Please thank your operative who has killed all our bed bugs - he was polite and thorough...
Mr Uddin, London E17
Please thank your operative who has killed all our bed bugs - he was polite and thorough...
Mr Uddin, London E17
WASPS AND HORNETS
Wasps are one of the most disliked groups of insects in this country, however fear is often misplaced as wasps will only sting when they are aroused or frightened.
Wasps come from the order of Hymenoptera and family Vespidae which is neither a bee or an ant and they can be regarded as generally useful insects, helping to control other pests and cleaning up dead insect carcasses. However to most people they are regarded as nuisance pests and a threat to health. Wasps stings are an unpleasant experience for most people but to some they may prove fatal. There is a general myth that the sting from the wasp can be reduced when covered in vinegar however this theory has been proved untrue as it is more likely that the vinegar will irritate the sting as the sting is not alkaline.
There are a total of eleven species of true wasps however the most common types found in this country are the Common Wasp and the German Wasp. Over winter the Queen of the Common Wasp will usually hibernate in buildings or underground and the Queen of the German Wasp will hibernate in tree cavities and is normally found well away from buildings. The queen will then emerge in the spring time and start to build a nest, favourite places for theses nests are usually in the ground, hollow trees, eaves, attics or garden sheds. The queen will then lay her fist batch of eggs which then turn into workers and these workers will carry on with the construction of the nest whilst the queen lays more eggs, by the end of summer the nest will be consumed by around 20,000 wasps, which can cause a very big problem.
WASP IDENTIFICATION
Wasps have a narrow waist in the middle of the body and depending on their species they are usually 1-2cm in length. Wasps are distinctive in their appearance because of their bright yellow and black banding. The needle-like sting possessed only by females is concealed near the tip of the abdomen. Workers or queens are produced according to the diet of the grubs. Workers are smaller than queens and never lay fertilised eggs. Male wasps, which are also smaller than queens, develop from unfertilised eggs laid by queens or workers.
THE NESTS
Wasps nest are usually constructed from chewed bark and dried timber mixed with saliva, and is a light grey/beige colour with a papery appearance. If undisturbed and built in an unrestricted space, the nest can measure up to 90-120 cm in circumference towards the end of the summer months. A nest this size would contain between 3-5,000 individuals.
INTERESTING FACTS
HORNETS
Hornets are very similar to wasps and it is hard to differentiate between the two however hornets are larger in size and slightly darker in colour and sometimes displays a white area over their face. Hornets can be easier to identify when you have seen their nest as the nest is a round football shape and can usually be found hiding in trees, flowers or on old woods. Hornets are less aggressive than wasps and will not set out to sting unless provoked.
Treatment
Where nests are still small it is possible to treat the nest using the DIY sprays available from Millennium Pest Control.
During the summer months however the nest rapidly grow and can contain many thousands of wasps all of which can deliver a painful sting. Removal of these nests should not be treated lightly - the wasps become more agressive towards late summer and can swarm around the nest making treatment in enclosed areas such as loft spaces particularly dangerous.
Millennium Pest Control use professional insecticidal contact powder or direct permethrin spray to destroy the nest.
CALL THE WASP NEST DESTROYERS NOW ON 0800 0854460.
DEC
09th
We have compiled a list of the top ten pests within the London region over the last year.
Bed Bugs
Humans and warm blooded animals are the chosen food source for bed bugs and this has become the number 1 pest in London. These insects feed mostly at night when you are asleep causing small, hard bites on the skin. The bite can easily become inflamed and itchy and sometimes causes a blotchy reaction. Bed bugs will then hide away till they are ready for their next meal. They can be very difficult to erradicate - we very often undertake two treatments to make sure they don't return...
JUL
31st
There has been a huge increase in the demand for wasp nest eradication and the wasps season is now well under way.
The dry summer with the occasional showers is now providing perfect conditions for the wasps to thrive and wasp nest removal requests are our most common pest control call throughout London and right across the Home Counties and East Anglia regions.
Don't underestimate the potential hazards with wasp nest removal - call the experts and let us deal with the risks.
Supplied with free mask and gloves the Rentokill Wasp Killer Powder is ideal for treating wasp nest entrance holes in dry conditions, the powder is best applied when nests are less active i.e. at night or early morning. Contains 0.5% bendiocarb.
Don't treat nests when they are active, if you are allergic to stings or the nest is not easily accessible. Call 0800 0854460 for a quote for our qualified technicians to destroy the nest.
