A) It is most likely that your bites are caused by fleas. Cat and dog fleas normally affect the lower legs of humans when the animal is not around to feed on. Not everyone in a household is necessarily affected by the reaction (the itchy red marks) caused by flea bites. The solution is to de-flea the cat with a suitable powder such as our “Flea and Parasite powder for pets” and then treat all pet bedding and the areas where the pet is allowed to roam with a combination of a spray and a powder flea killer from our online shop.

Q) My wife saw a mouse in the kitchen that ran behind the cooker. I looked behind, but could not find any signs of it. Could it be just one that has wandered in or could there be a nest of them living in the house.

A) A thorough search of likely harbourage areas is needed. In the kitchen, the areas most frequented are behind the fridge, freezer, cooker, washing machine and at the back of base units if accessible (usually by removing the front base plinth). Look for evidence of mice droppings, which are up to 5 mm long and normally black in colour.
Other places to check in the home are in the bathroom behind bath panels and in pipe boxing and if there is a hot water cylinder, behind and under any loose floorboards.
Remember, just because mice have not been noticed in other rooms, if they have been seen elsewhere, once they are in a house, they can easily gain access to other rooms through water and central heating pipes and electric wires. If evidence is found, we have products ideal for use inside or outside against mice.

Q) We are being woken up early most mornings by scratching noises in the roof void above the bedroom. Could this be mice or birds.

A) If the noises seem to be moving around in the roof space it is likely to be either rats, mice or possibly squirrels. Do you live in an area where squirrels are seen in the garden? If so, this is a possibility. Squirrels are superb climbers and can easily climb house walls if the brickwork is not smooth faced and from there into the roof void. Nesting in roofs is quite common, but they can cause damage to electrical wiring, creating a fire hazard in addition to being a nuisance. Live-catch traps are the most effective way of removing them and then sealing their entry point to prevent future entry. Against rats and mice, the most effective solution is specialist rodent baits and suitable trays or boxes, which can be purchased from our online shop.

Q) I have had a problem with ants in my kitchen from time to time, but I have found hundreds of what seem to be large ants with wings crawling out of one of my doorframes. Why are there suddenly so many of them?

A) You have an ants nesting site near to where you have seen the ants. It could be beneath the floor, especially if it is a solid floor, or perhaps outside close to the house.
What you have found are ants emerging to mate. This is quite common in the late summer, usually on hot days. The winged ants are mature males and queens that emerge to mate to create new nesting sites. The emerging ants should be sprayed with a specialist crawling insect aerosol. Around doorframes, the crevices should be treated with a Lacquer which will give long-term protection. Voids under skirtings and floors should be treated with a carbamate insecticide powder. Gel baits are also very useful. These baits are taken back to the nesting site, killing the nest. All products you need can be found in our online shop.

Q) I have seen wasps going into a hole in the ground in my garden. I have young children and am afraid they may be stung. Is it a wasps nest and what can I do?

A) Yes it more than likely is a wasps nest. The most common sites for wasps to nest are in the ground, in hedges, in airbricks in walls of houses, and under or above gutters on houses. As yours is in the ground and therefore reasonably accessible, a powder treatment at the entrance of the nest will be effective or if the nest can be seen, a spray or foam killer will be suitable. A sucessful treatment will kill the nest within 24 hours. N.B. treat the nest at dusk when the nest is not active.

Q) I have recently moved into a new house and have hundreds of minute insects on the windowsill. They are dark red and about pinhead size.

A) They are a mite, either Petrobia latens or Bryobia praetiosa, more likely the latter as this one is darker red in colour. However, both can be treated in the same way. These mites are quite common in summer months especially on new houses. If there is a grassed area very close to the house walls, cut it back to at least a metre from the house wall as it is this vegetation that they feed on. Spray a residual,pyrethrin insecticide to windowsill and doorframes on the outside of the house when the weather is dry. Do the same on the inside. This will kill the mites and help form a barrier that other mites will avoid. Remember that insecticides sprayed outdoors will be affected by the weather, so further treatments may be necessary. An excellent insecticide for this use is our “Patriot C” ready to use spray.