10 Common Pests

1. Ants (The commonest species that invades houses is the Black Garden Ant, which is actually very dark brown)
2. Bed bugs (This common pest once associated with unhygienic surroundings is prevalent due to a number of reasons, including increased travel, the use of second-hand furniture, and suspected tolerance to some pesticides. These bugs still occur with regularity, particularly in multi-occupancy buildings with rapid resident turnover, for example, hostels, hotels, holiday camps and blocks of flats.)
3. Cockroaches (Cockroaches are distinguished by their very long whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies and rapid, jerky walk.)
4. Deathwatch Beetle (A wood-boring beetle whose grubs eat old hardwood structural timbers. Practically common in stately homes in which the beetle family has probably lived since they were built.)
5. Fleas (The most common species of Flea is the Cat Flea, known for readily biting humans. The Bird Flea is next in importance, followed by the rare Dog Flea, although other species may become temporarily attached to dogs. Finally, there are Human Fleas which are extremely rare.)
6. Lice (Small, flat, wingless, grey parasites about 2mm long with strong claw legs and which feed on human blood. There are two distinct forms of this sort of louse - the head louse and the body louse, but they are similar in appearance.)
7. Mice (Hear the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps behind the skirting. Dos your cat bring mice in from the garden? Mice are a part of British wildlife - but when they take up residence with you, they can be a cause for concern.
8. Rats (There are two species of rat in Britain, Rattus Norvegicus which is commonly known as the Brown Rat or Common Rat. The Rattus Rattus, referred to as the Black Rat or Ship Rat is now rarely found in the UK.)
9. Ticks (Closely related to the mites, but much larger and reliant on vertebrate blood. They are occasionally brought into the house on domestic animals and can be picked up by humans after walking through long grass in an infested area. Ticks are implicated in the transmission of Lyme disease, and medical advice should be sought if a rash appears at the site of a bite. Remove them with a twist to avoid leaving the mouthparts in the skin.)
10. Wasps (Wasps are classified under the order Hymenoptera, which means membraneous wings. All the stinging insects belong to this group. Some Wasps live in Wasps nests in the UK.)