I’m a pest controller – how to protect your home from spider and bug armies… and the critter you bring back from holiday | The Sun

SNEAKY pests are the house guest no one wants, but they always seem to find a way in.

But by making these simple changes, you can make it harder for spiders, bugs and rodents to set up shop in your home.

With an invasion of sex-crazed spiders on the way as mating season begins, now is the best time to start pest-proofing.

Here, pest control expert Stuart Halliday, 43, owner of Kill and Cure Pest Control, breaks down what you need to do to evict unwanted house guests – and how to stop them from arriving in the first place.

Spiders

While spiders have their uses, such as eating flies, most people aren't keen to welcome them into their home.

One simple way to stop the crawlies getting in is to seal up any cracks around your doors and windows, Stuart says.

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"Sometimes if you have your windows changed, or if you live in an older property, there can be gaps both on the inside and outside meaning spiders and other insects can get in," he said.

"You should make sure these are sealed up and then to help keep the spiders out put lemongrass cleaners or oil around windows and doors as they don't like the smell.

"Also growing basil, thyme and rosemary on windowsills will keep the pests out and deter wasps, woodlice and other small crawlies."

Wasps and hornets

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Wasps, like spiders, are not a fan of certain plants and citrus fruits, but growing your own lemon tree in the UK isn't particularly feasible.

Instead, Stuart recommends taking steps to ensure you're not left with unfriendly wasp hive in your home or garden.

He said: "Make sure you paint all of the wooden furniture in your garden or coat it in a varnish. This means the wasps can't strip away the wood to make nests.

"This goes for any dead wood lying around as well. Either store it somewhere airtight or just get rid of it rather than abandoning it in your garden."

If eating outside, burning a citrus candle can help deter wasps from getting too close as they hate the smell. It should also help keep away most other flying pests.

Hornets are likely to take up residence in your loft, especially if you have old hay-based insulation as it makes a great nest.

They can also bring in wood and other nest materials from outside if your house is nice and warm.

The best way to stop it is to have newer insulation and to keep an eye on dead wood near your home.

If things get really bad you can fit a UV light in there to kill off any unwanted flying pests.

Rats and mice

A slightly larger, and furrier problem, are rats and mice.

Stuart said: "While an open door is the easiest route into your home, airbricks near ground level are another.

"Broken ones can have large enough gaps for a rat to squeeze in and older bricks are often big enough for a mouse to gain entry.

"As a rule of thumb anything a pencil can fit into, so can a mouse. If you can get your thumb in the hole a rat can squeeze through."

Stuart also advises blocking up any old pipes that are no longer in use as rats can sneak in through them as well.

He warns not to have bird feeders in the summer – as rats will eat there – and to clean the outside drain that your kitchen sink goes into regularly.

While the rodents might steer clear while your pooch or kitty is downstairs, as soon as they're out of sight, the rats and mice will make the most of it."

Another breeding ground for rats is compost heaps that aren't in a container. It's somewhere they love to live and provides a constant source of food.

And don't think having a cat or dog stops you from being at risk.

Stuart said: "Unfortunately they don't keep away rats and mice. While the rodents might steer clear while your pooch or kitty is downstairs, as soon as they're out of sight, they will make the most of it.

"Most pet cats are too well fed to kill and eat a rogue mouse or rat. They might play with a mouse but that's about it."

Stuart also recommends keeping your toilet seat down to stop any intrepid rats who've climbed up your sewage pipes. The lid style is designed to try and stop them from climbing out.

Bed bugs

The very thought of bed bugs might give you the creeps, but you could unwittingly be bringing them into your home coming from holidays.

Stuart revealed that your case in the hold of a plane can pick up some of their sticky larvae.

He said: "No matter how nice your hotel is, always have a quick check for bed bugs when you get there. You're looking for what looks like black mould in the joints of the bed, under the mattress and anywhere sunlight doesn't reach during the day.

"If the black is there then it's likely to be bed bugs. If your holiday accommodation is clear it doesn't mean you're safe.

"You can pick the bugs up from other peoples' suitcases when you fly home as the eggs are a bit like velcro. Treat your case like it has the plague.

"So make sure to wash all your clothes when you get home and keep your case in a black bag, tie it up tight and pop it in the loft or garage to protect your home."

Storing them in lofts and garages is ideal because they can get quite warm or very cold – both conditions that kill off the bugs.

Carpet beetles, cupboard beetles, and moths

Carpet and cupboard beetles are bad news and a nightmare to get rid of once they've settled in.

The cupboard variety can be stopped by taking all food out of bags and storing in glass or plastic containers.

Stuart says this means that if you accidentally end up with some in your food, they'll be contained and stopped from going mad in your cupboards.

Also do the same with your pet food as they can come into your house in bags of cat, dog, or other animal biscuits.

Stuart said: "You can tell if you have cupboard beetles because all of the bagged food in will have tiny compass-sized holes where they've chewed through to get to the food.

"You can kill them off using a fly killer that leaves a residue to kill off the eggs and throwing out all the affected food as well."

Another beetle that likes to invade your home is the common carpet or clothes beetle.

These can fly in through open windows so if you want to be extra secure, buy fly mesh to fit to your windows.

Once inside they will munch through your clothes and carpet as they like natural fibres like wool.

You can tell if you've got the nightmare pests as they will munch through carpets and leave patches in low-traffic areas like under the bed or a bedside table.

If you do get an infestation, either in the carpets or your cupboards, it's a task for the hoover and meticulous cleaning.

Moths' favourite foods are wool items, anything made from animal fur and silk.

If you are unfortunate enough to end up with some moth-ridden threads, there's a cheap hack to kill them off.

Stuart said: "Vaccum pack the infected items and pop them in our freezer for two days.

"The freezing temperature will kill off the moths and eggs leaving your clothes pests free again for little expense."

Stuart also advises cleaning the wardrobe using a moth spray to get every last possible egg or adult.

Cluster flies

Cluster flies, which include fruit flies, are a pain in the summer and seem to get everywhere.

Stuart says the best way to tackle these critters is prevention.

"Stagnant water anywhere on your property is going to attract all sorts of flies. It can be in your drains, your gutters, in buckets or plant pots. They're not fussy," he explained.

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"Make sure to remove all possible places for water to be still and clean those hard-to-reach gutters, especially during summer.

"Another big attraction is food. Make sure to put all food away and when it's going in your bin, make sure it has a lid on it."

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