3 Of The Most Common UK Household Pests & How To Get Rid Of Them

The good news is that when it comes to common household pests in the UK, the majority are completely harmless to us humans. Regardless of this fact, however, it still doesn’t mean that we necessarily want them to bed down and start calling our houses their home. Like many people in the UK, we don’t want to harm these common household pests unless we absolutely have to, which is why we’ve written this guide to the UK’s most common household pests and how to get rid of them. 

Sometimes though, the job is just too big for you to take on yourself. If you feel that you’re unable to remove pests on your own, or you think it’s too dangerous to manage your pest issue without professional help, it’s always a good idea to call in pest control experts. 

3 of the most common household pests found in the UK.

In this post, we’re going to be talking about 3 of the most common household pests that we get in the UK and discussing the most effective ways for getting rid of them. So, let’s get started.

Ants are one of the most common household pests found in the UK.

Ants are one of the top pests that people often complain about in the UK. Ants have the ability to infiltrate our homes through the tiniest of spaces and can often cause havoc within the kitchen, but fortunately, there are a few ways to keep ants at bay. 

The first thing to do when you start to notice ants in your home is to watch them closely. You want to keep an eye on them and follow their path in order to find their entrance and exit points. Once you’ve discovered how the ants are entering your home, you can cover up any holes that they are able to fit through. It’s also important that you seal sweet substances in your kitchen to ensure the smell of sweet, sticky food doesn’t attract them.

If you’ve found that you’re still having issues with ants entering your home, you may wish to purchase ant bait traps. These traps can be purchased online and in stores, but be wary when using them as they should not be left in an area that’s accessible to cats, dogs, children, or any other wildlife. These traps work because the insecticide bait attracts the ants, the bait is then taken back to the nest and effectively destroys the whole colony. 

Bed bugs are regarded as one of the 3 most common household pests in the UK, but don’t let the name fool you – they can be found anywhere around the home.

Bed bugs can be difficult pests to irradicate due to their prolific breeding habits and their ability to hide so well. Bed bugs aren’t as small as many people may think – in fact, they can grow to be around 5mm long and reach the length of an apple seed. The issue lies with the fact that these insects are very slim and can therefore hide in crevices as slim as a credit card and remain undetected. They are brown before feeding on human blood – turning red after feeding – and are oval shaped pests commonly found in bed sheets, clothing, and furniture.

If you think that you may be suffering from bed bugs, it would be my recommendation to hire a professional pest control company to enter your home and carry out a full inspection. However, if you wish to try and tackle the problem yourself, you will need to conduct an extremely thorough cleaning of your property.

Gather all soft furnishings, bed sheets, blankets, and clothes and then wash them on the highest heat setting that you are able to. Additionally, if you are able to use a tumble drier after washing, you should also use the highest heat setting possible in order to ensure all pests have been destroyed. For your mattress, you will need to scrub it well and vacuum it thoroughly before putting your bedding back on.

Flies are one of the most common household pests in the UK, but here’s what you can do to keep them at bay.

Did you know that there are over 120,000 species of flies globally and around 7,000 in the UK? Flies are considered pests because they can pose health risks to humans and pets through the spread of food poisoning, dysentery, and diarrhoea. Unfortunately, flies can also carry diseases such as Salmonella and E.coli, so it’s a good idea to sort a fly infestation out as soon as possible. 

There are various methods that can be used to manage fly infestations, including store bought products such as fly spray and fly strips, DIY products, and LED fly killers. In most cases, store bought products or DIY traps are enough to keep fly numbers down, however, if you find that your fly problem is persistent, it may be time to call in professional pest control experts. 

*Collaborative post.