Author Archives: Lauren

wasps

Do you think you have a wasps nest?

Have wasps invaded your garden this summer?

The recent good weather has resulted in wasp infestations on the rise in Wicklow. Wasps begin to appear in late April onwards, with their peak time being late summer early autumn. In the winter months in Ireland, the queen wasps will be in hibernation while the worker wasps will have died off. In spring, the queen will come out of hibernation and start forming new nests. Wasps will construct nests from chewed up bark and dried timber using their own saliva.

If a wasp’s nest is built near your property, it can cause nuisance to homeowners or passers-by. If a wasp’s nest is left untreated it can become the size of a football, with a colony as big as 25,000 wasps.

Pro tip!

Check for nests early in the year. Check the most likely spots for wasps to build their nests such as garages, sheds, lofts, under eaves, vents, on your balcony and even under your decking! These should all be checked in Spring while nests are still small – around the size of a golf ball. A nest the size of a golf ball is much easier to deal with than when it grows to the size of a football in the late summer.

 

We recommend avoiding DIY products for wasps nest removal.

As we know wasps can have an aggressive nature. If you try to DIY remove a wasps nest, it could result in thousands of very angry wasps. Whoever the unlucky people nearby this angered wasp nest are, are open to receiving major stings. We at Wicklow Pest Control would advise you to call the professionals, who have protective clothing to wear while removing a wasps nest and we will use professional insecticides that are not available to the public and are highly effective.

A pest controller will normally apply an insecticide near the entrance of the nest. The wasps will bring the chemical into the nest. After a couple of days the wasps will die from the dose of pesticide. If a wasps nest is treated correctly, it will start to die off within an hour. We advise customers to keep away from the area around the treated wasp nest until no wasp activity is seen. It may also be necessary to keep doors and windows shut near the nest after it has been treated.

 

‘Do wasps return to the same nest each year?’

No, all worker wasps die off each winter, with a few queens remaining. The queens will hibernate over the winter, and although this might be in an existing nest, the queen will build a new nest each spring. This may be close to an existing nest which is the reason it is not uncommon to find an active nest surrounded by a few older nests.

One of the most common places for queen to start her nest is at the shed, boiler house, dogs kennel even under a kid’s trampoline.

  • Nests are light grey beige colour with papery appearance
  • Once indoors, wasps will build nests in sheltered locations with easy access to outside such as lofts, garages and wall cavities
  • Nests will also be found in roof spaces, airbricks, cavity walls, garden sheds, trees and flowerbeds if left undisturbed

 

Preventing Wasps and their nests

  • Housekeeping – keep outdoor eating areas clean to minimize a food source for wasps. Regularly removing rubbish and keeping bins clean and closed is important.
  • Seal Gaps and Cracks – in exterior walls, roofs, and foundations to prevent wasps from entering. Deny wasps access into your property by keeping doors shut
  • Installing Mesh Screens – on windows, doors, and vents to keep wasps out while maintaining airflow.
  • Removing Potential Nesting Sites – such as woodpiles and tall grass – through the summer check your BBQ!
  • Eliminate Water Source – as wasps need water for their survival and will be attracted to birdbaths, pet water dishes or leaky faucets.
Cockroaches

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

In Ireland there are mainly two types of Cockroaches that we deal with, German Cockroaches and Oriental Cockroaches. The most common one we deal with is the German Cockroach, formerly known as a ‘steam fly’ due to their preferred moist environmental conditions. These insects do not like the cold, so you are guaranteed they will make their way throughout the property or apartment complex. Cockroaches breed at an alarming rate meaning a cockroach infestation can expand very quickly. We would recommend that you contact a professional pest control provider with experience in dealing with these insects like Wicklow Pest Control to treat your issues before it gets out of hand.

 

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

  1. Visual – Cockroaches are nocturnal, meaning they are more active at night. If you are seeing Cockroaches during the day, it is highly possible you could have a heavy infestation.
  2. Smell – Cockroaches leave a chemical trail in their excrement. This trail leads other Cockroaches to find their food source, water, drains and warm environments. Food may also be tainted with the smell of the Cockroach, this is produced by droppings, dead insects, and abdominal/salivary gland secretions.
  3. Droppings – These will resemble black pepper and will mostly be found near a food source.

 

Where will I find cockroaches in my property?

Cockroaches can be found in any building, in the commercial or residential sectors. As Cockroaches are nocturnal, they hide away in dark places in your property during the day. These include, cracks, behind cupboards and cookers, sinks and drains.

 

How to prevent a Cockroach infestation:

  • Maintain Good Housekeeping
  • Prevent easy access to Food Source.
  • Keep your property Well Ventilated as Cockroaches are attracted to warm environments.

 

Silverfish

How to Prevent a Silverfish Infestation

Silverfish are the most common pest in the world. Although people are surprised they are classified as a pest, as they are not harmful to people’s health. Although they may not bite, sting or carry diseases, they will cause serious damage to your property. Silverfish will feed off almost anything meaning they will have no problem feeding through your furniture, household goods and building materials.

 As we know in pest control, prevention is better than cure. Wicklow Pest Control have some helpful tips to prevent Silverfish infestations both in your home and business:

  • Housekeeping: although we have said previously that Silverfish are not solely linked to poor hygiene in the home, a clean home and business is essential for the prevention of all kinds of pests. Keeping good house keeping standards also helps you to spot an infestation signs such a droppings or skin moults.
  • Seal: Silverfish will enter your home or business through small cracks and gaps around windows and doors. Sealing these will prevent entry of these pests and other pests too.
  • Ventilation: As we now know, Silverfish need moisture to survive. Good ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens will make your property less appealing for Silverfish to get too comfortable.
  • Food Source: open food containers or cereal boxes are creating easy food supply for Silverfish. Keep food in sealed containers and clean up crumbs on counters and food spills on floor to prevent infestation.

Many people think a sighting of a Silverfish in their home is a sign of an unclean home, however this is not the case. Silverfish are not attracted to dirty homes; they are attracted to moisture. They need moisture to survive and will establish themselves anywhere where moisture levels in your home are high. This is why a very common place for a Silverfish infestation to be is in the bathroom or kitchen of your home or business.

Did you know?

Silverfish are nocturnal. Hence why you may not know you have an infestation until you spot one in your bathroom at night. Whilst it isn’t uncommon to see the odd silverfish in your kitchen or bathrooms at night, they breed quickly, laying an average of 60 eggs per day. Keeping a close eye on silverfish activity in your home is important.

If you believe you have a Silverfish infestation and have called our team, we will firstly do a risk assessment survey to find where the source of your infestation is.

Pigeon Pest Control

How to Get Rid of Pest Birds in Wicklow

Our Bird Control team at Wicklow Pest Control can help solve most common Pest Bird issues you have. Wicklow Pest Control offer a discreet, fast, and professional pest control service for commercial and industrial sectors, eliminating the risks and hazards of pest infestations in Wicklow and surrounding areas.  We provide efficient Bird Control services for commercial properties for all pest birds including Pigeons and Seagulls, using a wide range of bird proofing and bird deterrent methods. Wicklow Pest Control work in compliance with the CRRU Act regarding wildlife. If you are having pest bird problems, Contact Us today to arrange a free risk assessment site survey.

 

Hazards and damage

  1. Nesting – Pest Birds will nest on the top of your building causing structural damage.
  2. Blockages – Nesting materials and other debris i.e., bones and guano will gather on the roof and may restrict the flow of rainwater away from rooftops and cause potential blockages and overspill into the buildings.
  3. Droppings – Build-ups of gull guano can lead to structural damage from the uric acid in the bird droppings and furthermore cause a foul smell.
  4. Diseases – Pigeons and Herring Gulls droppings will carry a host of serious diseases such as Cryptococcus, Toxoplasmosis, Salmonella, food poisoning just to name a few.
  5. Nuisance – The aggressive nature of gulls and Pigeons and the high noise levels that they emit may cause a nuisance for staff, customers, and the public serving as potential customers.

 

How Wicklow Pest Control Can Help:

If Pigeons and Herring Gulls are becoming a nuisance for your home or business, Wicklow Pest Control are here to help. We will provide Proofing Measures such as netting, bird wiring and bird free gel to deter birds from roosting on buildings.

  • Bird Wiring – This system will deter Pest Birds from roosting on ledges that cannot be made inaccessible by netting.
  • Bird Netting – Proofing measures such as netting and stainless-steel spikes can be used to deter birds from roosting on buildings.
  • Site Survey – We can carry out a free risk assessment site survey for commercial properties in compliance with the Health and Safety Regulations.
  • Drone Survey – Our fully qualified drone pilots will carry out a risk assessment site survey. Call today to book your personalised drone survey!

Population Control – Pigeons and Herring Gulls in Wicklow

Bird Proofing is specialist work. An experienced, fully licensed, and insured installer should be consulted for advice and proofing strategies.

Urban Pest Bird Control is a complex subject and requires an integrated approach which will include waste management regimes to minimise roosting and nesting sites and proofing strategies that will exclude Pest Birds from priority areas.

 

Benefits of our Wildlife Management Programme:

  • Cost – Prevention is better than cure. Not having bird management in place can cause structural damage to your property.
  • Health and Safety – Reduction in health and safety hazards that can be caused by droppings which are known for triggering human slips and falls, as well as damaging structures and statues.
  • Image – Maintain a good image and reputation with both current and future clients.
  • Noise – Less disruption due to their noise and aggressive nature of Herring Gulls and Pigeons.
If you believe you have an ant infestation in your home or business, may it be a Pharaoh's Ant or Black Garden Ant, we at Wicklow Pest Control would recommend you get a professional pest control provider to clear the infestation for you

How to get rid of Ants

Although there are many different species of ants all over the world, in Ireland there are two most common ant species that we deal with, the Black Garden Ant and Pharaoh’s Ant.

Black Garden Ants

These ants are as their name suggests garden ants, they will live in grass, under stones and paving. These ants are usually associated with domestic sectors, nursing homes and hospitals. Black Garden Ants will be most present between March and September.

Control of infestation can only be achieved by the destruction of their nests which entails applying insecticide in and around the nest ensuring that a residual film of insecticide is present at important points such as doors, windows, ducts, and drains.

Pharaoh’s Ant

Pharaoh’s Ants are the builders of the ants. The control of Pharaoh’s ants is difficult due to their highly developed social structure and the inaccessibility of their nests. Wicklow Pest Control usually come across these in the commercial sectors, apartments, catering, hotels, and hospitality. Pharaoh’s ants also infest hospitals, feeding on blood, sterile and soiled dressings. They commonly chew on materials and packaging and can even bite children. Clearly, they pose a serious threat to health as vectors of pathogenic organisms. These ants favour a more protein and fat-based diet whereas Black Garden Ants have more of a sweet tooth.

‘Why do I have an Ant infestation?’

  • Environment: Properties and homes are the environment ants thrive in as they like a warm climate.
  • Supply: Leaving crumbs and open foodstuff on countertops or on the floor will attract ants into your property.
  • Housekeeping: Poor housekeeping such as dirty dishes left around and dirty bins with no lids will all attract ants.
  • Moisture: Ants like areas with access to moisture because of this, bathrooms may be a popular spot for ants to get comfortable in our home.

Keep Ants out of your home this Spring!

If you believe you have an ant infestation in your home or business, may it be a Pharaoh’s Ant or Black Garden Ant, we at Wicklow Pest Control would recommend you get a professional pest control provider to clear the infestation for you. Many people think seeing one ant and stepping on it may be the problem dealt with, but this is not the case. Usually by the time you are seeing an ant in your home or business, they have already located a food source and have notified their colony via chemical pheromone, which other ants will follow from the colony to the food.