either by putting it back outside or sealing it in an air-tight container and throwing it in a lidded trashcan (or better yet, directly in your trash can outside).

Heartworms

The most common kind of pet pest is the heartworm, which employs the mosquito as its chauffeur. Once your pet is infected, the heartworm can take several months before becoming active. Newborn heartworms float around an animal’s bloodstream, settling in adulthood in the blood vessels between the heart and lungs, where they can grow up to fourteen inches long. Dogs can carry up to thirty heartworms at one time and are easily infected while cats can die from just one worm.

Fortunately, heartworms are 100% preventable with daily medication. If your pet has already become infected, your vet will give you an insecticide medication to help kill them. However, these medications are likely to kill sickly or elderly dogs, so it is crucial to prevent the infection in the first place.

Gastrointestinal Worms

The heartworm’s gastrointestinal counterparts, the hookworm, the roundworm and the whip worm, are also formidable foe, wreaking all kinds of digestive havoc. Treating them carries the same kind or risks as the treatment for heartworm. You can prevent infection by keeping your pet’s habitat clean, and by having their fecal matter examined at regular intervals when they are puppies or kittens. Some of these worms can also be prevented with the same medication used to treat heartworm.

Giardia

If your pet enjoys slurping up rainwater, he or she is also at risk of picking up Giardia, a protozoa parasite. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. It is often accompanied by weight loss, dehydration, and fatigue. Giardia is preventable with a vaccine, so if you go on outdoor adventures with your pet consider a vaccination beforehand.

If any of these pests are left untreated, it can be difficult for your pet to maintain the nutrition he or she needs. If infestations for these pets are common (are a lot of your neighbors’ pets infected?) in your area, consider hiring an exterminator to assess the problem and explore the options for permanent removal. A best defense is a good offense, so make sure to take preventable measures to ensure your pets and family stay safe.

Adria Saracino is a blogger, marketer, and freelancer. She often writes for Embrace pet insurance or through her personal fashion blog, The Emerald Closet.

Pests: How They Are Harmful to Your Pets is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Take a look at how easy it is to access your property if you are a tiny ant or a mouse. Do you have small gaps under your doors? Are there bushes brushing the exterior or cracks in the foundations? Don’t let pests like insects and spiders invade your beautiful home, because if they can get in and find food and shelter they won’t want to leave in a hurry. Here are seven design tips on how to keep your home a pest-free sanctuary from guest blogger Ian B who writes for Design 55 Online , a website specialising in homeware. 

1. Bats About Soffits

One neglected area in the home is the soffits in the overhang. Soffits act like armpits and invite air into the attic. This air cools down hot attics in the summer, making for a cooler home. In winter, the circulating air prevents ice build up on the roofs.

Some homeowners drill one-inch holes in the overhang and then cover the holes with pieces of screen, held in place by nails or staples. These fasteners can loosen and the screen may peel back, providing an ideal place for bats to enter the attic. Homeowners must check all soffits. Manufactured soffits are easy to install and will last for years.

2. Defend the Base

The base of the house is an entry point for various critters. If the foundation has cracks, then cockroaches, spiders, fire ants, sugar ants and black ants get in. In spring, homeowners need to check the foundation for points where bugs might enter. All cracks must be sealed.

3. Creepy Cupboards

Bugs love cupboards. Cookie crumbs are a feast for ants and cockroaches. Boxes and packages of food are easy for bugs to enter. Every spring, cupboards must be emptied and cleaned. A full-strength cleaning soap suitable for wood will wipe out scent trails that ants leave for their buddies to follow.

All food should be well sealed, either in zip-lock bags or suitable jars or containers. Bugs will get into most packaging sold in the grocery store.

Look for openings between the back splash and the counter top. Insects will use these cracks as invasion routes. Seal openings with caulk.

4. Flying Through Windows

Flies love windows. Windows are probably the most vulnerable feature in man’s castle called home. The caulk around windows gets old and cracked as the weather takes its toll. Screens can develop tiny holes and tears, especially along the molding strip or the rubber channel gasket. As these parts loosen or break down from age, gaps appear and offer entry to flies, mosquitoes, hornets and wasps.

Broken aluminum screen or hardware mesh must be replaced. The wood or metal screen frame should be inspected for gaps in the corners where the pieces are joined. The screen frame should fit tightly in the window opening. These steps will insure that no buzzing mosquito disturbs anyone’s sleep.

5. Welcome Mickey Mouse

How does Mickey Mouse get into a house? He walks through the door. Most mice, even those not named Mickey, get into houses by walking through the door. Any small gap less than 6mm in a door that doesn’t close completely is an invitation for a mouse to walk in.

A door should be plumbed by a professional carpenter to be certain no gaps exist and it hangs plumb. A plumb door closes tightly. The result is that Mickey Mouse stays in the great outdoors, and the cheese and crackers are safe.

6. Bushes Attract Pests

Bushes beside a house attract pests. Insects and mice find bushes a great place to live and an easy point to enter a house. Cut down or trim back all bushes close to a house.

7. Mildew Loves Roofs

Mildew is not a favorite aunt who drops in to admire a roof. Mildew is produced by molds that attack the roof. It’s usually green or black and forms streak on roofs. Mildew will grow on roofs shaded by trees and in areas that are damp and humid. Mildew can cause severe damage to roofs.

Mildew can be removed by filling a garden sprayer with one gallon of water and one-third of a gallon of bleach. The solution is sprayed on and allowed to set for 30 minutes. This is followed by a rinse with a garden hose.

Seven Design Tips To Minimise Pest-Risk is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Every homeowner has had that hair-raising moment when they discover they have an intruder in their home, but this trespasser isn’t a burglar – in fact their movement wouldn’t even trigger the most sensitive of home security systems and they could easily dodge a CCTV system. This form of intruder is the hardest to catch even though it leaves a trail everywhere it’s been and it’s smaller and sneakier than a mouse. Yes you’ve guessed it – these imposters go by the name of slugs and are possibly the most irritating creature on the planet!

From ruining your plants to spreading germs around your kitchen, slugs are extremely hated by the human race, who are fighting a continuous battle to keep them out of their homes. Although slugs can be incredibly pesky, there’s really no need to impale them with various items of crockery in a bid to win back your home (this potentially contaminates your food!) Instead, there are some ethical options of eradicating the slimy beasts.

Call the Coppers – There’s an Intruder!

Certain metals, copper in particular, act as excellent slug repellents. They give slugs and snails a small electric shock when their body makes contact with the metal. If you have a problem with slugs entering in your home then you could place a copper gripper rod at your back door to prevent slugs from entering your home. Using copper plant pots or plant pots with copper feet can reduce the likelihood of your foliage being sabotaged by slugs.

Clean up your Act

Slugs love human leftovers, from beer cans to cigarette butts it seems the slimy creatures have a secret urge to party. If your garden is littered with cigarette ends and empty beer cans then this could be the reason behind the increased number of slugs visiting your home. Clear your garden and use an ashtray which you empty every night before the slug army plans an invasion, this should see the number of trails diminish.

Taking the Rough with the Slimy

One of the most effective ways of keeping slugs away from your prized plants is to surround them with a rough surface like grit or small decorative stones. Because of the slithering motion they use to move around, they find uneven rough surfaces painful to travel across. Decorative stones are great to use as flower beds and are easier to maintain than soil.

Common Assault

One of the most unethical methods of slug slaying is probably the most popular. Pouring salt onto a slug is a method used by many homeowners in a war against the invasive beasts. When salt hits the slug’s plasma membrane (which acts as its skin) the slug goes through an excruciatingly painful process which is called osmosis. This is where the entire contents of the slug seeps through its skin leaving you with a disgusting mess and the guilty conscience that you have partook in a brutal murder.

When eradicating your slug problem, consider the more environmentally friendly ways of deterring the beasts from your property. Slug pellets are always a last resort, but bear in mind that they are toxic to other animals and children so be sure to scatter them somewhere out of reach to other family members.

Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Designo Garden Furniture who are online retailers of designer garden furniture for the home. You can drop Steph a line on Twitter @StephStaz where she posts home improvement news and views.

Slug Slaying in an Ethical Manner is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Pest management professionals must be able to take in the full picture of the environment they’re working in and determine how to perform their task without causing undue harm. Throughout all aspects of their jobs, pest control experts can benefit greatly from a biology degree as it will give them the knowledge necessary to overcome the most trying obstacles in the course of their work.

Identification

The first step in pest management is identifying the problem. Pest management professionals need to be able to recognize signs of pest problems, track them to their source and then identify the specific species involved. Being able to tell one species of mouse from another could be the key to determining their habits and where they might be congregating or spreading from.

Extermination

Some pests are resistant to certain chemicals, whether by virtue of their species in general or through repeated exposure to them. Having a working knowledge of the biological factors involved in extermination methods and how to recognize resistances greatly benefits any exterminator in their trade. Often a client may wish for a more humane method of dealing with rodents and request that they be captured alive and released in the wild.

Prevention

Many people assume that cleaning and de-cluttering alone will take care of their pest problem, but professionals know that’s not the case. There are many things that need to be done to make a home inhospitable to pests and prevent them from getting back in. Cleaning and clearing out clutter are definitely two of the main strategies involved, but people need to also make it difficult for pests to gain entry by filling cracks and gaps, covering drains and installing metal mesh over vents. With proper attention to detail and care, pest control experts can help their clients not only get rid of pests, but also ensure they don’t come back.

The Whole Picture

In addition to knowing the taxonomy of pests, exterminators also need to be able to identify the makeup of the environment they’ll be working in. They have to be able to identify beneficial creatures and determine how their methods will interact with the entire ecosystem of the house. Any pets must be taken into account and the pest technician must ensure that any chemicals used will not negatively impact creatures other than the pests they’re targeting. Animals other than cats and dogs–chickens, for instance–will react differently to chemicals that would not harm normal pets. Knowing how various plants and animals interact and how they’ll react to various chemicals and other extermination techniques will give a pest control expert a leg up in these tough times and can help them ensure more work by displaying their skill and expertise.

Learn To Know Your Enemy is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Gary Day-Ellison is a Creative Director with a keen eye for style and beauty. He could even find something stylistic about an ant. Gary has worked for a number of clients including designing book covers for the BBC and Doug Adams,and a stunning Lord of the Rings calendar and diary. He shares a personal encounter here about the importance of pest control when there’s a ripe Stilton about the house.

I have been honoured by the invitation to contribute a guest post. Trouble is I am an innocent abroad when it comes to such matters.

That said, I could tell you why, from painful personal experience, you would be ill-advised to keep a Stilton in the cellar. Even for a few days. However cold it seems. Especially if you value your guests and friends. But I won’t since you may be eating your tea as you read this blog. And we don’t want to see it on the screen do we?

I considered an attempt to bluff my way through the topic of domestic pests. I would research a demonstration of my scholarship and in-depth investigations in this important aspect of cleanliness and disease prevention. My formula for faux-expertise was this. Google + a lot of earnest frowning in a white coat.

Maybe not.

But something interesting did occur to me – and it is this. We think of vermin as low-life, nasty little critters. Well, they are mostly. But they have always popped up in popular culture. As children we read about The Pied-Piper . . .  Mickey Mouse?

And what about classic international literature? Try Günter Grass’ The Rat. Or Albert Camus’ La Pest. Good game? How about Art? Try Damien Hirst’s Flies. And then, in the middle-ground Salvador Dali’s ants which frequently appear in his paintings?

But I don’t want to spoil the game. What examples of pests can you think of, in any of the Arts? (Excluding Christopher Biggins – Ed.)

If you want to read more about design, check out Gary’s Design Works blog.

The Art Of Pest Control is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

So what is it about your real estate that they really like, and how can you prevent termites from snacking on your property?  Here are three things a termite really likes in order to thrive plus some actions you can do to keep them away.

1. Water, and lots of it!

Termites are an insect that has no exoskeleton, or outside body armor, so it needs moisture on its body to live.  They live in moist ground and build soil tunnels, which are protective barriers to keep themselves from drying out and dying.

There is no way to make the ground around your property bone dry, but providing for proper water drainage away from buildings is the key to preventing constant moisture collection and the termite’s reservoir.

2. Soil – their Home, Sweet, Home.

This is where they live and breed in a colony.  They lie dormant below the frozen ground above during the Winter. When the soil warms, they multiply and some of the colony “swarm,” or fly, in search of a food source or to begin a new colony at another location.  They start building new soil tunnels, which is their highway access to your property.

Essentially, we build our homes right on top of their homes!  Proper sloping of the ground (downward grading) away from a foundation, moisture barriers and vigilance are our preventive measures here.  Think of it as keeping the distance between their home and restaurant as far away and inaccessible as possible.

3. Wood – messy and a la carte.

According to Keith Simmons, a Technical Services Manager for Rentokil N.A., the Subterranean termite only consumes and digests wood, which is different from carpenter ants, which carves out wood and creates galleries in which to live. These ground-dwelling insects are fond of soft, moisture-laden wood, which can be old landscape ties, a rotting tree stump, or buried wood.

Mr. Simmons’ advice to property owners is to have zero wood-to-soil contact on your structure.  New mulching material (stone is best) around a building is good, but if it too high, the moisture in the soil will begin to damage wood contact points.  In addition to the moisture problem, the termite can easily get into your home undetected if their food is right in their dining room.

There are many types of termites in the world, but some can create a big problem for both the home and business owner.  Knowing what attracts them and how to prevent their access will save you time and money in the long run.

If they are already in the building or home you own, you will want to schedule a termite inspection and understand all the possible termite control service options to eradicate them.

3 Things a Termite Likes About Your Property is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog