Dealing with pests in your home

Clothes moths

Normal moths cause us very little nuisance. However, if you’ve ever pulled out your lovely wool jumpers out for winter and found them full of tiny holes, you might have clothes moths. Clothes moths are a specific type of moths that like to eat natural fibres. You will most commonly find them in your wool or cotton clothing, but sometimes in your carpets or your bedding if they are made of natural materials.

Washing the affected clothes or areas is the best way to get rid of clothes moths. There are lots of over the counter treatments for moths – just make sure they are pet and child safe. There are lots of natural remedies to get rid of clothes moths, some people find cedarwood and cedar oil in your wardrobes and drawers are an effective moth repellent.

Fleas

Those of us with cats and dogs who go outside know that we’re at risk of fleas visiting sometimes, but they’re easy to prevent and treat. Occasionally fleas can get into your home through other means, such as a piece of furniture that’s been infected, or if you’ve visited a friend's home that has a flea problem you can bring them back on your clothes. If a flea problem is left untreated they can be really hard to get out of your carpets and other soft furnishings so it’s important to act quickly.

If fleas come into the house on your pets, get them a regular flea treatment. Ask for vet for advice on the best flea treatment for your pet, you can buy flea treatment at any vet, pet shop or supermarket. To get rid of fleas that have got in your rugs, carpet and furniture, you can purchase a home flea spray, and then vacuum really thoroughly to get rid of any remaining fleas or eggs. If you’ve got a really serious flea problem that you can’t solve using these tips, or you’re not sure how the fleas are coming in, or they keep coming back, contact your local authority for advice.

Garden insects: Slugs, caterpillars and ants

It’s really normal to have slugs, caterpillars and ants in your garden, and you might see them more frequently in different seasons. They’re mostly harmless and don’t cause too much of a nuisance, but if you do have a problem with them, or they start coming inside the house, they’re incredibly easy to get rid of.

You can buy lots of over the counter treatments to get rid of these creatures. The best plan of action is to find where they’re entering from and leave the treatment on the outside wall to prevent them coming in in the first place. You might find that

If you’ve got a vegetable garden and you find slugs are getting in, you can buy environmentally friendly slug-pellets that won’t harm your vegetables or any pets.

Rats and Mice

Having rats and mice in your home can be really stressful. Rodents like these tend to be scavengers and they’re attracted to food, rubbish and overgrown gardens. They tend to enter homes through drainpipes or holes in the outer walls or loft in your home. You might find that they’re more attracted to older homes than new ones, as it can be easier for them to get in.

To prevent rats and mice there are a few things you can do inside and outside of your house to stop attracting them. Try not to leave any uncovered pet food outside as this is incredibly attractive to rodents. If you have a bird feeder, try to make sure it’s quite high up as bird feed can encourage them too. If you have bins, compost or food waste outside, make sure it’s properly covered. Inside your home, make sure your food is properly sealed in airtight containers. Even things like the crumbs under your toaster can attract them so make sure things like this are cleaned regularly.

Keeping your garden clean, clear and free or rubbish or old unwanted items can really help to prevent rats and mice being attracted to your home and garden.

If you are experiencing rats or mice in your home, please tell us. When you get in contact, it’ll be really useful for us to know if you can see where they’re coming in so we can carry out a repair to block their access. We’ll also ask whether there’s anything that might be encouraging the rats or mice, such as a communal bin store or overgrown garden. Your local authority will be able to help you with rats or mice, but there might be a charge. It can take up to three visits from pest control to get rid of rats or mice.

Silverfish

You might have seen silverfish in your bathroom. They like damp, wet environments. They are usually harmless but you might find them to be a nuisance, as they can sometimes get into dried food, or damage your books or clothes. Luckily they’re easy to get rid of.

To make sure your home isn’t a nice damp environment for silverfish, make sure you regularly ventilate your kitchen and bathroom, or any other areas you find them, by opening windows and doors, and using your extractor fan. If you are worried you have a damp or mould problem in your home, contact us right away so we can help you. To get rid of silverfish, you can buy treatments online or in most supermarkets.

Spiders

Lots of us hate spiders, but we’re lucky that most of the spiders in the UK are absolutely harmless. Spiders, like us, can be particular about the weather so you might find they come inside more in the winter months.

There are lots of ways you can make your home less welcoming to spiders. Vacuuming and dusting regularly will keep them away, and often essential oils like peppermint, tea tree and cinnamon can repel them without harming them. For the most part, if you see one or two spiders in your home you can just trap them in a glass and place them back outside. But if you’re worried about the quantity or type of spiders you’re seeing in your home, contact your local authority or a pest controller.

Squirrels

It’s really unusual to have squirrels causing a nuisance in your home or garden. But occasionally if you live in an area with lots of trees, they might find their way into your roof or loft space

If you’re worried you’ve got squirrels in the loft, please do contact us so we can have a look at where they might be coming in and how we can move them on.