Pest Control North Wales

Wasps on the radio in North Wales

Call out today in Colwyn Heights -a customers ceiling speaker was full of wasps ( cue bad jokes-favourite artist Sting, band-The Jam...they were listening to rave and they were buzzing etc). A tricky job in bee suit and gauntlets removing tiny screws to release speaker, especially when 100s of wasps started flying out and a lot of sawdust falling where they had been chewing inside of ceiling away. Turned out the nest was connected to the speaker and wasps coming through a small hole into the grill. After treating a very large nest and clearing remainder of wasps away-one happy and relieved customer.

Frit or phorid? North Wales Pest Control Experts

Embarrassed to say this week got my phorid flies mixed up with another species I have never dealt with before-the frit fly, an agricultural pest. They look alike and suddenly can appear in their thousands ( or in this case millions ). They had coated windows, roof, solar panels and gutters of a rural property. Fortunately treatment deals with either species but their behavioural patterns are completely different. The customer was very understanding( and knowledgeable)  and I will retreat if necessary at no extra charge.

Wasp season slowing down in North Wales

Myself and other pest controllers in N.Wales/ Chester area have said what an incredibly quiet wasp season this year considering the heat. The prolonged dry weather has definitely made them more aggressive, probably due to lack of moisture- I've been stung a lot this year. Yesterday I was called to a care home where the maintenance man unknowingly cut through a ground nest and got covered in stinging wasps and ended up in hospital. Hope you are doing all ok now Danny. If you do have a wasp nest that needs treating-they are big this time of year-please ring

Big bird nest clearance in loft in North Wales 

We cleared a corvid's nest this week which took over 2 hours to bag and clear from a ladys' loft. Inside were many strange things including 2 bright pink bedsheets and a carrier bag full of clothes. After removal the whole area was treated with a residual insecticide and a virucidal disinfectant. The customer was incredibly happy to have it removed. I would'nt have been happy with that weight sat above my bedroom ceiling as well as the fire and hygiene risks.

Large wasp nest in Penrhos in North Wales 

I was called to a beautiful location. A house on the inland sea at Penrhos in the private part of the nature reserve to deal with a 'large' wasp nest in an outbuilding. I was amazed to find an absolutely massive wasp nest suspended from the ceiling with 100s of wasps in and out. This time of year I would normally re-locate to a safe area but this was far too big and dangerous to cut down so I dealt with it where it was . I haven't heard back from the customer -I always say any further activity after 24 hours please ring-so nest defunct.

Wasps rebuilding nest in 1 day in North Wales 

I did a job this week for a customer with several bug boxes on his fence-1 had been engulfed by a wasp nest. Straight-forward I thought. I suited up and removed and re-sited the nest safely in the woods as requested. The following day I had a worried txt they were rebuilding rapidly and when I re-visited was amazed at the size of the new build complete with egg cells (no eggs as queen already removed) and lots of wasps. I removed this and gave a very light spray of repellent/ insecticide and couldn't believe a txt this morning-they're building again. This visit I agreed with customer to leave new nest in place and treat with a D.E. type powder and return when next in Llanfair T.H. to remove. I can only assume there were a lot of workers out foraging as there were a lot of wasps even on 3rd visit. I always give a guarantee included in treatment cost when dealing with wasp nests as sometimes ,although rare ,a 2nd visit can be required.

Wasp Nest in a Hot Tub in North Wales

I had my first proper wasp nest call out today in Four Mile Bridge- so the season has started. Unfortunately although outside in the garden not in a place where it could have been left untreated as it was in a hot-tub, already very active and the wasps were aggressive . The wasp nest has now been dealt with successfully much to the customers relief.

Don't ignore rats in your property...

Call-out this week to rats in a kitchen ceiling. Nice people but for some reason had ignored issue since Xmas. The outcome-electrical appliances were live..even the taps -the electrician was already there dealing with this. Circuit boards in the boiler were also fused so a boiler technician will need to be called once I have successfully dealt with the rats. Luckily there were no electrical fires but the owners received some nasty shocks (electric and financial). If you have rats in your property please don't ignore the issue...they are highly unlikely to just go away.

Rat infestations in private gardens in North Wales - 10/05/2022

I've been getting a lot of rat-related call outs this year, indoors and out. Two recent jobs one in Prestatyn the other in Rhos on Sea were surprising in the levels of infestation. Both jobs were almost identical -the rats had entrenched themselves into areas of the gardens where multiple bird feeders were installed with plenty of cover for the rats and basically they had extensive burrows and nested in large numbers. There was water available so the rats had done rather well unsupervised ! Both gardens are now rat free after a couple of visits-much to the relief of the owners - re-siting feeders and better housekeeping will hopefully prevent the same happening in the future.

Cluster Fly Treatment in North Wales - 20/04/2022

Pestforce Pest Control North Wales carried out a cluster fly job this morning where the flies were hibernating in the cladding overhanging the frame at the top of the roof. It would have been a nightmare with ladders but the owner of the site kindly put up a tower. Great piece of kit and made the job safer and easier. As soon as I started spraying a residual insecticide inside the cladding 100s of flies started emerging and dropping to earth where the hens were safely eating them up.

Grains of rice or carpet moth larvae - 01/12/20

One of the rarer pests to deal with this weekend-the case bearing carpet moth larvae. They get their name from the small silk tubes they weave to protect themselves in during development. After filling themselves with your expensive carpet by eating from either end of the tube, they then seal both ends and eventually emerge as adult moths to start all over again. The females can lay 100s of eggs. If you are unlucky to spot these small white tubes which resemble grains of rice ,usually well hidden in dark areas ,call ASAP!

Fine dining in North Wales - 11/11/2020

I was treating a cluster fly problem in a large house in Penley and it turned out to be quite a spectacle. As the fumigation began thousands of flies started pouring out of the top of the roof. Then came all the birds for a free feed. The little wagtails zooming up and down the roof were a great sight. The process affects the flies nervous system and harmless to the birds feeding on them-no residual effects. If you are having problems at this time of year with numerous flies appearing in your windows and causing a problem, give me a ring on 0754700740 they are likely to be cluster flies and you may have more in your loft than you realise.

Rats in the lobster pots - 04/11/2020

Unusual job came in -protecting an outhouse full to the ceiling with lobster creels worth hundreds of pounds. The problem- rats were getting in attracted by the fishy smells and causing damage. The main problem was the location and state of the building. The area was a public thoroughfare for traffic and pedestrians ,so external baiting not a safe option and to the rear completely over-grown and someone else's land. The only option was to proof ingress points as much as possible and site bait stations inside the building. Some rats are still managing to get in but on 2nd visit after around 3 weeks happy the stations doing their job -a good take on the baits in all boxes ,but none empty. Lobster pots no damage.

Nosey rat in North Wales - October 2020

I was called out yesterday by the owner of a fairly new property scared by a rat sat on the windowsill of his kitchen watching him. It didn't look great at the rear of the property, a rat in a tree, ripped bin bags, lots of burrowing activity and gnawed brick-work. What I didn't expect was when I opened the wheelie bin 3 large rats to fly out and at least another 4 inside. There is now a full treatment in place and because of the level of infestation and possibility of ingress into the house itself, a re-visit booked in for next week.

Rats in October 2020

Firstly I would like to say to all my customers old and new please stay safe and well in these troubling times. Also if you think you may have a rodent problem don't take any chances, I have just received a call from a customer who called in an electrician because he smelt something burning in the loft and the breaker kept tripping- on inspection the electrician found lots of rat droppings in one corner . Unfortunately it's not the first time I've been called out to a property where rats have gnawed through electrical wiring.

Hornets in a pear tree - September 2020

Treated an aggressive hornets nest in a very tall pear tree in Overton, over 100 years old the customer said. Full PPE was definitely needed-the random large pear falling was as much as a danger as the hornets. Very spooky when I got to the level of the nest they stopped what they were doing and turned round to scan me, then decided they didn't want me there and attacked en masse. So Xmas pest control song sorted... 4 harlequin ladybirds , 3 blind mice , 2 dirty rats.....and a hornets nest in a bloody big pear tree.

Plaster beetles in North Wales - September 2020

Unusual job this week, a property infested with plaster beetles ,which were even in cabinets and draws as well as on walls, along with a large number of millipedes climbing up interior walls. The treatment consisted of a light spray of insecticide, fumigation and advice to lower moisture and humidity levels as areas of the house were quite damp contributing to the problem, which the owners did straight away by installing a de-humidifier.

Flying mice in North Wales - August 2020

Unusual call out from Old Colwyn last week, a customer rang with a severe mouse infestation in the roof of a large converted garage, they had been hearing constant squeaking and movement at all hours. The first thing I noticed were droppings on an inaccessible window ledge obviously fallen from a gap above and insect based. When I climbed up into the roof space the squeaking started and as I moved towards the source lots of little chattering heads appeared from under the eaves. Only advice required this time ,a large colony of Pipistrelles-leave the bats well alone and enjoy the spectacle when the bats start flying out around dusk. The family were pleased with the advice and were looking forward to seeing the bats later.

Hens clucked off in North Wales - July 2020

Wasp season has kicked in early this year due to,I'm guessing, a very warm April and May meaning plenty of food about for the developing wasps. I did have a strange one this week-a large nest in a hen house.I managed to squeeze into the hen house wearing a fairly bulky bee suit(the hat caused the most problems!) and remove the nest.The chickens were most relieved when I managed to squeeze back out again. Also fortunately no photos or video exist of this event.

Bee relocation in North Wales - May 2020

Pestforce Pest Control North Wales had a call out from a family in Kinmel Bay that had 2 colonies of tree bees(a quite large bumble-bee) in 2 seperate bird nesting boxes in their garden but unfortunately both in awkward locations.It was on with the protective suit and gloves,out with the screwdrivers and make-shift bungs and half hour later they were both boxed and safely in the back of the van. Both colonies are now established in my garden, no worse for the 10k re-location and amazing how they map their new surroundings to find the way back to the nests after foraging.

Rat increase in February

As well as the misery brought by flooding in North Wales due to prolonged bad weather,people are also getting rodent problems where none previously existed.This is partly due to the displacement of the animals.If you hear strange noises in your walls or loft,don't ignore it,please ring for advice and a treatment to eradicate the problem if needed.

Wasp Nest The Size of a Fridge in Llanfairfechan - 26th February 2020

This wasp nest was in the loft of a farmhouse in Llanfairfechan,the biggest I've seen to date. Another colony of wasps had kindly built another large nest in the corner to illustrate the size of this beast.A pity to have to remove this amazing structure. Awesome!

More wasps nests - 26th October 2019

Nothing unusual, a large active wasp nest in a loft to be dealt with, although a large section of this one had broken away and landed on some boxes. The outside of the main nest was covered in dozens of wasps as was the broken section. I started to deal with the problem and felt the first sting on my foot which surprised me as I was wearing full protective clothing, followed in rapid succession by several more. The wasps had climbed up from the floor of the loft and found the smallest gap between my bee-suit and boot and managed to get stuck in my sock. The nest was dealt with successfully but I paid the price with a fairly bad reaction, terrible itching for 3 days and blisters where my foot had swollen badly in my boot. If you have a problem with a wasp nest, don't take any chances,give me a call and neither wilI I,part of my safety kit now includes a pair of bicycle clips!

New waps nests in September?? - 27 September 2019

I have recently dealt with several wasp nests which are relatively new,going on the size of the nest and also small size of the wasps going in and out.Unusual for this late in the season(late September). Regardless of whether you have a smaller new nest or older very large nest causing you a problem please ring to get the problem sorted. Be aware if the nest is left untreated multiple queens can emerge from the nest giving rise to multiple nests next year!

Call the professionals - August 2019

Pestforce Pest Control Nort Wales have had several calls this month where customers have been badly stung trying to deal with wasp nests. This is not recommended without the correct protective clothing and equipment as the wasps become agitated and very aggressive. On two occassions customers were rushed to hospital with severe reactions to the stings. Don't take the risk, give me a call. 

Unwelcome visitors – 29 April 2019

Pestforce Pest Control North Wales were called out to a tele-communications company who had experienced a sudden infestation of mice. The infestation was pretty extensive. Nearly every room had evidence of mouse activity and the kitchen and leisure rooms were the worst affected. This is unusual for this time of year. The reason was soon identified. I located new cabling which led from the outside and which had significant gaps where the mice could run into the building in several locations. A full treatment plan was identified and the next visit will entail sealing access points to prevent any more unwelcome visitors.

Successful removal of rats at horse stables – 5 April 2019

Pestforce Pest Control North Wales were called to a local stable that had been experiencing a problem with rats. The rats had been seen running around in the daytime and had burrowed throughout the stables making nests. I was able to provide the owner with the all clear on my third visit.  The quick success was due to my treatment plan and also the good house-keeping standards followed by the stable owner. All that is needed now is to monitor for any fresh activity.

Moles the size of badgers in North Wales - 3rd April 2019

Just finished a mole clearance in a large garden which took a couple of visits to clear, one mole was particularly evasive and was producing really large molehills. I was extremely pleased to visit the other day and find no more activity. I texted the owner to tell him the good news, final mole trapped and he wanted to know-was it a big one? I told him to be honest, not particularly-to which he responded "I was hoping it was going to be the size of a badger." That would be very worrying!

Wasps in Ryll turned out to be hoverflies - 31 March 2019

Pestforce Pest Control North Wales attended a call from an elderly lady concerned with the number of wasps in her garden, which were preventing her from sitting outside. I explained to the customer that it was too early to see wasp activity in March, other than the larger queens emerging from hibernation which tend to be solitary. The customer would be seeing hoverflies which are non-stinging or biting and a great benefit to our gardens in pollination. Hoverfly larvae also rid our gardens of pests such as aphids and blackfly. I alleviated the customer's concerns and gave her peace of mind so that she could enjoy happy days sat in her garden.

Giant Rat in North Wales 2nd March 2019

Recently a very distraught elderly lady contacted me, her husband was in hospital for a major operation. She was alone in th house and frightened as she was hearing strange noises at night. All the conkers had disappeared from a bowl on a shelf in the bathroom and a whole bag of potatoes had gone from a kitchen cupboard. The culprit...not a gremlin or kleptomaniac ghost but a very large rat that had entrenched itself under the floor accessing the bathroom via a conduit and the potatoes by gnawing a large hole at the back of the cupboard. Sadly the rat is no longer with us and neither are the mice which I also discovered in the external utility rooms and were causing damage. All ingress points sealed much to the lady's relief.

Apology in advance

The snow is here again and along with the ice, the roads are treacherous around North Wales.I apologise beforehand to existing and new customers for any delays in getting to you and urge you to take care while driving yourselves, as the old adage goes....Better-to-be-late-than-dead-on-time (or better-late -than-never).

Nice new garden invaded with mole holes

Pestforce North Wales recently did a mole job recently for a customer who's son had recently sheeted his large garden and placed shale on top. It did not take long for his nice new garden to be invaded with mole holes. They started appearing in the shale and along the edges between raised area soil being pushed out. I was determined to sort problem without ruining the new garden, not easy as runs are hard to get to. The customer was happy for me to call in when in area and eventually on my third visit, I caught not one but two moles and achieved this by pulling just a small piece of sheeting back. Moved soil, put sheeting and shale back in place and stamped down the mounds. Happy customer and a happy Pest Controller!

When I told customer he'd had bats flying around his front room he didn't believe me at first

Pestforce North Wales were called out by a customer wanting to start using his chalet again but concerned by the amount of rat droppings inside. The chalet was in a clearing on stilts and droppings were liberally decorating the floor and furniture inside, one table too high for rodent access and crumbly in nature. When I told customer he'd had bats flying around his front room he didn't believe me at first, but on looking around noticed a platform high up with a small door that was open. On climbing up there, we noticed many droppings in evidence and after squeezing through to the roof space, although no bats in residence, an obvious old roost was evident. In the end all that was required was a minor clean up oporation and the problem was resolved. The chalet has been restored to it's former pest free glory and the customer is very happy. 

There are no two days the same in the world of pest control

It always amazes me how jobs can be so different, from crawling around under someone's floor or tentatively walking from beam to beam in someones dusty attic looking for rodent activity, to a nice scenic job setting up a new contract in a forest park. The day was glorious, the views were fantastic, the site staff were amazing, the steam train passed every hour or so, Hercules were low-flying up the valley and as well as the great forest smells, there was a bakery in the main hub making fresh bread and pizza. Doesn't get much better!

Flea Pest Control in Prestatyn

A flea pest control job came in via head-office for a lady in Prestatyn who had tried to treat the problem herself with no success. She was quite desperate to get the problem sorted as her kids were getting bitten and her little boy was scratching and getting a bad reaction. He also had asthma so I opted to do the flea treatment immediately after he'd gone to school. The house had been thoroughly vaccuumed and furniture etc pulled from sides of room which I'd pre-requested if possible.The house was spotless and although no jumping fleas were evident there were eggs in pretty much every room around carpet edges especially in the lounge and one upstairs bedroom. The family had inherited the problem from the previous tenant who had kept parrots,ferrets,dogs and cats. The lady went over her friends for a few hours while I did the treatment with Ficam W and appropriate P.P.E. When customer returned we opened a few windows to ventilate and I said have a good rest and don't vaccuum for ten days.I set up insect monitors and left a couple of spares and said to customer I'd give her a ring in just over a week to see how many fleas,if any had been caught on the monitors which she seemed to appreciate. 25th November 2017