10 Most Horrible Common Pests in the UK
1. Clothes Moths/Carpet Moths
The Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella) is a common species of moth. It has pale, plain golden-buff wings fringed with hair and can be found all over the UK. These little buggers can cause serious damage on your clothes and carpets. Make sure to check your closet for holes in clothing and keep your storages clean since dust and filth attracts them.
The other kind, Carpet Moth or Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella) are often found near carpets that contain natural fibers. This moth has three dark brown spots on each side edge near its body. The Carpet Moths larvae cases can be found on top of carpets so look out for them.
For treatment, the most effective option, which also is 100% natural and safe is Red Cedar Oil. Simply apply the oil by spraying it in your closet, wardrobe, drawers or even along on the skirting boards in your home. This will help you get rid of moths and prevent another infestation.
Another option if you already have an infestation is moth traps. Swedish Red Premium Sticky Moth Traps with Pheromones lure the male moths, traps them to the sticky surface and stops them from reproducing. The trap can be placed in cabinets or hung in your wardrobe to prevent the presence of carpet moths or common clothes moths.
2. Silverfish
Silverfish are small, insect-like creatures that live in damp areas and have bristles at the tail end of their bodies. They can't climb smooth surfaces like porcelain so they're often trapped in bathtubs when walking around on your kitchen counters during night time!
Again, Red Cedar Oil is a great way to keep the silverfish away. Simply spray it around your home where you might find silverfish. You can also use plain cedar wood pieces or blocks and place it around your home. To keep the wood from lasting longer, spray a little red cedar oil on them now and then.
Silverfish traps is also highly effective. A Swedish Red Silverfish Trap allows you to quickly get rid of silverfish. This trap greatly reduces the occurrence of silverfish. The trap lures males and females with pheromones. This product is just like all of our products, family and pet friendly, natural and non-toxic. To get rid of silverfish, this silverfish trap is a must have.
3. Carpet Beetle
The larvae or “woolly bears” of these small, oval Carpet Beetles (Anthrenus verbasci) have overtaken the clothes moths as the worst textile pest in the UK. The Variegated Carpet Beetle is like a small, mottled brown, grey and cream ladybird. The Fur Beetle is related to the Carpet Beetle black with one spot on each wing case.
The Carpet Beetle can lay its eggs in fabric, felt, or accumulated fluff in buildings for example. It is actually the larvae from these eggs that cause the damage. They feed on fur, hair, wool or feathers.
Red cedar oil and cedar wood is again, a highly effective repellent against these little creatures.
4. Bed Bug
The Bed Bug is a common pest that is often associated with traveling. Bed bugs need to feed on the blood of a host animal and are a well-known parasite of bats. Although, our primary concern is that bed bugs can feed on human blood.
Signs of bedbugs can be small red irritating bites clustered on your neck, shoulders, back, legs or arms.
Another sign is small brown marks that sort of looks like an ink dot on the bed frame or the bottom side of the mattress. You might also find small blood strains on the bed linen or headboard.
Their eggs are visible to the human eye as well but the most obvious sign is of course, seeing the small brown insects themselves, around and in your bed frame or sleeping area.
To prevent or get rid of bed bugs, Red Cedar Oil is an effective way of doing so. Spray it around your bed frame and bedroom and keep those pests away.
5. Spiders
Many of use have an unexplainable fear of spiders even though they're not actually dangerous. Even if you don't scream every time you see them, you're probably don't want them crawling around your home either way.
If you're tired of getting freaked every time you see a spider at home, consider spraying red cedar oil along the skirting boards of your home or placing come red cedar wood blocks or cubes around the place.
6. Head Lice
Even though the head louse isn't a pest problem itself, it's not something you want to have and if you do you want to get rid of them immediately. These blood sucking parasites are about 3mm long and cause extreme itching in your scalp and sometimes you can catch them with the eye or if you comb your hair over a sink.
Swedish Red offers a natural non-toxic spray for getting rid and preventing head lice. You simply shampoo your hair and let it dry a bit. Then you spray it directly on the hair covering as much space as possible. Repeat the process daily if needed.
7. Ants/Flying ants
Ants can be a pain to get rid of when they've entered your home. The Black Garden Ant is the most common species to invade homes. It is the worker ants that invade buildings in search of food. They are attracted to sweet foods which they can bring back to the queen and larvae. These ants are from 3 to 5mm in length. Flying is not a whole different species as you might think. It's actually just reproductive males and females. The swarms of flying ants occur during summer and can cause discomfort on an otherwise nice and calm summer afternoon.
Red cedar oil is a great way to keep ants away. All you need to do is apply a few drops of the oil to a piece of cedarwood and place it near where the ants are active and around your home. The ant's natural aversion to cedar will keep them away from your home. The oil is 100% natural and safe for children and pets - no chemicals here!
8. Fleas
Fleas tend to come with our cats and dogs but are known to bite humans as well. If your pet is scratching or fidgeting more than usual you might have a flea problem. Or maybe you see the fleas hopping around at home with your own eye.
In the UK, fleas do not usually carry diseases. Although fleas do not pose a direct threat to our health, flea bites can cause intense irritation and itching to both pets and humans.
Swedish Red have produced a repellent for fleas that is 100 % natural and completely safe to spray on your pet.
9. Cockroach
These icky pests aren't very pleasant. Cockroaches are easily identified by their very long antennae, oval bodies and jerky walk. The German Cockroach (Blattella germanica) is a light yellowy-brown and is about 10 to 15mm long. The Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is dark brown/black and is around 20 to 24mm long.
Cockroaches is a direct health risk to humans. They carry various disease, for example the organisms which cause food poisoning and other bacteria, such as salmonella and streptococcus.
Cockroaches come from sewers, drains into buildings and our homes. Therefor, when they have entered your home, they will contaminate anything they come into contact with such as food, utensils, and preparation surfaces.
To keep cockroaches away and stay healthy and safe - spray Red Cedar Oil around your home in cabinets, along skirting boards, in your bathroom and so on.
10. Mosquitos
Mosquitos are extremely common and we all have encountered them and probably been bitten by them as well. The bites can cause extreme itching and scarring if you scratch them up. In the UK they do not carry dangerous diseases like they do in some other countries.
Many mosquito repellents contain chemicals and can burn on your skin. Swedish Red provides two different mosquito repellents. One is for your skin and is produced to be completely child and pet friendly as well as environmental friendly. The other one is a bottle containing the repellent where you simply open up the lid ant let it sit where you want to keep the mosquitos away.
By: Lovisa F published August 15, 2022
