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To bee or not to bee – don’t confuse bees with wasps say pest controllers

The sudden increase in temperature and sunshine has meant an explosion of blossom and noticeable increase in bees going about their work.

There has also been a worrying surge in calls to pest controllers from people confusing bees with wasps and asking for treatment.

Unwanted visitors can trigger mental health issues during lockdown

The lockdown has resulted in an increase in calls from residential premises to a London pest control company as people are spotting furry intruders and insects that would often go unnoticed.

Managing Director Paul Bates of Cleankill Pest Control says the mental health implications of having an infestation during lockdown when you can’t leave your home can be quite serious for some.

Solving an ant problem after other companies failed

Cleankill was contacted by the facilities managers of a large block of flats in West London with 176 units after another pest control company failed to solve a serious infestation of Pharaoh ants.  

Every flat in the block needed treating to eliminate the problem. Cleankill experts carried out the treatment, mostly on Saturdays at the request of the agent, over an eight-week period. The managing agents were so pleased with the success of the treatment that the tenant association agreed to a regular contract for ant visits and treatments.

Detective skills needed to solve bed bug problem

The Cleankill team was called in to solve a serious bed bug problem in one of the largest blocks of flats in London. 

Thirty out of 600 flats in the block in South London had been infected and it was a case of finding the source of the problem before treatment could start.

Cleankill staff searched the flats and found an extremely serious infestation in the very last one they checked.

Bed bugs move in to bedsit

When Cleankill was called to a bed bug problem in South Kensington, London, technicians found one of the worst infestations they had ever encountered.

The building they were called to was made up of bedsits which all had sitting tenants. One of the bedsits (an area of approximately 14 feet by 16 feet) was occupied by a man in his mid-70s who lived in one room with his bed, wardrobe and armchair – all of which were heavily infested.

Filter flies in London – an increasing problem

Many office blocks in London have restaurants and shops on the ground floor which can present additional challenges to FMs if tenants do not take steps to keep their areas hygienic and pest free.

This was the case with an upmarket Italian restaurant in central London. Cleankill was called to deal with a serious fly infestation which was spreading through a void into the toilets and then into the eating areas. They were identified as filter flies – small flies about the size of fruit flies – commonly found at sewage farms which provide the ideal breeding conditions.

Under-floor cameras help to solve mouse problem

Raised flooring in office buildings - designed to create space for ducting and cables - provides the perfect space for mice. They can move around the building without being seen and then emerge through openings such as risers used to house electrical sockets.

Cleankill responded to a call from a customer with offices near London Bridge after staff saw mice running around on the carpet.

To help establish the extent of the infestation, a motion-sensitive camera was placed under the floor near one of the risers for two and a half days.