Pest problem in Redhill? Don’t worry!

Posted on October 11, 2012 by admin

The good thing about Merlin Pest Control is that we branch out our services all across Surrey and Sussex. We have a local team of experts situated in Redhill ready to tackle any infestation in any establishment.

If you are running a local business and you have a pest problem you could be at risk of not only spreading diseases especially amongst food but also losing electricity due to rodents or other creatures nibbling on your wiring!

We deal with Birds, Squirrels, Ants, Wasps, Rats, Mice, Rabbits, Moles and Foxes. No job is too big for us to handle!

We provide friendly advice to avoid any further pest coming into your homes of businesses in the future. We offer sensible priced pest control and we guarantee 100% removal!

Call us now on 0800 037 7332 for advice or to make an appointment with Merlin Pest Control Redhill!

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Is your house infected with Mice?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by admin

One of the more quicker and agile pests to grow in or around the outskirts of your house are house mice.  If your house is attracting mice then it should not be a matter to be taken lightly – mice can pose a serious health risk to you and your family by carrying infectious diseases.
Not only are they fast-moving infectious pests, but like squirrels, they can potentially gnaw on electrical wires – possibly causing a fire in your house. They are also known to bite on wood and plastic – causing a lot of damage to your furniture.

Habitats

Mice are a common pest because they live within close proximity to humans. They are adaptable to any environment as long as they are provided with some shelter.
The places where they can be found varies: inside the insulation of walls and ceilings, in holes or gaps under buildings, rubbish that has been left outside for a while, near the boiler, near the basement or an area with a lot of cardboard and cloth are stored.
The potential number of places mice can live is a scary thought so it is best to make sure you dispose rubbish into appropriate bins and ensure there is no food left lying around as this will attract and be detected by mice quickly.

Look out for these signs for a potential Mice pest problem:

•    Droppings – Mice leave a trail of small dark droppings along areas where they visit occasionally.
•    Noises – Mice will scratch parts of your house, also the scurrying sounds of small and quick footsteps along your ceiling or loft.
•    Nests – will be hidden under sinks or behind kitchen appliances – these nests are built out of shredded material to bring up their young.
•    Odour – mice leave a distinctive smell particularly to enclosed areas such as lofts or under cupboards.

If you believe to have a mice pest problem then contact Merlin Environmental;  it is difficult to stop the infection of mice as they only make an appearance at night, they are very agile and can swim if necessary. If not dealt with rapidly then they can breed a litter of 9-12 young!
It is in your best interests to contact us to take care of a mice problem.

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Need to stop feeding gulls

Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

Seagulls are frequently being spotted around towns. They are moving to more urban areas such as roofs to nest. This is because people occasionally give seagulls a bit of food or two, thus, lets gulls know that food is always readily available.

Seagulls are large birds and can range up to 68cm from bill to tail and have a wingspan up to 85cm, making them much larger than pigeons and clusters of them are not afraid to swoop down and snack on your meal!

David Tipping, a natural environment officer who has spotted an increase of seagulls said – “protecting rubbish and not feeding the gulls would also help the birds return to the cliffs and reduce the urban gull populations.”

He also mentioned – “Preventative action prior to the nesting season is the best and most effective way of protecting your roof and can save money and considerable inconvenience.”

What Seagulls Do

  • Unsightly mess caused by their droppings which can deface businesses, cars and monuments
  • Are not afraid to swoop down to people to eat food
  • If a nest is on a house, parasites and insects can crawl into the house once the chicks have fled
  • Cause damage to property buildings by blocking gutters with nests or picking at roofing

What to do

It is best to call in experts to deal with any bird problem because, as well as the potential health risk, you need to adhere to welfare standards.

If you need help with a bird problem contact Merlin Environmental today.

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Spring season attracts squirrels into your loft!

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

Grey squirrels are skilled climbers. Before you know it, they are smart at gaining access into inaccessible areas of your house such as lofts.

Even if you do not live near a forestry area, telephone lines act as a pathway for potential intruders onto your roof. Once onto your roof, all it takes is one loose tile for a squirrel to squeeze under into your loft.

Our lofts are ideal habitats for squirrels. Lofts are perfect breeding grounds as they are warm and can keep squirrels sheltered from bitter, rainy weather, making them much more preferable over a hollow oak tree.

Spring is the time of year when squirrels are looking for places to breed. If you have heard any noises coming from your loft such as the sound of scurrying footsteps across your attic’s floor and occasional nibbling, then you may have a squirrel pest problem.

It is crucial to tackle this problem immediately otherwise they can do more damage than chew onto your possessions, but have potential to cause a power cut throughout your house. Breeding occurs twice a year – in spring and in summer.  If you do not tend to this issue early in the year, the infestation will only become worse as months go by.

Unfortunately if you try and tackle squirrels infestation yourself, the chances of eradicating them and ensuring that they do not return is slim. Squirrels are fast, agile pests and if you do not pay attention to the entry they made– the more likely more potential intruders may nest themselves in the future.
Finally it is hard to identify how many are in your loft and most home techniques you perform won’t guarantee 100% removal of squirrel infestation.

It is in your best interests to contact Merlin Pest Control to tackle this problem – we can ensure that your loft is completely free of pest infestation; we will make your loft and roofing squirrel resistant to make certain that not only squirrels cannot sneak into your home but any other possible rodents such as rats and mice.

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Spring sunshine already attracting wasps to gardens

Posted on April 2, 2012 by admin

During March 2012, England has experienced  sunshine over its towns, parks and beaches. However, the sun has also welcomed back a more familiar figure, and definitely not a pleasant one either, – Vespula vulgaris, or, more commonly known as – Wasps.

Wasps usually build their nests in spring, depending on climatic conditions. In this case, England has experienced a lot of sunshine which has affected the growth cycle of wasps, speeding it up. Thus, it is a good idea to eliminate wasps before they grow in numbers and interfere with daily tasks in summer.   Wasps have already hovered around gardens, interfering with daily activities during this rarity of spring sunshine. As we all know, wasps have a short temperament and will sting humans with little provocation. To some individuals, systemic or allergic reactions can occur such as vomiting, anxiety, chest pain, swelling of the mouth and throat and more.

You will need to keep a close eye out for wasps as not only can they be a nuisance to you but especially to your children who are more vulnerable and  may venture into areas where wasps nests are hidden. However, nests can be found in areas where you may be very much exposed to such as the corner of a garden shed, attached to walls and animal burrows.

It is not advisable to get rid of wasp nests yourself. Firstly, you may get stung by a lot more than one wasp as you will be attacking their home and will probably only eliminate a handful. Secondly, the only way to eradicate wasps is by eliminating the ‘queen’ wasp which stops the reproductive cycle. Usually the queen is found deep in the nest, which again, can be a problem.

Merlin Pest Control can help tackle the outbreak of wasps for you so you can enjoy spring and summer without being interfered by wasps. We always approach pests in a safe and environmentally manner.

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Heat treament to get rid of insect infestations

Posted on January 5, 2012 by admin

Well aware of the environmental impact of chemical treatments, Merlin Environmental now use heat treatment to treat bed bug infestations.

Over the years we have used a number of environmental manipulation techniques to resolve pest problems. By far the use of heat to control insect activity has been the most efficient. We use heat to eradicate insects in food production machinery, empty bins and silos, vehicles, hotel rooms, furniture, and laundry equipment and is much more effective than the lone use of chemical sprays and fogging treatments in killing adult insects, eggs, larvae and pupae.

Heat Treatment is the environmentally friendly way of treating insect infestations. In its simplest form infested items are encased in a are enclosed in heat resistant tarpaulins and clean, dry, hot air pumped into the heat treatment area. The temperature is monitored constantly using multiple temperature sensors. At the end of the treatment, a graphical record is produced to confirm the temperature of each sensor throughout the treatment. Heat treatment has proven successful in an increasing number of applications, either as a stand-alone treatment, or in conjunction with small-scale use of conventional insecticides. To date we have treated food machinery, Laundry units, aircraft seating and galleys, hotel rooms, cruise ship cabins and a variety of grain storage and processing machinery with excellent results.

…read more

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Resistant bed-bugs ‘from tropics’

Posted on December 30, 2011 by admin

Bed Bug on skinAccording to the BBC, new results suggest that insecticide use in the tropics is to blame for the re-emergence of bed-bug infestations.

Exposure to treated bed nets and linens meant that populations of bed-bugs had become resistant to the chemicals used to kill them, researchers said.

The findings could help convince pest controllers to find alternative remedies to deal with the problem.

The results were presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s 60th annual meeting.

Since almost vanishing from homes in industrialised countries in the 1950s, populations of the common bed-bug have become re-established in these regions over the past decade or so.

These mostly nocturnal feeders are difficult to control, not only because they are adept at avoiding detection by crawling into creases of soft furnishing but also because they have developed a resistance to many of the chemicals that have been used to kill them.

Findings presented at the gathering in Philadelphia showed that 90% of 66 populations sampled from 21 US states were resistant to a group of insecticides, known as pyrethroids, commonly used to kill unwanted bugs and flies.

…read full article

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Hairy limbs keep bed bugs away

Posted on December 17, 2011 by admin

Bed Bug BitingHairier skin may be the key to avoiding being bitten by bed bugs, claim Sheffield academics.

Hungry bugs placed on shaved arms were more likely to try to feed compared with those on unshaved arms, the journal Biology Letters reported.

Researchers say the hair slows down the bed bugs and warns the victim.

Pest controllers say the UK is currently experiencing a steep rise in the number of bed bug infestations.

Prof Michael Siva-Jothy, from Sheffield University’s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, recruited 29 brave volunteers to test the theory further, watching the bedbugs as they found a place to feed and removing them only as they were about to bite.

He found that more layers of both longer visible hairs and finer, “vellus” hairs near the surface appeared to work as a deterrent to the insects, with the finer hairs also acting as an early warning system.

Prof Siva-Jothy said: “Our findings show that more body hairs mean better detection of parasites – the hairs have nerves attached to them and provide us with the ability to detect displacement.”

He said they also slowed down the insect as it searched for a tasty spot to bite.

“The results have implications for understanding why we look the way we do, what selective forces might have driven us to look the way we do, and may even provide insight for better understanding of how to reduce biting insects’ impact on humans.”

However, even though men are naturally hairier than women, they do not appear to be bitten less often.

Professor Siva-Jothy suggested this pointed to an evolutionary battle between bed bugs and their prey, with the insects adapting to automatically head for relatively hairless bits of the body, such as wrists and ankles.

He added that extreme hairiness might also be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.

“If you have a heavy coat of long thick hairs it is easier for parasites to hide, even if you can detect them.

“Our proposal is that we retain the fine covering because it aids detection and if we lost all hair, even the relatively invisible fine hair, our detection ability goes right down.”

…read full article

Article courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk

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A wasp never forgets a face

Posted on December 2, 2011 by admin

Primates have a face recognition system that enables them to distinguish between individuals, and now, according to a recent study, it seems some wasps do too.

But the new study has also found wasps are likely to have evolved their ability quite separately and it may work in a different way.

Wasp nest removalMichael Sheehan, a PhD student at the University of Michigan in the USA, and his supervisor, Dr Elizabeth Tibbetts, report their discovery in the latest issue of Science.

“We know that the same area of the brain in other primates does the same thing and it’s also the same brain area in sheep”, Mr Sheehan said.

“But as far as I’m aware, our work is the first example of face recognition in an invertebrate – certainly in an insect.”

Mr Sheehan studied two closely related species of paper wasps that live in Michigan and found one could recognise faces while the other could not.

“The two species are essentially the same in all aspects – they even build nests next to each other,” he said.

“They only differ in the number of queens in a nest.”

The species that could recognise faces, Polistes fuscatus, founds nests containing multiple queens – typically three or four queens but sometimes as many as eight.

The other species, Polistes metricus, has nests with only one queen.

Read full article (courtesy of abc news)

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Bed Bugs – Tips for Travellers

Posted on December 2, 2011 by admin

We are often contacted to deal with bed bug infestations where the exposure route is believed to be overseas travel. Below is a brief guide for travellers trying to minimise their exposure to bed bugs. These are the procedures our bed bug control technicians and consultants use when working away from home, they work globally in some of the most heavily infested sites and these simple steps have prevented them from exposing their homes and family to bed bugs.

The one thing to remember when reading this is that bed bugs are just little insects. Do not let this primitive creature ruin your trip or rule your life. We have seen clients obsess over bed bugs to the point that it becomes self-destructive.

Leaving home

For the purpose of this guide we assume you do not have bed bugs at home. We would advise packing a torch to help you inspect your room on arrival. Under no circumstances spray your cases with bed bug repellent, or wrap your case in Clingfilm. If you do the nice man with the rubber gloves will be waiting for you at customs.

The Airport

Airports are a unique environment in regards to bed bug exposure. The average UK airport carries over 20 million travellers per annum, with major hubs approaching 70million.  With exposure levels like this, infestations in terminal buildings are inevitable. Departure lounges get strange use, enabling bed bug infestations to develop quickly. People sleep on the chairs when on lay overs, Travellers can be sat for hours waiting for a flight, it would be stupid to say don’t sit down. We suggest checking the seat around the seams or sitting on your case if you can bear to. A better option may be to visit a restaurant in the terminal as they pose a lower risk of bed bug exposure and the time will pass quicker.

The Aircraft

We often hear stories of travellers’ cases being exposed in the hold of a plane. In reality this risk is miniscule. By far the highest exposure risk is in the cabin itself. There are a few basic precautions you can take to reduce the risk of carry bed bugs with to your destination.

  1. When you board do not put your cabin bags and coat on the seats put them straight into the baggage lockers. This stops bed bugs crawling in to your luggage from the seats. It also reduces the risk of the cabin becoming infested from travellers’ baggage.
  2. Always use the overhead baggage lockers for your cabin luggage. In a cabin environment the most likely areas to become infested will be the seat structures, so storing your bags under the seat is not advised.
  3. Do not spray any form of bed bug repellent or insecticide onto the seats. Very few insecticides are approved for use on aircraft and most amateur products are either organic oil based or in a volatile carrier, both will destroy the flame proofing on the seat. You will probably be ejected from the aircraft if you start applying chemicals to the passenger cabin.
  4. If you believe you have been bitten contact your cabin crew and the airlines customer services department, make a note of your seat number and the aircraft ID.

The Hotel

When you arrive at your hotel a few simple choices and a quick search will drastically reduce your risks of bed bug exposure without ruining your trip or taking up to much time.

  1. The first step is probably the strangest to understand but the logic is sound. When you arrive at your hotel room put your cases straight into the bath. The bath is a smooth moat protecting your cases from a potentially bed bug infested hotel room.
  2. Take your torch out of your bag and start the search of the room. A full search should take no more 10 minutes.
  3. Start by pulling back the covers and with the torch look for any marks on the sheets. Either blood spotting or black faecal spotting. Faecal spotting of sheets spiders out in a diamond shape following the weave of the fabric.
  4. Next check the seams of the mattress for evidence of bed bugs, if infested the evidence will probably be droppings, cast skins or maybe live bugs see our gallery for examples.
  5. Check the headboard, pay special attention to the seams in upholstered surfaces and joints in timber including the wall brackets.
  6. Move onto the bed side cabinet, check the screw holes at the back and all seams in the structure including the draws. Check the spine of the Bible we have found many bed bugs over the years hiding between the spine and binding.
  7. Check the wardrobe although very low risk you will be hanging your clothes in there.
  8. Now that you are confident that your room is bed bug free, use the luggage rack when you unpack and enjoy your holiday.

If you find any evidence of bed bugs or you are not happy with any aspect of your room ask to be moved to another room. If the Hotel will not move you move to another hotel. You do not want to risk a holiday of bed bug bites or risk taking bed bugs home.

We do not suggest checking your hotel on services such as tripadviser.com or thebedbugregistery.com as these sites are predominantly used for vengeance by disgruntled staff wishing to harm a hotel. To date we have inspected 26 rooms for hotels that have had reports of bed bugs through these sites only 1 was accurate.

The Return

You have got this far without exposure to bed bugs so now it is just a matter of reversing the process until you get home. When you get home to negate all risk of bed bug infestation we suggest the following procedure.

  1. Check all seams of your luggage before entering the house.
  2. Take all laundry directly from the cases and launder on a high temperature.
  3. Inspect all other items before bring into the house.
  4. Check all internal surfaces in your luggage for evidence of bed bugs before storing in the house.

We estimate that these procedures should add no more than 10 minutes either end of each journey but will greatly reduce your risks of bed bug exposure both at our hotel and at home.

To find out more about bed bugs here.

Find out about Merlin’s Bed Bug Dogs.

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