Common Rat or Brown Rat

Typical characteristics and breeding activity for an adult Common Rat

The common rat is considered a public health pest because of its adverse effects upon human populations. Rats have been responsible for the spread of various diseases to people and domestic animals. The common rat is of particular importance because of this close association with humans. Amongst the many diseases carried by rats, Plague is the most infamous. It is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted to humans from fleas. In Britain today, there are other rodent-borne diseases of more immediate concern. For example, Leptospirosis commonly referred to as ‘Weils disease’, pronounced veils. The disease is transmitted to humans in the urine of infected rats. It is usually associated with watercourses, sewage systems, and cesspools, even moist soil where there is an infestation of rats. Another disease of particular importance is Salmonella. Other rodent-borne diseases include rat-bite fever and typhoid. Parasites caused by rodents include ringworm, roundworm, mites, tapeworm, ticks and fleas.

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Common House Mouse

Typical characteristics and breeding activity for an adult Common Mouse

Head & Body Length	Weight	Sexually Mature	Litter Size
70 to 90 mm	15g	8 to 12 weeks	5 to 6

The house mouse is of particular importance because of its close association with humans and the relative ease it can spread disease among people, animals and foodstuffs. Mice are capable of causing almost as much damage and pose just as great a risk to health as the rat. This is due to its habit of nibbling small amounts of a wide variety of foodstuffs and urinating over a great deal more. Parasites caused by mice include ringworm, mites, tapeworm and ticks.

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Common Wasps & German Wasps

Both species are common throughout Britain. They are social insects, forming colonies inside nests specially constructed in the ground, in cavities, trees and walls, and very frequently in roof spaces. Wasps are approx. 10 to 20 mm long and have the famous black and yellow stripes. It is probably the only insect that everybody knows instantly what it is, and what it is capable of doing, delivering painful and sometimes fatal stings. 

The main hazard is the risk of ‘anaphylactic shock’ which can arise from even a single wasp sting, which may lead to death. Wasps also visit dustbins, waste depots and dead animal bodies which can lead to the spread of disease and contamination of foodstuffs.

Biology of Common Wasps & German Wasps

The over-wintering and fertilised queen wasp emerges from hibernation around mid April and searches for a suitable site for her colony. From chewed bark and dried timber mixed with saliva she makes the initial "cell" which is around the size of a golf ball. Within individual chambers inside this cell she lays between 10 and 20 eggs feeding the resultant larvae on insects and other invertebrates. The emergent first brood of adult workers (sterile female wasps) takes over the task of enlarging the wasp's nest and providing food for the subsequent eggs laid by the queen. By late summer, the average wasp's nest will contain between 3 to 5 thousand wasps and be up to 30 cm across. During the latter part of the summer males and young queens emerge (fertile female wasps), mating takes place, and the fertilised queens fly away to select suitable over-wintering sites. With the onset of cooler of cooler weather, the workers and few remaining males become sluggish, and their feeding on ripe and over-ripe fruit can produce a "tipsy" behaviour leading to aggression towards anyone interfering with them. The onset of the cold winter weather kills off all the worker and male wasps, with only fertilised queens surviving individually in hibernation, ready to start new colonies in the following spring.

Old wasp's nests are not re-used although a new nest may be built close to an old one.

As a general rule, you should not attempt to treat wasps nests by yourself. It is likely to be difficult and potentially dangerous. On no account should you remove a nest from the roof space without advice first. Play safe and leave it to the experts!.

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Fleas

There are various different species of fleas, which feed on various mammals and birds, and all are of similar appearance. The most common ones to be found in houses and offices are the cat and dog fleas. Adult fleas are approx. 2 to 5mm long and are flat (side to side), the opposite way to bedbugs. They have long legs that enable them to jump vertically to heights of 10 to 18 inches. They vary in colour from dark grey through to dark mahogany brown.

Persistent attacks can result in a build up of tolerance to the infestation, and there are many examples of families moving around housing estates, taking fleas with them, but being unaware that they are transporting fleas around. On the other hand their new neighbour's may soon become aware of the presence of fleas, resulting in significant irritation and loss of sleep. Fleas are still very much disliked because of the bites they inflict, and the deep-rooted social stigma attached to humans with flea infestations. Many flea species are known to be carriers of disease, the most infamous is the Plague.

The irritation seems to be a reaction to the saliva injected into host’s skin to prevent the blood clotting during feeding. The larvae of the flea are not in contact with humans at all, feeding as they do in the dust and debris on the floor or on the bedding. When larvae hatch, the adult flea will remain dormant until stimulated by the vibration of a potential host. This dormant stage can be for a considerable amount of time.

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Bedbugs

These are approx. 5mm long,  mahogany brown in colour and are flattened from top to bottom. After feeding, the body swells and becomes reddened. The young stages are very similar to the adults, but are paler in colour. Bedbugs are blood feeders, and have a sharpened proboscis (mouthparts) to enable them to take a blood meal from their host. They will take up to seven times their own body weight in blood at any one time.

Bedbugs cannot fly so have to crawl around, sometimes being transported into buildings on clothing, luggage and furniture. Their ability to go without food for many months and being a very hardy insect has enables them to survive and spread in this such way.

Bedbugs are not regarded as disease carriers, but their blood feeding can cause severe irritation in some people, resulting in loss of sleep, lack of energy, particularly in children. The bite often gives rise to a hard, whitish swelling which distinguishes it from the fleabite, which is a dark red spot surrounded by a reddened area. Some individuals have even been known to gain immunity from bedbug bites. Added to this is the distaste and social stigma attached with which these insects are regarded. The very thought of being preyed upon by such insects is quite sufficient to make most people take immediate action against them. They are often associated with un-cleanliness, but bedbugs are not fussy, and will just as readily feed off clean skin. Bedbugs have even been known to create slum-housing areas by driving away householders with reasonable standards of hygiene, leaving behind those who are less concerned with such matters.

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Feral Pigeons

Today the pigeon is the most serious bird pest associated with human habitations. The pigeon is approx. 31 to 34cm in length. The colour is generally blue grey with two black bars across the rear half of the inner wing. The neck and upper breast has a purple-green gloss. Variations in colour frequently occur, from reddish through to near black, and chequered versions due to infiltration from racing stock.

Pigeons are widely distributed and are frequently found in large flocks in cities and built up areas. They are often seen in parks and near pavements feeding on foods provided by people. Their natural diet consists of grains and seeds, but they have adapted well to city life, often relying mainly on scraps, such as cake, bread and wild seed given or left by the general public. Pigeons will breed throughout the year, the peak being between March and July.

Pigeons have a negative effect when they associate too closely with people. Pigeons are often both serious nuisances and pests capable of transmitting diseases, contaminating our food and damaging our buildings.

Much of the damage caused by pigeons arises from their infestation of buildings. Heavy fouling occurs at the places where the birds roost, such as monuments and large buildings with ledges. This is not only unsightly, but will also have a destructive effect, as the acidic droppings will erode the stonework over time. Gutters and down-pipes often become blocked, leading to localised flooding and associated problems.

Pigeons frequently deposit their droppings on pavements, people, buildings, park benches, statues and cars. The droppings are not only unsightly and smelly, but can permanently stain and corrode some metals. Large amounts of droppings can severely damage and even kill valuable trees and other vegetation. Droppings on pavements can also cause a dangerous slipping hazard that can lead to serious injury. It is particularly important to keep external fire escapes free from fouling.

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