• 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Silverfish

    A cigar-shaped, silver-grey, wingless insect about 12mm long, found in damp areas commonly in kitchens and bathrooms. Nocturnal in habit, but often trapped in baths, basins or chinaware as it cannot climb the smooth surfaces. Moves quickly and has three long bristles at the tail end.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Slugs

    A well-known garden pest, Slugs will eat vegetation and are only occasionally found indoors, in damp areas such as cellars. Despite their appearance, Slugs are harmless and is only a minor agricultural/amenity pest.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Snakes

    In the UK snakes are not dealt with as pests by an average pest control company as problems are not common and dealing with snakes requires particular skills. As stated in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is illegal to kill, injure or sell any native British snake or lizard including Grass Snakes, Adders and Slow worms.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Sparrows

    Rarely a problem in domestic situations, but frequently an issue in commercial premises such as bakeries and warehouses. Sparrows can enter buildings through tiny gaps and, once in, are very difficult to remove.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Spider Beetles

    A group of beetles with globular abdomens and relatively long legs, superficially resembling small spiders, 3-4mm long. General scavengers of all sorts of animal and vegetable debris and stored food, and frequently associated with old birds’ nests. The Golden Spider Beetle (below) is covered with golden hairs while the Globular Spider Beetle is a shiny, dark brown colour. . More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Spiders

    In the UK, native spiders are not considered dangerous, or a threat to health but some households suffer from ‘nuisance’ house spiders, and because of common fears (arachnophobia), many require pest control.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Stable Flies

    Closely resembles the Housefly, but this fellow bites. Uncommon indoors but breeds in long grass, straw or grass cuttings where there are horses or other animals. . More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Starlings

    Although a native to this country, our permanently resident starling population is swelled every autumn by migrants arriving from the Continent. Starlings may roost in their thousands on ledges on buildings and in trees in city centres. Their droppings deface and erode stonework and make pavements slippery. In domestic lofts, their nesting activities can build large piles of twigs, leaves and associated fouling. Insect and mite pests can find their way from this into the house.. More

  • 21 November 2019

    Pest advice for controlling Stored Product Insects (SPIs)

    Have you brought something home from the shop riddled with insects? Are you a manufacturer of food products and you want to keep them safe from infestation? If you're sick of stored product insects, you're in the right place. . More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Termites

    Social insects which may live in communities of many millions of individuals. In tropical and sub-tropical countries they are major pests of timber buildings. Not presently found in the UK but global warming may allow them to establish in the south of England.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Thrips

    Also known as “thunder-flies”, tiny (1.5mm) insects, black with narrow, hairy wings. They feed on plant sap and on humid summer days they may occur in huge numbers on window sills and get into clothing and hair.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Ticks

    Closely related to the mites, but much larger and reliant on vertebrate blood. They are occasionally brought into the house on domestic animals and can be picked up by humans after walking through long grass in an infested area. Ticks are implicated in the transmission of Lyme disease, and medical advice should be sought if a rash appears at the site of a bite. Remove them with a twist to avoid leaving the mouthparts in the skin.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Voles

    Usually confused with Brown Rats, these small, blunt-nosed rodents can occasionally enter buildings, but normally live in outdoor burrows. Not regarded as a household pest, and in fact, some species such as the water vole are a protected species and cannot be harmed.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Wasps

    Are you worried about wasp stings? Have you found a wasps’ nest? Learn all about wasp nest treatments in our ultimate wasp pest control guide. Get rid of wasps for good. . More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Weevils

    A term frequently misused to describe beetles in general, but is applicable only to a distinctive group of beetles with long, pointed “snouts” which they use for boring into whole grains, hard processed cereals such as pasta, and timber. Mainly pests of stored cereals on farms.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Wharf Borer

    A brown beetle, about 1cm long, with pronounced antennae and a tendency to emerge from damp basements and fly about near rivers or estuaries in early summer. The grubs live in very decayed wet timber such as old jetties or wooden piles. These beetles sometimes invade buildings built over old bombed sites with timbers buried under them for a few odd days. . More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest Advice for controlling Woodlice

    Woodlice are one of the few land crustaceans. They have oval, grey, segmented bodies 10-15mm long, with 14 legs and prominent antennae. Common names include ‘slaters’, ‘sow-bugs’ and ‘pill-bugs’.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Woodworm

    A term used for the destructive larvae of the Common Furniture Beetle. The first sign of woodworm is the appearance of neat round holes, 2mm across, in wooden surfaces, often accompanied by tiny piles of wood dust beneath them. Fresh holes show clean white wood inside. Emerging adult beetles make the holes. Immature grubs may still be tunnelling away inside the wood.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest Advice for controlling Woolly Bears

    The small hairy larvae of the carpet or fur beetles are known as "woolly bears". These small, oval beetles have outstripped the clothes moths as the major British textile pest. The larvae are small (about 4mm long), covered in brown hairs, and tend to roll up when disturbed. As they grow, they moult - and the old cast-off skins may be the first sign of infestation.. More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Worms

    Parasitic worms are a veterinary or medical problem but they are included here because some may be transmitted by rats, mice or certain insects. Threadworms are relatively common in dogs, cats and children. They are thin whitish wrigglers about 5mm long, typically only detected after they have passed out of the gut. They may cause intense anal itching at night in young children. The trouble starts when threadworms’ eggs are swallowed with unwashed, contaminated fruit or raw vegetables or from food handled by unwashed hands. . More

  • 28 November 2017

    Pest advice for controlling Yellow Swarming Fly

    One of the species collectively known as Cluster Fly family. A small yellowish fly with black stripes on its back which sometimes invades attics or rarely-used rooms to hibernate in autumn.. More

  • 07 November 2017

    Pest Aware campaign kicks off with Great British Spring Clean

    Educating end users about the value of pest control continues to be a big-ticket agenda item for BPCA. 2018 will see BPCA scale up its campaign to demonstrate the value of pest control to the wider world.. More

  • 21 August 2019

    Pest awareness for everyone

    Jane Shepherd from BPCA’s agency, Shepherd PR, talks about why it’s important to have a concentrated PR effort.. More

  • 09 February 2018

    Pest Awareness Week is just rubbish

    The inextricable link between litter and pests is clear. More rubbish, particularly food stuffs, supports the emergence of pests, and rodent infestations particularly.. More

  • 26 February 2018

    Pest Awareness Week kicks off with war on litter to tackle rodent numbers

    BPCA is urging the public to be mindful of the link between pests and litter as part of a week-long event to raise awareness of the issue of species such as rats and mice in public spaces.. More