Cheshire Pest Control

Posts Tagged ‘Blackpool’

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

Pest Control in Blackpool & Other Seaside Holiday Resorts

Seaside pest control brings its own set of special circumstances which sometimes require a different approach to more inland towns.

Firstly the very logistics of working in a busy seaside holiday resort can be problematic, even the basics of parking your van near the customers’ premises can be difficult especially when equipment needs to be carried. This can lead to increased charges which have to be passed onto the customer.

In summer premises are often open seven days a week and even twenty-four hours a day thus leaving little opportunity for the pest controller to go about his work.

This may not cause too much difficulty in routine preventative inspection visits but can cause extreme problems when infestation is detected in that often pesticides require premises to be vacated for a period of time.

In winter the opposite situation may occur where premises are closed for several months leaving a pest infestation to develop undetected.

Seaside holiday resorts usually have a large number of takeaways providing food to eat on the go and often will be littered overnight with uneaten food scraps providing food for rats and seagulls.

Often daily waste collections mean that bagged food waste is put outside overnight thus encouraging rodents.

Seagulls are obviously a nuisance with their noise and fouling but often will take food stuffs up onto roofs and ledges causing a build up of rotten materials which produce flies and maggots.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of seaside pest control is the resurgence of the bed bug which in recent years has seen numbers rise exponentially.

A high transient population of holiday makers often staying in inexpensive, high turnover accommodation means that the bugs can spread quickly throughout a resort and even expensive upmarket establishments are not exempt.

The very nature of a bed bug infestation means that it is difficult and expensive to cure and news of infestation is often of interest to local press who will often carry a story about a guest being bitten, thus ruining the reputation of the establishment.

Bed bug infestations require that the infested bedroom and those adjacent be treated thus losing revenue for the establishment.

A hotel or guest house could also find themselves liable for the cost of dealing with an infestation at the homes of their guests as the bugs are easily transported in luggage.

Pest Prevention carry out annual preventative inspections and treatment where necessary and can be contacted on 0800 019 8382 or

info@harrierpestprevention.co.uk