Also known as common or sewer rats. The life expectancy of a wild rat is approx 10-14 months. During this time a female can breed 5 to 7 times with litter sizes between 6 and 12 young each time. Breeding occurs all year round and it is possible for a breeding pair to be responsible for up to 800 young. They are excellent climbers and are well known for their ability to swim very well. They tend to stay within a home range of about 15 to 30 metres but if there is a shortage of a regular food source they are prepared to travel up to 1km.

They are known to carry certain diseases such as Weils, Salmonella and rat bite fever. The bacteria can enter the body through cuts in the skin and also through contact with contaminated water.Rats are primarily nocturnal but may be active during daylight hours when the population is high. They will eat nearly any type of food such as cereal, grains, meats, fish and nuts. Food items from household rubbish offer a balanced diet and usually satisfies their moisture needs. Rats have poor eyesight and depend on hearing and their excellent sense of smell.

Usually brown or grey in colour. Mice will eat pretty much most types of food available but they do have a preference for cereals. They breed even more rapidly than rats. Each female can have between 4 and 16 young each time and up to 10 litters per year. Their reproduction in theory could produce nearly 2000 offspring in a year from a breeding pair.

They need to gnaw to keep their teeth down and this results in razor sharp teeth which allows them to chew through soft metal, wood and even some types of stone. Mice live for about 12 months. Because of the fact that they do not have a need for a ready supply of water they can quite comfortably live indoors. Mice can be responsible for the spread of salmonella. As they travel along they dribble urine as they are moving. It is essential therefore to disinfect the area if you are suspicious about having an infestation in your home or workplace.

The whole process for ants begins with their mating in July / August. This takes place when the males and females take to flight and mate while swarming. This mating can last for 2/3 hours. All of the males will die off. The female then bites off her wings where she will then either return to her original nesting place or find a new suitable location for her young. Here she will remain until the following Spring when she will commence laying her eggs. These eggs will start the new nest. Once hatched they will then become the workers and tend to the larvae, search for food and look after the queen.

The workers lay scent trails as they move with the effect of guiding the other workers to the food. This process takes the shape of “marching”. Although ants are not known to carry disease they can cause damage to property by tunneling or burrowing. They can cause cross contamination of food by walking across areas which can be infected.

Wasp nests can appear wherever the queen decides to build a nest. Places like garden sheds, cavity walls, rolls of disused carpets or even the attic are all likely places to find an active nest. The fertilised queens will hibernate over Winter and with the emergence of Spring they find a suitable nesting site and lay 10-20 eggs. She looks after these eggs herself until they emerge as sterile female workers.

These workers then take on the responsibility of looking after the maintenance and expansion of the nest whilst the queen continues to rapidly grow the size of the colony. The peak of the nest is usually in September when there can be between 5 and 10 thousand wasps within the colony.At this time the fertile male and female will be laid. As these mate the females will become next years queens. The whole process then starts all over again into the following year.

The German cockroach is the most common cockroach in this part of the world. It can be found in homes, apartments, restaurants, hospitals or other buildings where food is stored. The adults are pale brown in colour. Adults are winged but rarely fly. Under ideal conditions they can live for up to 12 months.The female carries an egg case containing up to 40 eggs and can produce up to 8 cases per year. So in a favourable location can produce up to 400 offspring.

They are nocturnal and will run away when exposed to a light source. If they are appearing during daylight hours this can mean an excessively heavy infestation.They are capable of living for up to a month without food. Their favourite hiding and breeding places are cracks and crevices. German cockroaches will cause troublesome infestations which develop rapidly after the introduction of a few individuals. They can be brought in with the groceries or might even migrate from a nearby infested dwelling. They normally inhabit the kitchen or bathroom. They can often be found behind the likes of the fridge, dishwasher or washing machine.

Cockroaches are perhaps the most disagreeable insects to inhabit our space. In addition to their repulsive annoying characteristics, they eat and contaminate human food. Foraging or feeding cockroaches spread human disease by depositing organisms on our food and other household items.

Adult fleas are dark mahogony in colour. They can generally be found in carpets, bedding, under furniture, birds nests and where pets are living. 70% of the complaints to do with fleas are as a result of the cat flea but there are more than 3000 known species.They feed on blood and after each feed the female will lay 4 to 8 eggs in the fur or the bedding of the host. A typical infested cat bedding could have 8000 eggs and 2000 adult fleas. A single female is capable of producing 1000eggs in her lifespan which can last up to 2 years.After 1 week the eggs hatch. Then after 2/3 weeks of growing they spin a tiny cocoon.

They can then remain dormant for up to 8 months in this state until the vibrations of a host can be felt and cause them to hatch and leap on to the host.Although fleas are generally known to carry disease there is little evidence to suggest that they transmit any serious illness. Their bites are more likely to cause skin irritation.

The house fly can live for up to 15 to 20 days. The female will lay her eggs in batches on average between 75 – 150 per batch. In her lifetime she will lay 5 – 6 batches. The eggs are laid in moist material and the lava (maggots) will hatch in about 8 – 20 hours depending on conditions.Houseflies usually stay within 1 to 2 miles of their release point. During the day they tend to stay less than 1.5 metres from the ground. At night they tend to rest above that height and usually nearer their feeding point.

Worldwide people have been known to die from diseases from flies, such as food poisoning, diarrhea and dysentery. As a result of this people should keep foodstuffs covered when flies are about because of the risk of contamination.

Commonly known as clothes moths, they can usually be found flying around lights and windows. These will be the adult variety. However, these adults may have laid their eggs into carpets, mats or clothing. In time, depending on the prevailing conditions within the property, the eggs will hatch and the resulting larvae will happily feed on whatever material they find themselves within.

They have been known to cause immense damage to carpets and clothing if left undetected or untreated. It is highly unlikely that any household product bought over the counter will successfully cure this type of outbreak. It would be advisable to engage the services of a trained professional pest control technician.

There are literally thousands of variety of beetles in existence worldwide. Needless to say, in this country we suffer with a very small proportion of these insects. These can generally be broken down into 3 distinct categories:

Food product beetles

Wood product beetles

Fabric product beetles

As the title suggests the type of beetle will almost always stay close to it’s food source. So if, for example, you find a number of insects inside a cereal packet it is advisable to remove the packet from where the product is being stored to prevent spreading. Throwing the product away may not necessarily cure the problem, particularly if the product has been stored in the area for days or weeks. The insects may have spread.

Not all beetles come indoors but if you discover them inside your property it is advisable to take notice. One or two insects is never a cause for concern. This might simply be as a result of something coming in an open door. If you do discover large quantities you would be well advised to consult a trained professional for a quotation.

There are lots of reasons as to why birds are not welcome on your property. Property damage from nesting sites, including:

Blocking vents / gutters

Increased cleaning costs from unsightly droppings

Risk of disease or infection

Nesting sites are renowned for creating the perfect environment for housing both mites and lice. Droppings will contain spores and in the wrong location can be inhaled and potentially cause danger to humans. These are issues which require the expertise of trained professionals. We at Aabacus are fully licenced to deal with these and a wide variety of pest related issues. We are available to provide free quotations and are just a call away.