Enjoying a lazy day in the sunshine, hanging washing out to dry or playing games with your kids – whatever you use your garden for, it’s your own personal haven. The last thing you want to find is that it has been infested by rats. Rat problems in your garden can be a source of stress and anxiety, especially with small children or pets around, but it’s important not to panic. To help you deal with rats that have taken up home in your garden, we’ve put together a quick guide. This will help you to assess whether you have a…
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Disturbing a rat’s nest is not something you should do. Doing so will only make things worse in the long run, regardless of whether you’re a homeowner or business owner. Rats are known to carry some serious diseases, posing a real danger to you and anyone around you. This can include leptospirosis, salmonellosis, plague, rat-bite fever, tularemia, bartonellosis and more. The pathogens that rats carry, usually in their fur, saliva, urine and droppings, can be spread even if you simply discover the nest and don’t actually come into direct contact with the rats themselves, because the particles become airborne. That’s why…
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Restaurants are a source of food, water and warmth, making them an ideal place for pests to shelter. Pest infestations are more than just an inconvenience; they can tarnish the reputation of a business and cause health violations. This can result in financial penalties, businesses being shut down or even criminal charges in cases of extreme negligence. With this in mind, the team at Pest Defence has created this guide offering key advice and information on how to keep your restaurant pest-free. Common restaurant pests Cockroaches – It is a common misconception that only dirty restaurants will be subject to a…
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During quiet moments at home, perhaps even in bed, if you start to hear strange noises coming from your walls it might be quite alarming. Is it a real sound? Is it something alive? And will it eventually make its way into my home? These are the questions that will naturally begin to run through your head, as it can be a confusing and disturbing time. The sound itself could be many things, but many people will immediately worry that it’s rats in the walls. That’s why this month at Pest Defence, we’re going to explore whether scratching in walls is…
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In the hot summer months, it is seemingly impossible to be unaware of the bugs around you. However, insects seem to disappear when colder temperatures arrive – both from our thoughts and the environment around us. But where do these insects go: surely they can’t all vanish as soon as winter hits? The team at Pest Defence is here to answer all your questions. How do bugs survive the winter? In order for bugs to survive the cold winter temperatures, they must adopt a survival strategy. This varies from species to species, but most insects have four options: Migration…
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For as long as humans have been around, there have been pests to bother us. Whether it’s flies and other insects or rodents and larger creatures, pest control has been a necessity almost from the beginning. While we don’t tend to be faced with all the same dangers as our ancestors – no sabre-tooth tigers, anyway – we have had to adapt the way we look at pest control as society and science has developed. Most pest control can be traced back to agricultural progress, but to give you an idea of just how far we’ve come, we thought we’d take…
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As summer and memories of heatwaves begin to fade, we move into darker mornings and evenings, cooler temperatures and the cosy feeling of autumn. However, with this changing of seasons comes the emergence of specific pests in your home and garden. While these pests are often present year-round, we thought we’d list the six pests you’re most likely to see and give a little bit of background as to why you see them in greater numbers at this time of year. Armed with this information, you can be better prepared to fend off unwelcome visitors — or at least get less…
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For many, squirrels are cute, furry creatures that are fun to watch scampering around in the garden, but did you know that grey squirrels are actually an invasive species that is not native to the UK? Their numbers have grown to the point where they have displaced the native red squirrel in many parts of the country. Aside from this, all squirrels can sometimes be a nuisance if you’d prefer to see birds in your garden, but they’re a real scourge of anyone who is trying to grow any kind of fruit, vegetable and even flower. Yes, that’s right, squirrels have…
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While we all hope to be living a clean and tidy lifestyle – whether that’s at home or the way you run your business – there are some things you may be doing that unintentionally attract pests to your property. Pest control is always a great way to deal with any pest issues that arise, but here at Pest Defence, we always say that prevention is often simpler than the cure. That’s why, this month, we’re going to highlight ten things people commonly do without realising it could attract pests, with the hope that by pointing these things out you can…
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It’s always happened, but it seems like it’s only recently that the event has acquired its own name: Flying Ant Day! You pop outside and suddenly notice the world seems full of winged ants, whether they are actually flying, walking around on any available surface, or dead and dying on the ground. You mention it to someone and they say they’ve noticed it that day as well, and so it has come to acquire this mystique where many people think there is literally one day when all the flying ants come out to play. But the truth isn’t quite that simple…
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