Life can be challenging at the best of times, but when your home has been invaded by pests? That makes virtually every aspect of life more difficult. You’ll be thinking about those unwanted creatures when you’re at work, and when you’re home, you’ll find it much more challenging — or perhaps even impossible — to genuinely relax. Make no mistake: dealing with a pest infestation at your property can break even the most robust spirits.
And unfortunately, it’s an issue that Brits are becoming all too accustomed to. Pest infestations are on the rise, including for pests that were once all but forgotten, such as bed bugs. The good news? You don’t have to live with them if you don’t want to (and no one wants to). Below, we’ll run through some of the most common UK pests, as well as outline how you can make sure they don’t get too comfortable at your property.
This is a collaborative post
Cockroaches
We tend to think of cockroaches as something we’ll only encounter when we’re on holiday in warmer parts of the world, but they’re also increasingly an issue for UK homeowners. With temperatures on the rise, cockroaches are finding their way into UK homes, especially in densely populated areas. Keeping your home clinically clean (OK, not clinically, but very clean) and using insect-killing products can go a long way to driving away cockroaches. For severe infestations, professional help will be required.
Rats
You can’t blame rats for trying to find shelter in UK homes. They’re smart creatures, and they know that it’s much better to be on the inside of a warm and toasty property rather than standing outside in the cold, wind, and rain. Yet, while you can’t blame them for seeking shelter, you probably don’t want them to be inside your home. The problem? As we said above, rats are smart. They can gain access to your property in ways you wouldn’t have even thought of, such as through your drains. If you suspect you have rats but can’t see where they’re coming from, then a drain survey for rats can help. Once you’ve discovered how they’re getting in, you can stop them from coming back.
Bed Bugs
Is there a worse infestation to have than bed bugs? They don’t cause damage to your property, but they can make going to bed a living nightmare. They’re also famously difficult to get rid of without professional help. There are some pests that you can try to remove yourself, but when it comes to bed bugs, it’s much, much easier to simply hire a professional to do the job for you. We’d recommend calling the pros in early doors, since bed bugs are much easier to get rid of when there are only a few of them.
Ants
We nearly didn’t include ants, since, well, who doesn’t deal with a few ants here and there during the summer months? But there are times when ants launch what amounts to a full invasion of a property. At that point, you’ll need to buckle up and focus on driving the whole colony out — they won’t leave by choice if the Queen has made your property her home.