Manchester & Trafford Pest Control

Posts Tagged ‘ants in my house’

Pest control in Manchester, Lancashire & Cheshire 2009

Pest Control in Manchester and surrounding areas has seen a lively start in 2009.

Pest controllers were kept busy with the usual city centre rat problems throughout the winter of course, but the relatively early spring has seen ant infestation call outs a month earlier than usual.

The wet summers of 2007 & 2008 were not to the liking of the hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, ants & bees) but 2009 looks like being a busy year for ant infestation work.

Frequently ants nest under the floors of houses and inside cavity walls causing a large number of foraging ants to visit kitchens & food cupboards.

However it is at mating time when they can be most distressing as they produce winged queens and males which then mate in flight.

The emergence of several thousand of these ‘flying ants’ inside houses can by traumatic indeed.

A relatively new pest has been especially troublesome this year, the Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci).

It was rare for pest controllers in Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire to encounter these pests until recent times but they seemed to arrive from nowhere in 2008 and already this spring has seen reports of varied carpet beetle in unprecedented numbers.

Having a similar life cycle to moths their larvae, known as ‘woolly bears’ can eat natural fibres and can do substantial damage to carpets and natural fabrics. They can be a difficult and persistent pest.

Bed bugs are continuing their resurgence in the Manchester area, frequently arriving as unwanted guests in the suitcases of returning holiday makers.

Often the first reaction of unfortunates who realise that they are infested with these blood-sucking insects is to destroy the old beds and buy new.

This is a costly mistake as despite their name bed bugs do not just live in beds and in an infested room will be found anywhere within about fifteen feet of the bed, in cupboards, drawers etc, even in electrical sockets and the new beds are quickly re-infested.

Many people confuse bed bugs with dust mite which are not visible to the naked eye.

Bed Bugs Bites

They dine exclusively on blood which they take form their sleeping victims. People often associate bed bugs with dirty conditions but nothing could be further from the truth, they don’t require dirt, they dine on you!

Until the end of April 2009 Harrier Pest Control are offering a 25% reduction on their guaranteed ant treatment.

The treatment which is guaranteed for three years, extendable indefinitely by a low cost re-treatment every three years can be carried out in most homes subject to free site survey

Contact Harrier Pest Prevention for details on 0800 019 8382

That concludes this article entitled Pest control in Manchester, Lancashire & Cheshire 2009

Get Rid Of Ants Permanently

Get Rid Of Ants Permanently – Only the unfortunates who have suffered it will know the true terror of winged ants in their homes.
Having an infestation of normal wingless ants is bad enough but when they go through their annual mating  cycle the situation can become insufferable.
Ants often start colonies under the floors and in the wall cavities of our homes and these colonies will continue for many years if left to their own devices  getting progressively more intolerable each year.
Our dwellings are warm and dry and make the ideal places for a thriving ant colony; even ‘solid’ concrete floor is not a problem to an ant.
Our central heating systems maintains their metabolism even in the colder months and my earliest ant call-out was on my birthday, in early January!
Ants love a sandy soil and there are many towns in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester which tend to produce more ant problems than others, Southport, Blackpool, Bolton, Sale & Altrincham come to mind as hot ant towns.
Unfortunately it is during their mating period that they are most troublesome. Here in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester this tends to be fairlyoften  around the third or fourth week in July.
Ants mate in-flight and around mid-summer the colony produces winged immature Queens and winged males which in  a more natural environment would fly off and mate whilst airborne. Many thousands of these winged ants are produced per colony and nests tend to time  their release so that they mate with ants produced by other colonies.
Invariably this process starts after two or three days of warm, dry weather  and will usually go on for about a week although less frequent releases will continue throughout most of June, July & August.
Unfortunately when the nest is hidden beneath the floor of the property the results can be catastrophic, literally thousands of flying ants are disgorged into the lower rooms, collecting on windows as they head for the light.
This can be extremely distressing for some people leading to extreme emotional trauma to the degree that people learn to fear the summer months and have actually sold their homes to escape the invasion of ants which they know comes each year.
The very wet summers of 07 & 08 has meant that ant call-outs were down on previous years but ants seem to have a way of catching up and 2009 looks set to be a very troublesome year.
Most people who have this problem try DIY solutions with powders from hardware shops etc but usually these efforts are fruitless as they are not addressing the heart of the problem which is the colony itself, hidden away in the cavity wall or sub-floor area.
Fortunately for many people an answer is at hand.
At Harrier Pest Control (subject to site conditions) we are able to solve this problem and give an extendable three year guarantee.
The process which is done mainly from the exterior of the property, is perfectly safe for pets and children and produces no smell, involves drilling small holes into the cavity walls of the property, not unlike a damp-course injection and blowing an pesticidal powder into the cavity walls under pressure.
This forms an impenetrable barrier across which the ants cannot go and along with a precautionary internal spray treatment (if appropriate) will gradually bring the situation under control.
The holes, which are only 8mm in diameter remain open so it is a simply matter of topping up the cavities every three years to extend the effectiveness of the guarantee in three year terms.
This process is best carried out in the early spring however it can be done at any time of year.
As a limited time offer before our busy period starts  we are offering 25% off the standard cost until April 30 2009. Whilst we normally cover the whole of Lancashire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, we are willing to travel further afield but this will increase the cost.
For a discussion or to arrange an site visit contact Harrier Pest Prevention on Free Phone 0800 019 8382 or

http://harrierpestprevention.com

Get Rid Of Ants In Your House Permanently – Spring Special Offer

Get Rid Of Ants In Your House Permanently – spring is here and with it comes the annual scourge of ants which for many people can be nothing short of a nightmare.

In North West England the summers of 2007 & 2008 were very poor and the ants did not thrive, a respite for those who suffer ants in the house on an annual basis but already 2009 looks like it will be the summer of the ant as calls are being received already.

Those that suffer know that flying ants in the house can be a nightmare, almost impossible to cure as the nests are hidden in cavity walls and beneath floors, and the only way to destroy the nest is to kill the queen. This is all but impossible using powders and potions from hardware stores.

There are a variety of new techniques available to pest controllers now which are highly effective in dealing with ant infestations.

These range from using micro-encapsulated insecticides which stick to the worker ants’ bodies and are taken back into the nest and a special technique which effectively puts an impenetrable barrier around the house which the ants cannot cross.

This involved drilling tiny holes into the cavity walls from the outside of the property and blowing in an insecticidal powder under pressure which forms a barrier that the ants cannot cross.

This will effectively prevent the ants inside from foraging outside and dooms the colony.

We are able to give a three year guarantee which is then extendable indefinitely in periods of three years by topping up the powder.

There is no smell or odour and it is perfectly safe for children and pets and can be done whilst the property is occupied.

For a short period we are offering a 30% discount on our normal prices so for a limited period the costs would be as follows

Semi-detached house £175.00

*Detached house £225

*Terraced House £125

Prices apply throughout South Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Cheshire, further afield work will require a supplement.

All with three year guarantee including unlimited *free call outs

On terraced & semi-detached we can only guarantee the treated walls, so if they are coming in through the untreated party wall there is little we can do unless your neighbours agree to treatment.

To have a chat with us or arrange a free site survey to establish if your premises are suitable call us now on Free phone 0800 019 8382 or 01257 230637

Flying Ant Problems in Lancashire, Cheshire & Manchester

Only people who have experienced it will know the true horror of flying ants in the home.

Having an infestation of normal wingless ants is bad enough but when they go through their annual mating ritual the situation can become unbearable.

Ants often build colonies under the floors and in the cavity walls of our homes and this colonies will continue for many years if left untreated getting progressively worse each year.

Ants love a sandy soil and there are many places in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester which tend to produce more ant problems than others, Southport, Blackpool, Bolton, Sale & Altrincham spring  to mind as hot ant properties.

Unfortunately it is during their mating phase that they are most troublesome. Here in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester this tends to be fairly regularly around the third or fourth week in July.

Ants mate on the wing and around mid-summer they produce winged immature Queens and winged males which in nature would fly off and mate on the wing. Many thousands of these winged ants are produced per nests and nests tend to synchronise their release so that they mate with ants form other nests.

Invariably this process commences after a couple of days of very hot, dry weather  and will usually last for about a week although isolated releases will occur throughout most of June, July & August.

Unfortunately when the nest is under the floor of the house the results can be catastrophic, literally thousands of flying ants emerge into the lower rooms, collecting on windows as they head for the light.

This can be extremely distressing for some people leading to severe emotional trauma to the extent that people learn to dread the summer and have actually sold their homes to escape the plague of ants which they know is coming.

The wet summers of 2007 & 2008 meant that ant problems were down on previous years but nature has a way of catching up and 2009 looks set to be a particularly troublesome year.

Most people who have this problem attempt DIY solutions with powders from hardware shops etc but mostly these efforts are fruitless as they are not addressing the heart of the problem which is the nest itself, safely hidden in the cavity wall or sub-floor area.

Fortunately for many people a solution is at hand.

At Harrier Pest Prevention (subject to site survey) we are able to cure this problem and issue an extendable three year guarantee.

The process which is done mainly from the outside of the house, is perfectly safe for pets and children and leaves no smell, involves drilling small holes into the cavity walls of the property, not unlike a damp-course injection and blowing an insecticidal powder into the cavity under pressure.

This forms an impenetrable barrier across which the ants cannot go and together with a precautionary internal spraying (if appropriate) will gradually bring the situation under control.

The holes, which are only 8mm in diameter are left open so it is a simply matter of re-injecting the cavity every three years to extend the effectiveness of the guarantee indefinitely.

This process is best carried out in the early spring although it can be done at any time of year.

As a special offer before our busy times begin we are offering 25% off the normal cost until April 30 2009. Whilst we normally cover the whole of Lancashire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, we are prepared to travel further afield but this will be reflected in the cost.

For a discussion or to arrange an appointment contact Harrier Pest Prevention on Free Phone 0800 019 8382 or http://harrierpestcontrol.com