Dealing with a Nottingham wasp nest

5th August 2021

How to deal with a Wasp Nest on Your Nottingham Property

How do you spot a wasp nest? What should you do when you find one on your property?

Here are the steps that you need to undertake.

Signs you have a wasp problem or a Nottingham wasp nest

The best indicator of a wasp infestation in your property is seeing high numbers of these insects outdoors. This simply means that there is a nest on your property or nearby.

A single nest can contain thousands of these insects; it is highly advisable to destroy the nest early in the year before they become more aggressive and increase the risk of harming yourself, family and pets.

Identifying wasp nests

Over time, the nests become larger, with adult insects becoming more aggressive in their defence of their home.

Nottingham wasp nest within a tree

European hornet nests are often found in natural cavities.

Locating the nest

The easiest way to find where wasps nest is to follow their flight path. If you suspect that these insects have built a nest on your property, it is a good idea to keep windows shut. On the other hand, if you believe that these insects have built a nest in your attic or on a wall, enlist the aid of professionals.

Wasps build nests out of chewed wood. This gives the nest a papery exterior.

The nest is built by the queen. Eventually, the nest grows larger as the first batch of eggs matures and the young become workers.

Around summer, the size of the nest becomes considerably larger.

Who should take care of the wasp nest?

If you have found the location of the wasp nest on your property, should you attempt to eliminate it by yourself or get expert help?

You should never attempt to remove a nest on your own if you are sensitive to the sting of these insects. Attempting to remove the nest can disturb the wasps which, in turn, can lead to an attack and stings.

Need help in dealing with wasp nests in a safe and effective manner?

Ask help from a trusted, local company such as ourselves. NG Pest Control.

You can contact us here for a booking – all at a set price of £60.00 inclusive of the call-out and any work we have to carry out on a single wasp nest.

Crawling insect control Nottingham - Black ants feeding

An invasion of Garden Ants

30th March 2021

Pest Advice for controlling Garden Ants

The commonest species that invades houses is the Black Garden Ants, which is actually very dark brown. All ants have the main divisions of the body (head, thorax, abdomen) distinctly separated by very narrow waists and have a sharp elbow joint in their antennae. They are highly organised social insects. It is the foraging worker ants that invade buildings in search of food. These are from 3 to 5mm in length and are attracted to sweet foodstuffs which they take back to the nest to feed to the larvae and queen.

The so-called ant’s eggs sold for aquaria fish are actually the pupae. Flying ants are the reproductive males and females. These mating ants are winged and have a nuptial swarming flight during only a few days in July or August. Mating takes place in the air and the female then seeks out a nest site where she stays for the winter, laying eggs the following spring in order to start up a new colony.

How to deal with Ants

First, find the nest entrances. These are indicated by small piles of earth pellets or can be located by watching the ants moving back and forth from nest to food.

Pouring a kettle of boiling water over the nest site is a first-aid measure.

Some products cause the workers to destroy their own nests, for example, sugar based liquid bait. The workers are attracted to the bait and carry the insecticide back to the larvae and queen. Some centrally heated blocks of flats may be troubled by the much smaller tropical Pharaoh’s Ant, which prefers protein to sweet foods and has multiple – and often inaccessible – nests within the building structure.

Ghost Ants are becoming more common in heated buildings. These are a similar size to Pharaoh’s ants and is pale coloured with a dark thorax and head. Control must be left to professional operators.

Having problems with ants?

Contact us on 0115 777 0110 or 07412 637064 to book in a callout and treatment.

Are you pest control ready for your re-opening?

15th March 2021

Preparing your Nottingham Business For Re-Opening after COVID19

As businesses prepare to re-open after the COVID-19 lockdown, there are several things they need to watch out for. Our experts have created some handy pest advice for businesses on what to be aware of after lockdown and what you should do if you find a pest problem.

If you closed your commercial premises on advice from the Government, this blog will take you through a list of things you can do in order to mitigate the risk of potential pest problems when you close for long periods of time.

Cause of Infestation

While closed, a lot of businesses have, understandably, been too preoccupied with planning and forecasting for a post-COVID19 world, to consider the need for monitoring certain things within their premises that could lead to a pest infestation.

Leaving items behind such as food, or monitoring the condition of the premises has become a secondary need for many business owners.

Pest Management is Essential

Effective pest management supports the provision of a safe and hygienic facility. Insects, rodents and birds can easily contaminate food and work surfaces with bacteria or viruses that could cause significant issues for humans.

Pests also have the potential to cause significant damage to the structural integrity of your business premises. They can chew through wooden supports, or nest within the rafters causing beams to give way.

Pest management is able to prevent this kind of thing from happening. We at NG Pest Control can constantly monitor the situation in your building.

If you are yet to reopen your business, it’s never too late to consider a pest control contract.

Did You do Everything Necessary to Remain Pest Free Before Closing the Business?

Safely Securing all Food From Pests

If you are a business that is involved with the processing or manufacturing of food products, or you store dried food goods within your premises, you may have left food in the building.

If you did leave food in the building, was it left on high shelves away from the floor? And did you secure all the food in sealed, air-tight containers?

Items such as rice or nuts that are stored in bags or small tubs on the ground could be very easy for a rodent to access. If there is a significant amount of food, rodents will see this as a reliable food source and return in substantial numbers, more than once.

Cleaning and Hygiene

When you left the business premises, you should’ve ensured that a thorough clean-down took place before leaving.

If this didn’t take place, you could expect pests in large numbers to come by. If a significant amount of crumbs or debris has been left in the premises, this could mean rodents and other pests will be drawn to them.

It was also essential that waste collection was carried out as usual. Did you check with your waste management company that collections would continue regularly?

Checking Access

Ensuring that there is no easy access to the premises for rodents or other insects is vital.

This means blocking gaps under external doors and ensuring the structure of the building will not allow pests to access.

With less footfall in towns and cities, rats will not have the usual access to disposed waste and may lead to them attempting to access buildings which they may not normally venture near.

Check Pest Management Equipment

electronic fly killers need to be serviced at least every 12 months
are any of your rodent bait points damaged/missing?
check fly screens are intact
is your pest management site report folder up to date?

What if I Did Not Ensure my Business Remained Pest Free?

In the panic and unprecedented nature of a pandemic, you can be forgiven for not adequately ensuring your business property has been protected against pests. But there are a number of things you can do to ensure that your business is ready to reopen.

Inspection

Walk around your business premises with a pest control technician, or by yourself. Inspect every part of your premises, ensuring that there are no signs of pest in the building.

If you do this with a pest control technician, and signs of pests are identified, the technician will be able to recommend a way to deal with the pests and eradicate them from the building.

Remove Food Sooner Rather than Later

If you have no plans to return to the premises any time soon, it is worth ensuring you remove any food waste or dried food from the floor. If you’re lucky enough not to have been infested by rodents , insects or other pests, they could still make their way into the property at any given time.

Removing food from the premises may be the best prevention method. If pests do manage to get into the premises once all the food has been removed, they will soon realise the building lacks a reliable food source.

What to do if I Spot Signs of Pest Infestation Upon Reopening?

If you begin the reopening procedure and start to welcome staff back to the office, or the building, it’s essential you remain vigilant. If you do spot signs of pests, get a professional involved as soon as possible.

Opening a business to staff or the public with a pest infestation could be in breach of health and safety regulations.

If you spot a pest infestation in your business premises, contact us and we’ll help rectify any pest issue.

How to solve Nottingham’s pigeon problems

24th February 2021

Why are there so many rats in Nottingham?

11th February 2021

At NG Pest Control we have seen a huge increase in rat infestations since the beginning of the first COVID-19 lockdown. We are getting called out to treat an explosion of rat infestations. But why is this happening?

The Lack of Pest Services

Usually, pest management companies throughout the UK control several thousands of rodents every week. As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, many pest control companies, including many local authorities, have decided to close or scale back operations. This means a multitude of rat infestations are remaining untreated, leading to an increase in the population of rats. With rodents breeding roughly every 4 weeks and reproducing at 6-8 weeks old, this number has been rising rapidly during the lockdown. Read here for more info on Rats.

The Closure of Commercial Premises

As well as disrupting pest control services, the coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of many commercial premises. This includes bars, restaurants, pubs, and cafés. These are establishments that are likely to attract rats if left unmonitored. Because of the closures, many business owners have requested to postpone upcoming visits or even cancel their pest control contracts altogether. The absence of pest management in closed premises will only encourage infestations. Rats don’t abide by the rules of lockdown and will thrive in the inviting conditions of empty food establishments.

The Build-up of Refuse

Finally, delayed bin collections as a result of limited services during the lockdown has provided an obvious source of food for rats. The build-up of rubbish outside domestic and commercial premises has not only attracted rodents but provided them with a substantial food supply. This has enabled them to breed, and keep their young alive and thriving.

What can I do if I have an infestation?

Act immediately!

If you think you may have a rat infestation during lockdown or would like some advice contact us. Call us on 0115 7770110 or email at info@ngpestcontrol.co.uk

While we don’t know for certain at this time whether pests can carry the COVID-19 virus, it is important to deal with infestations as soon as possible. Rats are extremely destructive, can contaminate surfaces and food, and can also spread other diseases. It’s important for you and your customers’ health to prevent infestations where possible.

We offer a full cleaning and disinfecting service for customers who are worried about the cleanliness of their home or commercial property during the pandemic.

NG Pest Control Ltd are full members of the NPTA, a trade body for pest control in the UK.

Call us on 0115 7770110 or email at info@ngpestcontrol.co.uk for free local pest control advice or to book an appointment for pest control services.

What problems do Grey Squirrels cause around Nottingham?

11th February 2021

So, what problems do grey squirrels cause in Nottingham?

When you see squirrels running around your garden they might seem cute. The problem is that, depending on how many there are, these animals can soon become a major nuisance. These pests can live in either your garden, or around your home, in places such as the attic.

They destroy your garden

These squirrels will often dig holes in your lawn or flower beds to bury food. They can also cause damage to gardens by eating bulbs and corms, and also eating tree nuts. Plus they can damage hosepipes and netting with their gnawing.

As well as digging in your garden, they are known to strip off bark at the base of trees and shrubs. This mostly effects beech, oak and chestnut trees. Stripping bark can have serious affects on the health of these trees and may eventually lead to them dying. What’s more, they also eat tree nuts, which prevents new trees from growing.

They harm other animals

The grey squirrel is a species of squirrel native to North America. They were first introduced to Europe in the Victorian era, where they were initially kept as pets. These squirrels are generally seen as a highly invasive species and pest. In fact, they are listed in the top 100 most invasive species.

Grey squirrels have taken over 90% of the native red squirrels habitat. They have also spread disease such as smallpox to the native squirrels.

Grey squirrels also harm birds by eating their eggs. Also, if you have a bird feeder don’t surprised if it’s empty in minutes. These animals love eating bird seed, and will quickly learn that you’ve put on a buffet for them. They will flock to your feeder and devour anything you may have left out. This can become especially irritating because it chases away actual birds.

They damage your home.

The biggest reason why these animals are considered such a nuisance is because they damage buildings. Basically they gnaw on everything and anything, and this eventually causes major damage. If you are wondering what problems do grey squirrels cause, this is a major concern.

Grey squirrels love to chew on wires. Don’t forget that these animals are rodents. Due to this their incisors are always growing, and need to be worn down by constant chewing. For some reason, they are especially fond of electrical wires. We are passed many jobs by Nottingham electricians who upon inspecting loft spaces find severely damaged electrical and alarm cables.

This can cause electrical outages and worse. Wires which are chewed through can then be left exposed, and when these touch it can cause and electrical fire. This can lead to your house being burnt down and even loss of life.

They destroy your roof.

Grey squirrels will use tree branches which overhang your roof as a type of, “Bridge.” Once they have landed on the roof these pests will quickly make their way into your roof or attic.

This can cause untold amounts of damage. They will build nests, chew through wires and eat their way through whatever is in your loft or attic. Squirrels can also rip up insulation and contaminate water tanks with urine and droppings. In addition to this, they can also make a huge racket and keep you up at night.

They leave droppings everywhere

Large numbers of squirrels will lead to large amounts of dropping around your home. Not only is this disgusting, but it’s also a major hassle to clean up. What’s more, these droppings can become a disease vector. Squirrel droppings can transmit illnesses such as Lyme disease, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, tularaemia. Also in some rare cases, being bitten by a squirrel can even cause rabies.

Grey squirrel faeces are usually spindle shaped or clumpy and soft. The shape of their faeces depends on the moisture content of their food. High moisture foods lead to clumpy and soft faeces, and low moisture foods leads to spindle shaped faeces.

To sum up, what problems do grey squirrels cause? A whole world of problems is the answer.

If you encounter a problem with grey squirrels, get in touch with us here at NG Pest Control – we’ll provide a solution to your problems.

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