How to get rid of a wasp nest

Moving a wasp nest can be very dangerous. Wasps inside the nest will feel threatened and often become aggressive. This could cause them to sting you and others as they defend their nest and young.

To get rid of wasps you do ‘not’ need to remove the nest, but you do need to treat it and the nesting wasps.

To reduce the risk of stings to you and your family, arrange for a professional wasp nest treatment. This effective solution will eliminate the wasps and keep you safe from the threat of stings.

How to get rid of Wasps

The location of a nest on your property, or nearby, is usually the reason why you have a wasp problem.

If you can get rid of the nest early on in the spring, you can really help to avoid a serious problem in the height of summer.

You should only attempt to use DIY products under the following conditions:

• if the nest is small, on your property and easy to access.
• if you discovered the nest in early spring and the nest is still small (size of a golf or tennis ball).
• if there is minimal wasp activity around the nest.
• if you are NOT allergic to wasp stings.
• If the nest is within a wall cavity or similar enclosed space it may not be possible to remove it at all.

The good news is that the same nest is never reused by a new queen the following year.

A new nest may be built in the same location though, if it continues to offer shelter, protection and easy access to the outside.

Wasp Nest Treatment

A mature wasp nest only found in late summer will almost certainly require professional treatment due to the high risk of wasp stings. By this stage, a nest may contain thousands of individual wasps. If you still wish to remove the nest yourself, it would be better to wait till late autumn before attempting this and ensure you wear protective clothing as the treatment may still be active within the nest.

Wasps are most active in the warm summer months. In South Africa, the Common Wasp and German Wasp cause the most annoyance and painful stings. Even with their special yellow and black bodies, they can still be confused with hornets, although hornets are not as common in this country, they can still bite and sting you.

Signs of Wasp Nests

If you are experiencing high numbers of wasps in your home or garden there is likely to be a nest nearby, either on your property, in your garden or very close by.

A mature nest in summer can contain thousands of wasps.

It is important to treat a wasp nest early to reduce the threat of a wasp sting, which can be very painful and even cause an allergic reaction.

Identifying a Wasp Nest

Wasps make their nests from chewed wood pulp and saliva, giving them distinctive papery walls.
Nests are usually built in sheltered spots with easy access to the outside. You can often find wasp nests in wall cavities, roof spaces, under eaves, in bird boxes, sheds or garages.
To locate a nest, carefully watch the flight path of the returning wasps, this becomes easier later in the summer as the numbers of wasps increase.

How big can a Wasp Nest be?

At first, a wasp nest will start off very small.

When a Queen wasp starts to build a nest in spring it is usually about the size of a walnut or golf ball.

As summer progresses the nest will grow rapidly in size, as the number of wasps increases. A nest can become the size of a football, or even bigger in some cases.

It is best to treat a nest earlier in the year before numbers increase and the wasps become more aggressive.

Difference between Wasps and Bees

It is possible to confuse wasps with bees. However, the treatment available for a wasp nest and a beehive differ.

Bees are an endangered species and a bees nest will only be removed if it poses a significant threat to nearby people. Ecopoise will only treat a bees nest as a last resort and with honey bees, only after contacting a qualified beekeeper.

Treatments for a wasp nest are far more common and can be carried out professionally by Ecopoise, quickly and safely.

Facts

• Wasps have much less hair on their bodies than bees.
• Wasps have a tighter waist between the thorax and abdomen than bees.
• Wasps are sometimes mistaken for hornets as they are similar in appearance, but wasps are smaller in size.
• Wasps have distinctive yellow and black markings on their bodies.
• They have three main body parts; the head, thorax, and the abdomen.
• Worker wasps vary in size from 12-17mm.
• Only female wasps sting and can do so repeatedly.

How to Get Rid of Moths
First the good news: moths aren’t a health risk. Now the bad news: they can cause unsightly damage to clothes, carpets and other materials in your home. Take action as soon as you see the tell-tale holes, or spot small maggot-like larvae or silk cocoons.

There are a number of things you should do immediately to help get rid of moths:

Find out where the heart of the problem is. It might be in a wardrobe, chest of drawers or cupboard. It should be fairly obvious because you’ll see the most signs of damage in that particular area.
Start to get rid of the moths by using moth traps to catch the adults, and vacuuming regularly in the affected area to remove all the larvae.
Thoroughly launder all your clothes and other fabrics in the infected area, such as bedsheets, linen, and blankets. If you’ve done all this and still can’t get rid of the moths, you should call in our expert technicians.
How We Can Help
Our experts can recognize the type of moth that is causing your problem. They’ll then use the most effective method to get rid of them, such as a spray, fumigation or heat treatment.
We can offer an effective chemical-free ‘heat pod’ treatment. This is particularly useful for getting rid of moths, eggs and larvae in delicate items that can’t be laundered.

Most moths are seen as pests due to the damage their larvae cause to materials, textiles and stored products. Unlike other pests, moths pose you no health risks.

Once inside your home or business, moths can severely damage natural fibers in carpets, clothes, fabrics, fur and even leather. Moth caterpillars cause damage by eating the protein (keratin) found in natural materials like wool, cotton, and silk. This puts your delicate items at a particular risk of damage.

Signs of a Moth Infestation
The presence of moths in your home can be frustrating. Not just because of the damage they can cause, but it’s likely to be damage to clothes and fabric that you may have an emotional attachment to – nobody wants to find damage on their carefully stored wedding dress or holes in a quilted throw handed down from a beloved grandmother. The damage these pests can cause to carpets, curtains and upholstery can also become very costly.

The first thing most people notice is the damage caused to clothes, fabrics or carpets.

Other indicators of a moth infestation:
Small maggot-like
larvae (moth caterpillars).
Silken tubes or cases in which the moth larvae live.
Pupae (silk cocoons) from which larvae emerge as moths.
Adult moths often crawling rather than flying.
White-shouldered house moth larvae scavenge on a wide range of food, so are a little less damaging to textiles
More Tips for Getting Rid of Moths
Follow these tips for the best chance of getting rid of moths in your home.

Change vacuum bags often to make sure you remove all larvae and eggs from your property.
Wash all fabrics, soft furnishings, linens, curtains and towels in the affected area – moth larvae find these as tasty as clothes.
Clean and wash down affected wardrobes, cupboards, and drawers, especially crack and crevices where eggs might be hiding.
Clean suitcases, bags, and containers as these might be hiding more eggs or larvae.

 

How to Get Rid of Flies

If you know you have a problem with flies in your home, there are ways you can get rid of them quickly.

• You could choose to make some practical, cost-free changes around your home to deter flies. This may be as simple as doing some thorough house cleaning.
• Another option involves the use of low-cost DIY fly products, which may sometimes require time to install but could further help your efforts at fly control.
• Alternatively, you could rely on professional fly control from a qualified pest control company to guarantee a long-term solution to your problem.

Getting Rid of Flies

During a fly’s lifetime (around 30 days), a female will lay between 400-600 eggs.
Based on this fact, it is easy to see how a small problem can quickly turn into a large infestation if you do nothing to control flies.

Once a problem has been identified, there are simple ways you can get rid of flies and reduce their numbers on your property.

Tips:

• Control moisture – fix leaky taps and blocked drains where water can gather. Flies need moisture to multiply.
• Keep food covered – any type of food, even crumbs, can attract flies and encourage them to lay eggs nearby. Leftovers should be carefully covered up. Their contact with your food is also main cause of food contamination.
• Stay hygienic – keep your bins, sinks and food areas clean.
• Cover entry points – fit fly screens to windows, keep windows and doors shut at night and consider installing a fly killer unit.
• Bird feeders – keep bird feeders clean and remove bird food before dusk.
• Remove clutter – eliminate clutter inside the house and in the garden. Messy sites could be a potential breeding site.

There are over 120,000 species of flies worldwide.  Flies are considered pests because they pose a health risk to humans, pets and livestock.

They can infest your home or business and spread diseases like Salmonella and E. coli. A few species may even bite humans and animals.

If a small fly problem is left uncontrolled, it has the potential to turn into a serious infestation. Some fly species are able to mature from eggs to adults in just seven days.

Fly Infestation

Flies can be a nuisance when buzzing around your home or business.

You may initially decide to ignore the problem, but if you see flies in large numbers you could be facing an infestation, which requires professional fly control.

Potential harm from Flies:

• spread of diseases
• contaminated food
• bites – some species will bite humans and animals

It is important to act if you see an unusually large number of flies or if they are really interfering with your home life or business.

Signs of a Fly Infestation

Noticing a few noisy flies in your house or business may not mean you have an infestation.

However, it should act as a warning sign to take some preventative action.

Common signs:

• Small dark clusters of spots – in light areas (the size of a pinhead)
• Regular sighting of flies – around your home, food or bins
• Maggots – these are flies in their larval stage and could indicate a potential breeding site on your property
• If you have spotted any of these signs you could choose to install some DIY fly products, like light traps, around your property.

This may be able to reduce the number of adult flies but is unable to affect a potential breeding site. The removal of a breeding site is essential for long-term fly control.

Professional Service for Flies

Our service includes the elimination of adult flies and the removal of any breeding site, which could create more problems in the future.

• We offer a FREE survey of your home or business to identify your specific problem.
• Correct identification of fly species.
• All our technicians are certified to guarantee expertise in the field of fly control.
• Our targeted treatments can be tailored to your specific needs.
• Innovative solutions using parasitic wasps for biological control.
• We provide expert advice on how to prevent future fly infestations.

How to Get Rid of Ants

DIY Products, such as ant killer gel, may deal with small garden ant problems. However, larger or multiple infestations of Pharaoh’s, Ghost or Fire ants will require professional ant control to ensure it will not reoccur.

Our certified Surveyors and Technicians thoroughly understand the habits of each ant species.

Once they’ve identified your ants, they can use a range of powerful insecticides to deal with them efficiently. This gives you the reassurance that the problem has been fully dealt with.

Treatments are targeted to your specific ant species in order to solve the problem quickly, whilst ensuring the safety of your family and pets.

Ants will travel in a wide range searching for food, following trails they have established and clustering around the source of food, becoming a nuisance in homes, organizations, and businesses. Small piles of earth around holes in the soil and at the base of exterior walls indicate their origin.

If you’ve seen a few ants scuttling around on the floor, they might be just having a look around. However, they might be the sign of a larger ant infestation.

Ant Infestation Signs

Live insects – If you’re seeing large numbers of live insects then you may well have a problem. If you find them in your kitchen or in areas where you prepare food, then you need to do something about it fast.

Ant pathways – In and out of your home or premises are another sign. Some types of ant will lay down a pheromone trail to a food source. This chemical attracts other ants to find the food.

Ant nest – A nest site can look like a small pile of soil or dirt. Some species of ant like to make their home in walls or other quiet, dark places, which are more difficult to spot.

Ant Facts

Ants belong to the insect order Hymenoptera. They are close relatives of bees and wasps.

Each colony can hold up to half a million ants. They can all get up and go very quickly if the colony is threatened.

Worker ants can live for up to seven years, while a queen can live for up to 15 years.

Ants swarm once every year in August. The young queens fly away and set up their own, new colonies. If you hear people talking about flying ants, this is the swarm they are referring to.

How To Get Rid of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes get a bad press, but to be honest they deserve it. There are few things more annoying when you’re trying to get to sleep than the high-pitched whine of mosquitoes in your room. You just know that they will bite you at some point in the night.

Mosquitoes can be a real nuisance, leaving you with nasty itchy bites. Those bites all come from the female. The male mosquito prefers to feed on nectar and other sweet things.

How do you get rid of mosquitoes in your home for good? If the infestation is small then the first thing you should try is our DIY products. These are highly effective when the problem isn’t too bad, but if it gets worse or keeps coming back then you’ll need to call in the experts.

Everyone knows how annoying and painful mosquitoes can be. Somehow, no matter how many you manage to swat, there always seem to be some that manage to get through to give you a nasty, itchy bite or two. Here are some facts that you might want to know about mosquitoes:

• They can develop from eggs to adults in just six to ten days.
• They are found close to still water, where their larvae feed and develop.
• They seem to be attracted to dark colors.
• Mosquitoes will normally bite you at dawn or dusk – or if you’re unlucky, both. That’s when their internal clocks tell them it’s feeding time.
• The red bumps and itching caused by a mosquito bite are caused by an allergic reaction to the mosquito’s saliva.

Signs of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes often make that all-too-familiar high pitched whine.

Bites are an obvious giveaway, ranging from mildly irritating to intensely inflamed with swelling. Only the female mosquito bites humans, the males will feed off nectar and other sweet things.

The adults are attracted to standing water including water butts, water trays from house plants and water bowls, where they lay their eggs.

You might spot them walking upside down on ceilings and glass surfaces.

Mosquitoes travel a long way so if there’s standing water within a mile of your home it may be the source of your problems.

Mosquitoes might be attracted to your lawn or shrubbery if it is well watered.

Mosquito Identification and Elimination

If you know that you have identified a problem with mosquitoes then you might be able to deal with it using our DIY products. These are suitable for small infestations but when it comes to bigger problems or mosquitoes that keep on coming back, then you’ll need professional help.

Our certified technicians are experts in the habits of mosquitoes. They can provide the best treatment for your particular problem as well as advice on how to keep these insects at bay.

How to Get Rid of Spiders

Spiders are most likely to enter your home in the autumn in search of a warm place to spend the winter.

The best advice, in general, is to leave them alone. This can be difficult for the millions of people who have a real fear of spiders.

The majority of spider infestations are more of an annoyance – particularly their webs. However, on occasions, more serious situations can occur.

One example of this is the False Widow spider (the common name for a group of species in the genus Steatoda), where there is potential for harm from their bites.

Professional Spider Service

Ecopoise offers a spider inspection and monitoring service aimed at identifying
specific spider species that may be harmful.

If a problem species is confirmed, advice will be given on the most suitable solutions for treatment.
Our qualified technicians are experienced in the field of spider control and provide a range of professional services.

To control a small infestation, you may decide to use DIY spider products. An established infestation though may require professional treatment to ensure that it will not reoccur.

Signs of a Spider Infestation

Most of the spiders in this country produce webs and this is a key way to identify if spiders are present in your home or business.

In general, spiders can be found in dark, secluded areas, both in your home and garden.

Look for spider webs – The size and shape of spider webs vary by species. Some are orb-shaped while others are funnel-shaped.

Some spider species live in burrows rather than webs, while others are free-ranging and take refuge in crevices.

Some species of spiders are attracted to moist environments. Check your basements, walls, sheds and other damp locations.

Other species can be found in places such as attics, the junction of a wall and ceiling, closets and storage boxes.

Spiders feed on other insects and prey on ants, flies, woodlice and other spiders, so where there is a plentiful supply of other insects, spiders will wait to find their next meal.

As the temperature drops in Autumn, spiders become more active, looking for a mate, and come out of their hiding places. Towards the end of Autumn many die off, but some hibernate until the following Spring.

Spider eggs are laid into a silken sac, on average about 100 eggs in each sac, which may be fixed to a surface, hidden in the web or carried by the female. Signs of the sacs fixed indoors indicate that soon there will be more spiders around.

Tips on Spider Removal

• The most effective way to control spiders is to limit its food source. This should include clearing away dead flies, woodlice, millipedes, centipedes, and other crawling insects.
• Vacuum regularly, high and low – particularly sheltered spots such as beneath worktops, backs of cupboards or under/behind large furniture.
• Remove noticeable webs – on a regular basis.
• Fill in gaps – in walls, around pipework, and under doors to deter entry.
• Remove sheltering sites – like firewood piles, garden bags, compost piles and general clutter from near your property.
• Deter all insects – use lighting in a way that is less attractive to the insects (flies) that spiders feed on.

How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Once a problem is discovered, most people just want to know how to eliminate them. Thankfully there are steps you can take, prior to professional treatment, to manage the level of infestation.

High levels of hygiene, deep cleaning and the use of DIY bed bug spray products will help to kill some bed bugs. However professional treatment is often needed to successfully treat an infestation as it can be hard to get rid of bed bugs on your own.

DIY solutions are not usually powerful enough to eradicate the presence of bed bugs. They have built up resilience to many types of conventional pesticides, making even professional treatment difficult.

Professional Bed Bug Service

At Ecopoise, we can offer a range of solutions to get rid of bed bugs and to help prevent re-infestations.

Treatment

Our innovative range of treatment options treats bed bugs in your home or business. Another heat treatment aims to quickly and safely eliminate an infestation. A range of other solutions is also available.

Inspection

Early detection is vital in a comprehensive bed bug control service. Once they’re established, they can spread quickly, requiring more timely and powerful control measures.

If you have bed bugs in your house, the only thing on your mind will be getting rid of them as quickly as possible. Bed bugs stay close to a food source, so they are found where people tend to rest and sleep, hence the name bed bug. The frustration they can cause is not only due to the emotional stress of dealing with parasites, but also the irritation of their bites and the potential for secondary infection from constant scratching.

It isn’t always easy to identify bed bugs or know there’s a problem. They remain hidden in tiny cracks and crevices during the daytime. Often the first sign of bed bugs is bites that appear on your body after you wake up.

Common Signs of Bed Bugs

• Dark/black stains – on the mattress and surrounding area from bed bug excreta.
• Sweet scent – An unpleasant, sweet, sickly scent.
• Small dark spots – Small dark blood spots on bedding known as ‘fecal pellets’.
• Live insects – despite being small (adult are only 4-5mm long) it’s possible to spot live bed bugs and shed skins.
• Locating Bed Bugs

Although your bed is the first place to check, bed bugs can also hide in furniture and furnishings including:

• bed frames and headboard crevices
• mattress seams
• carpets and underlay
• skirting boards
• between timber floorboards
• in cracked or broken plaster, behind peeling wallpaper
• inside electrical sockets and fittings
• drawers and cupboards
• wardrobes
• bedside cabinets
• Bed bugs are usually found in bedrooms and sleeping areas because they need easy access to a blood meal at night. They are also attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide from our breath.

How do you get bed bugs?

To get a bed bug infestation, you will need to have come into direct contact with them. It’s also worth noting that they don’t distinguish between clean and dirty homes!

Bed bugs are usually brought into a home carried on clothing, or in luggage or furniture. This is usually as a result of staying in infested accommodation.

Effective Silverfish Treatment

Experienced, friendly, local technicians ensure the safety of your family and pets.

Guaranteed, convenient silverfish treatments from certified technicians. More than just a nuisance in homes, Silverfish are known for their destructive feeding habits and can cause a serious problem in large numbers – damaging books, photographs, paintings, plaster and other household items containing starch or cellulose.

Silverfish survive in most environments, but thrive in conditions of high humidity and can often be found in dark, damp areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and attics.

Characterized by a silvery-blue color, tiny scales and wiggling movements resembling that of a fish – these pests are also commonly known as fish moths or carpet sharks.

How To Get Rid of Silverfish

Silverfish are serpentine insects that require damp and humid conditions and thrive in kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, and other dark, isolated areas. Fixing leaks in pipework, improving ventilation and using dehumidifiers can help discourage silverfish.

Silverfish feed on:

• Starch
• Cellulose
• Sugar

They can be found in a variety of common items in households and businesses such as books, wallpaper, paintings, fabrics, carpets, coffee, sugar, pasta, and other food debris.

Deny silverfish sustenance by keeping dust and debris to a minimum, vacuum rarely disturbed areas in the home and store food in containers with tightly sealed lids.

Home DIY products such as sprays can help control silverfish populations but large or repeated infestations will require professional treatment. Ecopoise offers experienced technicians and expert, targeted solutions catered to your needs.

How to Get Rid of Fleas

The very thought of fleas in the home is enough to make most people’s skin crawl, but it can happen through no fault of your own. Pets can pick up fleas from other animals or places and give them a ride home. Once they arrive, you’ll want to get rid of them fast.

Tips on Getting Rid of Fleas

• There are several things you can do to get rid of fleas if you catch the problem early enough. Here’s our to-do list for a flea-free home:
• Before you do anything else vacuum carpets, furnishings, cracks in the floorboards and upholstered furniture. This will not only get rid of adult fleas but also their eggs and larvae. The larvae feed on adult flea feces and other organic matter, which collects in things like carpets and rugs. Removing this source of food is an important step.
• Empty your vacuum cleaner very carefully away from the house because the fleas will still be alive.
• Groom your pets regularly with a flea comb and wash their beds every week (ideally at 50°c or above).
• If your pet is scratching or biting its fur you should talk to your vet. They can recommend the best flea sprays or powders to use to treat your pet.

Fleas are a common problem in homes, especially those with pets. You may discover a problem with fleas even if you do not have pets if previous owners of your property kept cats or dogs.

Fleas may also be carried on other, especially hairy, animals like rabbits, foxes, squirrels, rats, mice and livestock such as pigs.

As parasites, the greatest concern about the presence of fleas in your home or business comes from their bites. Although these are not painful, they can result in an uncomfortable itch or rash. Your pets could also develop allergies to flea saliva.

How to Identify Signs of Fleas

Your cat or dog looks to be in some discomfort and is constantly scratching or biting their fur. Is it a skin infection or could it be fleas feeding? But what do fleas look like? Before you take your pet to the vet there are a couple of ways to check if you have fleas in the home.

Signs of Fleas

Can you see fleas crawling on your pet’s coat? They are normally reddy-brown and about 2mm long.

Check the hind-quarters of your dog or the head and neck of your cat. These are the areas that are targeted and where you might see signs of flea activity.

Carefully look at your pet’s skin for fine black droppings. This is ‘flea dirt’ or adult flea feces and looks like ground black pepper. A good way to spot it is to use a flea comb over a sheet of white paper, which makes it easier to see the small black specks.

Another sign of a problem is flea dirt on pet bedding, carpets or rugs.

Looking for Flea Eggs

Sometimes it’s easy to think you’ve got rid of the fleas in your home when you haven’t. This is because flea eggs are very difficult to spot.

Fleas will lay their eggs on your pet’s body. But they won’t stay there. Eggs easily fall off and can become hidden in carpets, rugs, bedding or gaps between floorboards. Flea eggs are tiny (only about 0.5mm long), oval and white. This makes them almost impossible to see against rough surfaces and materials.

Professional Flea Service

If the fleas keep coming back, or you want to ensure the complete removal, just contact our experts.

Our technicians know exactly what to do when it comes to getting rid of fleas in your home. They understand the habits of different types of flea and can offer the most appropriate and effective solution. It goes without saying that all our treatments are safe for your family and pets.

Termites are widely regarded as a damaging pest to have in your home. If termites (also referred to as ‘white ants’) are not monitored or controlled, they can do great damage to the structure of your home.

Although they are dependent on wood and water for survival, termites will feed on all forms of cellulose such as wood, cardboard, furniture made out of timber, floating timber floors, etc.

Termite Inspection

Annual termite inspections are essential to find termite activity and to assess the conditions that make a property more susceptible to timber pests.

Termite Prevention

There are several methods to help protect your building or structure against termites.

Termite Treatment

At Ecopoise, our termite treatment plans are tailored specifically for your home and your needs.

Termite Warranty

Ecopoise’s Termite Home Protection Plan acts as a warranty for our termite treatment plans, offering the best protection available on the market for your home.

The black rat (Rattus rattus)
Roof Rat

The brown rat or Norwegian rat (Rattus norvegicus)

How To Get Rid of Rats

Discovering rats in your home or business can be very distressing.

On top of the health risks, rats have also been known to cause fires by chewing through wiring. They can even gnaw through wood, plastics and mild steel.

Professional rat control is the most effective and quickest way to get rid of rats. Expert treatments can prevent damage to your property and protect against diseases spread by this rodent.

How To Catch a Rat

Catching rats or mice is a difficult job.

If you want to solve a rat problem on your own, we offer a range of DIY rat products developed specifically by our technical specialists to control a small infestation.
Rat traps alone will not be enough to control a serious or repeat infestation though. Only a professional rat control solution can guarantee complete removal of rats from your home or business.

Worried about rats?

If you have spotted signs of rats, such as droppings or unpleasant urine smell, it is time to get professional treatment

Dangers of Rodents

In the past century alone, more than 10 million people have died from rodent-borne diseases. Although rodents are not major threats to our everyday health, it is justified to be concerned over the potential for rodents to transmit diseases. By their very nature and design, rodents make excellent “vehicles” for harboring and rapidly transporting diseases.

Lyme Disease

Description: Skin lesions, fever, headaches, arthralgias

Carrier: All rodents

Mode of Transmission: Rodent tick bite

 

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Salmonella (Food Poisoning)

Description: Causes intestinal disorders

Carrier: Rats, Mice

Mode of Transmission: Rodent feces contamination

 

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Rat-Bite Fever

 

Description: Relapsing fever that may last several months

 

Carrier: Rats, Mice

 

Mode of Transmission: Bacteria in mouth and nose of rodent, transmitted via bite or scratch

 

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Typhus

 

Description: Fever, headache, rash, respiratory attack

 

Carrier: Rats, Mice

 

Mode of Transmission: Rat flea bite

 

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Plague

 

Description: Attacks circulatory & respiratory systems

 

Carrier: Various rodents

 

Mode of Transmission: Rodent flea bite or by handling an infected animal

 

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Pox (Rickettsial)

 

Description: Lesion followed by fever, headache, rash

 

Carrier: House Mouse

 

Mode of Transmission: Bite of a mite which lives on mice

How To Get Rid of Garden Moles

There is little that can be done to prevent moles entering an area. They often move in from adjacent woodland and banks. Moles are good swimmers and streams present no barrier to their movement

There are plenty of old wives tales that will tell you how to get rid of garden moles, but most of these have no scientific support whatsoever. These include:

• Flooding mole tunnels with a hosepipe
• Pouring castor oil down the tunnels

TIP YOU CAN TRUST: Reduce the main food source of moles by removing moss and weeds that earthworms are known to like. Having said that, it’s worth remembering that a certain number of worms are good for aerating the soil in your lawn.

Professional Garden Mole Removal

There is an argument for tolerating a small number of moles, as they are not known to carry disease. If this is how you feel, simply remove the earth that makes up the molehills and use a roller to flatten lawn areas where required.

However, if you need to get rid of the garden moles on your land, Ecopoise has the expertise to help.

• In our experience, professional trapping or fumigation is the only effective solutions to a serious mole problem
• Our certified technicians understand the habits of moles enabling effective, highly targeted treatment

European (garden) moles can do considerable damage to turf, lawns, formal gardens, fairways, greens and sports grounds with their constant digging. They can quickly establish themselves in a location due to their ability to tunnel up to 4 meters an hour, creating complex burrow systems. The eyesight of moles is generally poor, as is their sense of smell. They find food by their acute sense of touch and vibration.

Molehills and ridges spoil lawns, bowling and golf greens and flower beds. Their tunneling damages the roots of young plants and exposes stones and debris that can damage machinery. These factors are costly to gardeners and businesses that rely on their grounds, lawns, greens or gardens.

How to Identify Signs of Garden Moles

• Molehills are the name given to fresh mounds of earth that spring up overnight on lawns and other grassy areas.
• Newly formed molehills will have loose, damp soil between the blades of grass, whereas the soil on older hills will have become flatter and more compact.
• Distinctive raised ridges are also caused by the extensive tunneling of moles.
• Mole runs disturb roots and can hinder growth in crops, flowering plants and lawn areas.
• Tunneling by moles will bring stones up to the surface which may damage mowing machines and harvesters.
• The very uneven ground caused by raised ridges and molehills can cause livestock to fall and become injured.

Facts about Garden Moles

• A mole’s burrow area is a complex system of different types of tunnels. Permanent tunnels used to travel to feeding areas are deep below the surface while feeding tunnel occurs just below the topsoil and occasionally break through to the surface.
• Moles can build around six new hills within 24 hours.
• The biggest molehill is not necessarily the newest.
• Many molehills do not always mean many moles.

How to Get Rid of Birds

Pest birds can be a real problem for any business. Not only do they cause a mess, but they can also be a health hazard – and a little frightening.

Pigeons and seagulls are normally the worst culprits, especially in towns and cities. Bird removal in these cases is made more difficult by a number of factors:

• Pigeons natural food is grain and seeds but they adapt to urban areas by scavenging processed food, such as discarded takeaways and food waste from dustbins.
• If they can find enough food pigeons breed the whole year-round, with a peak between March and July.
• Seagulls will return year after year to the same nesting site, so once they’re established they’re hard to get rid of.
• Seagulls can live a long time – up to 40 years – during which time they can keep on breeding.

Bird Removal Tactics

The best way to discourage birds for good is to remove their food sources, however, in busy urban areas, this is not always a practical solution.

If birds are causing a nuisance at your business premises there are a number of tactics that you can try:

Removing access to nesting sites (for instance by putting barriers over window ledges) can be an effective bird deterrent. Keep any possible food sources well hidden. Make sure bin lids are secure and rubbish bags are not left in the open – gulls, especially, have sharp beaks that will make short work of bin bags.

Pigeons and seagulls can become a real nuisance for your business. It’s not just the mess they make; they can also damage your premises by dislodging roof tiles and blocking guttering.

There are a number of other problems that mean you should adopt bird control measures sooner rather than later. Pigeons and seagulls on your premises can:

Be a health hazard, by spreading diseases such as Ornithosis, E.Coli and Salmonella.

Deface buildings and vehicles with their droppings. They frequently foul entrances and pavements, which can become dangerously slippery.

Encourage insect infestations such as bird mites, textile beetles and fleas – these are attracted to their nests and roosting sites.

Attack customers and employees, especially during the breeding season when they are defending their young.

Signs of a Bird Infestation

You may not realize it but your business premises could be the ideal habitat for pest birds. Pigeons and seagulls have learned how to survive in most environments, scavenging our waste food and needing only the smallest amount of shelter to make their nests.

Here are just some of the ways they’ve adapted to make use of the urban environment:

• Pigeons and seagulls use seemingly inhospitable areas of tall buildings and flat roofs to nest.
• Balconies, ledges, chimney stacks, guttering, and culverts are favorite areas for these birds.
• Seagulls, in particular, like to flock together on flat roofs.
• Any gap larger than 25mm that allows access to your building is a potential entry point for pigeons.
• Pigeons prefer roof spaces to roost in and can shift loose or damaged tiles to get in

Pigeon or Seagull Infestation Signs

• Birds settling on roofs or ledges.
• Continuous bird cries, especially from young chicks.
• Nesting materials strewn about your premises.
• Damaged stock, from pecking and bird fouling.
• Droppings concentrated in areas where birds roost.
• Debris from nests and feathers, which may block guttering and drainage systems, potentially leading to damp damage.

Ecopoise’s Bird Treatments

Our avian specialists are experienced in how to get rid of pest birds at your place of work, whatever the location. Using discreet, cost-effective methods of pest bird removal like bird proofing or netting, we can get rid of your pigeon or gull problem without harming the birds.

How to Get Rid of Mice

Mice look for access to buildings for food and shelter. They search for easy, abundant sources of food and undisturbed areas to nest. By removing available food sources, your home or business will be less attractive to mice. You will also help to reduce food contamination risks and the spread of disease.

Mice are not fussy eaters and will seek out leftovers on worktops, possibly spreading pathogens and diseases such as Salmonella, Leptospirosis or Hantavirus, as they search for food.

Using cats or plants to get rid of mice

Getting a cat to deter mice is an old wives’ tale. Cats do instinctively hunt mice, but a pet is rarely effective mouse control.

There are also several plants that mice allegedly dislike, including peppermint, chamomile, lavender, cloves, and chilies. These could be used as a minor deterrent, but none can promise a mouse-free home or business.

Learn more about preventing access to mice in the first place

It is natural to feel uncomfortable if you have mice, but there is no need to worry. This is a common problem that can be solved quickly.

Finding mice in your home or business can be very distressing. Mice are known to spread disease as they search for food and shelter.
This poses great health risks in kitchens or where children play.

Their natural and constant gnawing habit means mice can also cause great damage to your property, furnishings, and equipment.
Simple measures like mouse proofing your property can help to protect you.

Looking for common signs of mice will also help to identify a problem early and ensure quick and effective treatment.

Signs of Mice

Have you heard scratching noises or noticed an unusual smell? You may have mice in your home. Mice can remain hidden for a long time before you even begin to suspect a problem.

If you find signs of activity, our BPCA certified technicians are able to confirm the presence of mice and offer a safe, targeted treatment for your home or business.

Mice Infestation Signs

• Droppings – 50/ 80 droppings a night, small and dark (approx. 3 – 8 mm in length), scattered randomly, check inside or on cupboard tops or along skirting.
• Grease marks (smudges or smears) – Caused by their bodies brushing against walls, floors and skirting on regular routes, dark smears around holes or around corners.
• Urine pillars – In established or heavy infestations, body grease, combined with dirt and urine, builds up into small mounds, up to 4cm high and 1cm wide.
• Scratching noises – Often at night when mice are most active. Listen for noises between partition walls, under floorboards, in false ceilings, basements, and lofts.
• Nests – Using easy to shred materials, mice then line the nest with other soft materials. Check lofts, suspended ceilings, cavity walls, under floorboards and behind fridges, under stoves and in airing cupboards.
• Tracks (footprints) – Dusty environments such as unused lofts and basements can show up rodent tracks and tail marks. To check for activity, sprinkle flour, talcum powder or china clay and check the next day for fresh tracks.
• Live or dead mice – Spotting a mouse during the daytime can be an indication of a heavy infestation.
• Strong smell – Mice urinate frequently and their wee has a strong ammonia-like smell. The stronger the smell the closer you are to mice activity. This smell can linger for a long time (even after an infestation has been removed).

Dangers of Rodents

In the past century alone, more than 10 million people have died from rodent-borne diseases. Although rodents are not major threats to our everyday health, it is justified to be concerned over the potential for rodents to transmit diseases. By their very nature and design, rodents make excellent “vehicles” for harboring and rapidly transporting diseases.

 

Lyme Disease

Description: Skin lesions, fever, headaches, arthralgias

Carrier: All rodents

Mode of Transmission: Rodent tick bite

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Salmonella (Food Poisoning)

Description: Causes intestinal disorders

Carrier: Rats, Mice

Mode of Transmission: Rodent feces contamination

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Rat-Bite Fever

Description: Relapsing fever that may last several months

Carrier: Rats, Mice

Mode of Transmission: Bacteria in mouth and nose of rodent, transmitted via bite or scratch

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Typhus

Description: Fever, headache, rash, respiratory attack

Carrier: Rats, Mice

Mode of Transmission: Rat flea bite

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Plague

Description: Attacks circulatory & respiratory systems

Carrier: Various rodents

Mode of Transmission: Rodent flea bite or by handling an infected animal

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Pox (Rickettsial)

Description: Lesion followed by fever, headache, rash

Carrier: House Mouse

Mode of Transmission: Bite of a mite which lives on mice

Snake Bites

Snake awareness is important in protecting you and your family from snake bites.

• Be aware of the dangers, know the signs of snakes and take steps to avoid them.
• ‘Proof’ your home and garden.
• Know the symptoms and appropriate treatment.

Types of Venomous Snake Bites

CYTOTOXIC – An agent or process that is toxic to cells and suppresses cell function or causes cell death.

HAEMOTOXIC – An agent or process that kills red blood cells and prevents clotting resulting in internal and external bleeding.

NEUROTOXIC – An agent or process that is destructive or deadly to nerves or nervous tissue.

Where You Might Find Snakes

• Reptile Habitats – Nature reserves of heathland or rough grassland, disused quarries, large allotments, large derelict urban sites or sunny road and railway embankments with scrub cover.
• Garden Features – Wood, rock or rubble piles, rockeries, ponds, long grass areas, and shrubs.
• Sunny Areas – Sun trap areas with lots of vegetation cover and places to shelter.
• Gardens, parks or other grassed areas – Be prepared to find reptiles if you lift up debris or are near features such as hedges, ponds, compost heaps and areas of long grass.

Deter Snakes From Entering Your Property

Mow grass regularly to keep it short.

Clear low growing plants and shrubs that provide cover.

Remove rockeries, debris, wood or log piles. Keep compost heaps in a sealed bin.

Fill holes that they can hide in – under sheds, patios, and walls.

Putting close fitting fences or walls around ponds can be a deterrent.

Seen a snake?

Do not worry Ecopoise’s team of experts are qualified for the capture and removal of snakes.

Do’s and Don’ts of Treating Snake Bite

If no symptoms have occurred within half an hour of the bite then indications would be that it was not a venomous snake, it failed to inject any venom or the snake was very old and had little or no venom left.

DO

• Try to identify the snake; color, size, shape of the head, attacking method are useful.
• Loosen the Victim’s clothing and move them into the shade.
• Keep the victim calm and still; movement will increase blood flow and transport the venom to the heart much faster.
• Immobilize the limb but do NOT restrict blood flow unless you are certain the bite was from a snake that delivers neurotoxic venom.
• Clean and dress the wound being careful not to apply pressure and cause bruising.
• Be prepared to administer CPR if necessary.
• Get the victim to a hospital quickly.

DO NOT

While there can be differences of opinion as to what we should do for snake bites the consensus of opinion as to what not to do is reasonably consistent:

• Allow the victim to exercise or stress themselves.
• Cut the bite or attempt to suck the venom out.
• Give the victim anything to eat or drink especially alcohol.
• Use potassium permanganate crystals or solution near or on the bite wound.
• Use soapy water round the bite wound.
• Leave pressure bandages on too long.
• Leave the victim alone.
• Apply ice to the wound.
• Soak the affected limb in any solution.