Quick video of the first night I had some traps down in a property in Thatcham just outside Newbury in Berkshire, in the video you can see how nervous the rat is around the traps, this is known as neophobia and is common amongst rats it basically means an extreme or irrational fear or dislike of anything new or unfamiliar. This is extremely common when dealing with a rat infestation but with the help of motion cameras like the ones we use helps us in determining where is best to place traps to have a successful treatment. 

Here at Abbey Pest Control we have had several calls over the passed few weeks about carpet beetles. Carpet beetles are similar to carpet moths in that their larvae will feed upon carpets, clothing and furniture and are a real nuisance around Reading and Berkshire. 

 

Carpet beetles are about 1.7mm – 3.5mm with a roundish body, they have a white, brown and yellow pattern over their body (see photo). 

A collection of rodents caught on our motion cameras, no footage of any rodents being caught in traps. 

These videos have been taken from all over the Reading and Berkshire area and also includes a couple of surprise guests at the end. 

With the surprise taste of Spring we had here Berkshire in February, we have seen some Queen wasps emerging from hibernation a little earlier than usual, these Queen wasps will be looking for suitable nesting sites for the upcoming warmer summer months. 

 

Wasps can start on building their nests as early as March so now is the time you may start noticing some wasps around your home, especially within the loft or around the roof of your property. Some nests may not become active enough to notice until the end of May or early June and due to the warmer weather, we have been having here in the UK, along with the very mild winters, wasps can now remain active as far into the season as December. 

When it comes to pest control there are 2 different methods that a pest controller can use to eradicate a rat, mouse or squirrel infestation: toxic and non-toxic. The toxic method is the use of poisons to kill off the rodents in or around a building, the toxic approach can sometimes be a quick solution but also comes with the most risk, these risks can be: 

 

- Rats or mice dying within wall cavities and underneath floors. This can lead to maggots, flies and unpleasant smells as the rodent may be inaccessible. These smells and side effects can last a few weeks and create a nuisance for the home or business owner. 

 

- Poisoned rodents can also die outside or within reach of other animals. This can risk poisoning a non-target animal, mainly birds of prey, foxes or even domestic pets. Any toxic treatment carried out by a pest control technician needs to be monitored regularly to look for carcases, especially if the treatment is external as the rodents need to be disposed of appropriately. 

The brown rat is the most common rat in the UK and goes by several different names including common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat, Parisian rat, water rat or wharf rat. 

 

The brown rat originated in China but is now the most common rat globally and can be found on nearly all continents. The brown rat is generally found living among humans, more so in urban areas where it can easily gain access to properties and food sources. The brown rat will feed on anything from food found within your home, to waste left outside for bin collections, food left out for birds and even dog or cat faeces. 

When it comes to rodent control there are several things a pest controller should be looking for when starting a new treatment, one of the biggest of these is how the rodents are gaining entry. Without establishing this you could be leaving home and business owners open to new infestations in the near future. At Abbey Pest Control we offer full surveys when starting new treatments to ascertain: 

 

• What type of infestation the property has (droppings can be helpful) 

• Where in the property the pests are frequenting, this helps us lay traps most efficiently 

• To identify entry points 

We cover a number of pests at Abbey Pest Control, not just rats, mice and bedbugs! We’ve been working on a site over the past few weeks just outside of our catchment area in Reading, Berkshire to help customers stop pigeons from roosting at their property and making an unsightly and hazardous mess. 

At Abbey Pest Control we also offer contracts for a range of commercial businesses, our existing commercial customers include lettings agents, convenience stores, pubs, restaurants, takeaways, hotels and builders’ yards. 

We are now entering the season where rats, mice and squirrels are looking for nice warm homes to seek shelter from the colder weather. Unfortunately, this could easily be your home if there are voids through which they can squeeze. Rats, mice and squirrels can easily gain access to properties through the smallest of holes, such as those found in broken airbricks or unsealed weep holes, they can even gain access through elevated voids if there is suitable vegetation for them to climb.