Pests can pose a serious hazard to your health. Find out more about the common household pests and the average pest control cost in this guide.
Pests can invade your premises at any moment, causing damage and a lot of stress. If you are looking for professional pest control services, the following guide will help you learn more about the pest control prices offered by various pest removal companies.
in this article
Common household pests
Here’s a list of widespread family and garden pests to watch out for:
Rodents: Rats and mice need to constantly gnaw to keep their teeth filed down and could cause damage to furniture, fittings, and electric cables; they can even cause a fire by ruining cables and wires. They are also many health risks carried by rodents. For instance, brown rats have 13 different kinds of parasites and illnesses, including salmonella.
Bedbugs: Because bedbugs are small and as flat as a piece of paper, they can fit inside any crack or crevice, making them extremely hard to eliminate. Bed bugs feed primarily on blood.
Bees, wasps, and hornets: These insects may be difficult to identify, so you ought to hire a pest control specialist, as there are specific guidelines you have to follow when dealing with bees, which are essential for pollination. However, hornets and wasps are more aggressive, and you may need to have a professional pest control company remove them.
Cockroaches: These bugs are pretty standard, especially in crowded housing environments. They can carry diseases and like to hide in wall and ceiling voids, rubbish, or furniture. It’s essential to maintain a tidy home and garden to prevent any cockroach infestation.
Ants: Ants are a common garden pest that may also invade your house. However, ants are comparatively easy to get rid of using an excellent powder.
Moles: This pest can severely damage your garden as they tend to create their massive network of tunnels and prefer to eat mostly insects instead of garden plants. A pest control professional will probably use traps to get moles, as many poisons are now prohibited.
Squirrels – Squirrels can cause a great deal of damage, chewing through insulation, woodwork, wiring, and pipes. They may be aggressive when challenged and carry diseases – you’ll need to rent a professional to cope with squirrels.
Pest control treatments
The potent treatments and powerful chemicals available to professional pest controllers constitute another great benefit. Such products and services will offer better results than the chemicals and treatments you can purchase from a DYI store.
People who want permanent protection for their homes can also consider that such services deliver preventative treatments over the period proposed by the homeowner.
Main problems that you need to consider during the winter season
Because various types of bugs and insects can enter your home during the summertime, you may host some of them during the winter season as well.
Even though many homeowners believe that insects will typically go dormant during the cold season, this is not necessarily true. Some of them find the necessary resources to survive and thrive during the winter season by hiding in various places of our homes.
Regardless of the climate conditions, you should know that your home is not safe from creepy critters. Some of the most common places where various insects may hide in your house are the wall voids, the businesses where you store old items, in your basement, and in the areas where there is moisture.
The bedbug is practically the most common nuisance in the last couple of years since it is a real danger for homes, hotels, and offices everywhere. According to some recent studies, this insect is not as vulnerable to cold temperatures as we thought it was.
Every homeowner should practice preventive maintenance to avoid pest infestation in their houses and yards. Here are a couple of practices that you can implement to protect your house against pests.
Seal your property
Sealing your property during the winter months will not only help you save money on energy bills but will also help you keep unwanted pests away from your house. Some of the best methods that you can use to reduce the entries through which bugs can enter your home are caulk, stripping, and spackle.
Bugs can also access your home through a draft, so make sure you solve this problem as well. Replacing broken window screens and installing screens over the vents and chimneys of your home are also great practices that you can use to keep the pests population under control.
Take care of your yard.
Which may attract pests to various things from our yard, so make sure you maintain it properly. Who should store woodpiles approximately 25 feet away from the house to prevent termite infestation? Rodents love the leftover produce of a garden, so make sure you eliminate it as soon as you can before the winter sets in.
Always clean your home.
Make sure you wash all the plates after eating and keep your kitchen clean all the time. To get rid of the insects that might be hiding in your carpets or furniture, you need to vacuum at least one time per day. Use plastic containers to store various items, such as clothes or dry goods.
Beware of bed Bugs
Studies have shown that these insects do not hibernate during the cold months. The best way to remove bed bugs from your home is to request the assistance of a professional exterminator. It is practically impossible to get rid of these insects by yourself, and it is why it is essential to call a trained professional as soon as you recognize such a problem in your house.
Common Pest Control Methods
There are several ways to remove pests, such as fumigation, using traps and poisons, or to rely on more natural methods.
Traps and poisons
The idea of using traps and poisons to get rid of pests may not sit comfortably with everyone – after all, they are not the most humane method available if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Some devices, such as the traditional mousetrap, can seem brutal, though some pest control specialists use traps that capture the animal and release it safely elsewhere.
You can kill many bugs by using chemical sprays, but you should consider investing in an electric zapper trap for the quickest pest control method, which will do the work for you. However, these are ineffective at killing off severe infestations, and pesticides are often the best method to use in these cases.
When hiring a professional exterminator who uses pesticides, ask them if the chemicals they are using comply with the Control of Pesticides Act 1986 and the Control of Substance Hazardous to Health Regulation 1994. This way, you can ensure the chemicals comply with the relevant government legislation and are safe to use.
Fumigation
Fumigation is only used for the most extreme infestations. The property is sealed off in these cases, and gas is pumped in, designed to kill all the pests. This really is for the most serious infestations and is fairly expensive yet thoroughly effective – you will probably need to leave the property for a few days in this case. The cost to fumigate a house increases depending on the location as prices tend to be higher in bigger cities and London.
Average fumigation cost: £120 – £160
Biological Control
This is a way of reducing the number of pests on your property without the guilt associated with laying poison traps or the use of chemicals. Biological elimination works by introducing predators into the natural environment to hunt the pests naturally, providing ecological balance and harmony to your property. This is best suited to large land areas, and although somewhat effective, it won’t entirely remove a pest problem.
Removal of habitats
Taking away the habitats is an easy and obvious way of removing pests. For instance, a pile of rubbish may seem to be a bountiful feast to a pack of rats – removing it will mean they won’t have food and will have to re-home themselves elsewhere. Rubbish should be kept in sealed or inaccessible containers to prevent rodents from picking through them, as well as stopping flies or other insects from gathering.
Warm and damp conditions will attract termites and other insects, so look out for cracks or leaks in the attic and ensure the drainage works properly outside the house. Another hotspot that attracts animals is underneath your shed, where there is a gap to allow air circulation and prevent the wooden floor from rotting. Pests will often nest here, and the best way to stop them is by setting up a wire screen around the bottom of the shed.
Pest Control Prices (Fees)
It’s difficult to establish an average pest control cost as private company rates vary.
| Pest Control Service | Cost | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Wasp control | From £55 | Price of one nest only. |
| Bedbug treatment | From £140 | Three spray treatments cost:
£140 for a one-bed property, £180 for a 2 – bed and £210 for a three-bed house. |
| Ant control | From £100 | One spray treatment with a six or eight-week guarantee. |
| Flea control | From £80 | One spray treatment with a six or eight-week guarantee will definitely cost:
£80-£100 for a one-bed property £100-£120 for a two-bed and £120-140 for a three-bed
|
| Cockroach treatment | From £120 | This is the cost of a single treatment for a one-bed house. For each extra room, add another £20 – £30. |
| Rodent Control | From £120 | Cost for four treatments. |
| Mole treatment | From £90 | Cost of two treatments, depending on how many molehills you can find in your garden.
|
| Squirrel pest control | From £100 | Two visits plus squirrel proofing will cost £175 |
| Mice | From £120 | The cost included two visits and a bait box collection |
| Bird Control | From £60 | This is the cost for inspection and quotation. |
Know that the pest control prices offered will vary based on:
Where you live
The kind of pest you are required to get rid of
The scale of one’s infestation
How many visits do you need
Which pest control firm do you hire
How large your home is
Cheap pest control ideas
It is a good idea to try and get cheaper pest control services through your local council. Underneath preventing Damage by Pests Act 1949, each council must control the rodent population in their own region.
However, councils differ inside the services they offer; some may deal with certain kinds of pests, for example, so you ought to contact yours for guidance. In the event you’re a private homeowner, in addition, you might not qualify for whole pest control services from your own council. There are some other ways by which you can reduce the pest control cost, including:
who can purchase mousetraps at relatively low prices from a range of hardware shops; raw bacon and peanut butter make excellent bait compared to the traditional option of cheese.
which can destroy an ant infestation by applying a mixture of sugar and borax around the home’s perimeter; the sugar attracts the ants, and then the borax chemical acts as a poison. Some homeowners, however, find hot water straight from the kettle can be just as effective.
If you run out of insect spray to get rid of any flies or wasps that can’t find their own way out of a room, fear not – hairspray also works just as well.
Garden pests such as slugs – which often attack your more delicate and beautiful plants – can also be killed by covering them with a small amount of salt.
If you’re looking for a more humane, preventative method, then you might want to lay down grapefruit halves around your most precious flowers regularly.
If you’re worried about flies or mosquitoes in the hot summer months, you can always stick up protective nets around the porch, veranda, or even conservatory – as long as there are no holes in the material, it should keep them from being a nuisance for a pretty long time!
To prevent insects from gaining access to the home, you should always keep a tidy garden and make sure plants (other than pots or baskets) aren’t placed too near to the building; that way, there will be little reason for creepy crawlies to venture that close to the home.
Maintaining a clean and tidy home indoors is very important as insects and smaller creatures such as mice frequently use clutter and mess as shields to hide behind.
If you’re still having trouble, you should check for any small holes or cracks in the walls where pests might quietly gain access to the property.
London Pest control prices
Large cities like London can become more prone to pest issues, and unfortunately, like most things in London, pest control costs will also be higher than inside the remainder of the nation. London pest control services will even charge differently depending on the: i) the level of infestation, ii) the size of the infested property, iii) the type of treatment, and iv) which are you living. To help you understand the cost of pest control in London, we have created a table indicating the prices for residential treatment.
| Pests | One Bed | Two Bed | Tree Bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed Bugs | £100-£120 | £120-£160 | £140-£220 |
| Cockroaches | £120-£140 | £140-£160 | £160-£180 |
| Flea | £80-£100 | £100-£120 | £120-£140 |
| Flies | £100-£200 | £150-£250 | £200-£300 |
| Mice | £100-£140 | £120-£160 | £140-£180 |
| Moths | £120-£220 | £140-£240 | £160-£260 |
| Mosquitoes | £100-£200 | £150-£250 | £200-£300 |
| Rats | £120-£160 | £140-£180 | £160-£200 |
| Spiders | £120-£140 | £140-£160 | £160-£180 |
| Woodworms | £150-£200 | £200-£250 | £250-£300 |
Source: primepestcontrol.co.uk
Hiring pest control professionals
It may be tempting (and cheaper) to address pest control yourself, but hiring a specialist is safer and much more humane. Qualified pest control specialists will be able to spot pests correctly and know which treatment approaches to use.
Get at the least three quotes before you hire;
All pest control companies should perform a free review and provide guidance.
Be constantly aware that you could need greater than one treatment to eradicate pests.
Check that the pest control professional covered is qualified and has good references.
You may want to consider someone registered to have a trade association, including the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) or even the British Pest Get a handle on Association (BPCA).
Pest control quotes
You should get a couple of quotes from a professional and be aware that pest control prices will vary depending on the type and size of the infestation. A professional pest controller should give you a ballpark figure about the pest control cost for the work beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Basically, you are advised to spray the perimeter of your home with liquid insecticide once in 3 months (90 Days). However, for homes with a pest population-based on experiences in the past or people living in an environment with intense heat, spraying should be once a month (30 Days).
Fumigation applies chemical fumes to disinfect a home infested with bugs, termites, and other insects. It takes about 3 days to fumigate dry wood termites, while it takes 4 days to fumigate beetles successfully. Remember to remove food and medication from home before fumigation.
Find an alternative place to stay for about 4 to 5 days
Lock the house but open the room doors, cabinets, drawers and close
Tightly seal every food item and drug or remove them from the home that is to be fumigated.
– Rake off gravel and dirt.
– Remove plants and pets
Monthly pest control may be necessary for homes with high pest populations. If you have had high pest infestation previously, you need monthly pest control. If your home is located in a location with intense heat, control every month is advisable.
Pests are capable of making you sick and unhealthy, infest your food with poisonous substances, and destroy properties like textiles and furniture. Pests like cockroaches, bugs, mice, and many others spread germs and must be kept away from home.
Pest control involves the use of chemical fumes that are toxic to humans. You are advised to stay away from home for about 3 to 4 days after applying the chemicals.
You are expected to leave home and to surround yourself for a few hours. However, you should read the instructions on the insecticide you applied for other things to do after fumigation.
Yes. Tenting can kill off colonies of dry wood termites but cannot kill subterranean termites. The tenting method of termite fumigation cannot kill termites that enter the home through underground tunnels.
References
RHS reveals the top ten garden pests
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/11418434/RHS-reveal-the-top-ten-garden-pests.html
Common household pests
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_household_pests
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
http://www2.epa.gov/safepestcontrol
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) –
http://www2.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/pest-control-resources-residents
How to Control Pests Safely –
http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/pest/pest-bro-healthy-home.pdf