In the present context, the term bookworm refers to the larvae of certain wood-boring beetles which feed on paper (p. 122). These larvae require a high humidity and nowadays they rarely attack books. They only occur in books which stand undisturbed for years in cellars or lofts. Beetles and other insects with wood-boring larvae may, […]
Shiny spider beetle
(Latin: Gibbium psylloides) A less active spider beetle, wich crawls around slowly on it’s long legs. It may attack cereals and cereal products in, for example, India, where it is sometimes a pest. In Europe it is occasionally found in imported goods.
Colour plates
Animals that bite, sting and irritate Animals in foods Animals that attack textiles Animals in paper, leather and plastics Animals in timber Animals in masonry and insulation Animals in thatch Animals that gnaw metal Animals that merely live in the house Animals that come inside for the winter Occasional visitors Animals that bite, sting and […]
The golden spider beetle
Latin: Niptus hololeucus. This spider beetle is studded with long golden hair. It infests the same types of products as the first two mentioned spider beetles. When occurring in a warehouse it is often because it has been able to eat dead insects, dry carrions or rodent droppings. The adult golden spider beetles do bite […]
The lesser mealworm beetle
Latin: Alphitobius diaperinus. This beetle is an elongated, oval beetle. It is 5-6 mm, brown black and shiny. The lesser mealworm beetle originates from the tropics and can be found as it eats mould from very damps cereals, flour and feed residues. It had its first chance to form large populations when we began feeding […]
Prevention
It is obviously not possible to exclude animals completely from a house. In most cases the most sensible course will be to hinder the entry of animals and, subject to technical and aesthetic considerations, to deny them suitable living conditions if they do succeed in gaining entrance. Fortunately, such measures will usually also promote general […]
Control
The fact that the adult and egg-laying harvest mites live well hidden in the topsoil makes them practically impossible to eradicate with conventional insecticides. If you want to spray your garden with pesticides, this should be done at the time the larvae begin to appear, or later. Prevention of bites. Tight shoes and clothes are […]
Prevention and control
The larvae, which are scattered in the soil, cannot be eradicated. Insecticides cannot effectively control the adult flies, flying around, either. Adult horse flies can be trapped in traps, which consist of a rather large, dark object, which can be seen and is heated by the sun. Carbon dioxide (from dry ice) may increase the […]
How do you get bed bugs?
It may seem inexplicable, when you suddenly discover that there are bed bugs in the home. Maybe it has been some time since they were introduced. The main reasons can be summarized as follows: The house has been visited by a person who brought them in his or her luggage. You have stayed somewhere, a […]
Earwigs
(The common Earwig) Latin: Forficula auricularia. Earwigs do not really belong in food storages. Yet it often happens that you find an earwig in food. The reason is that earwigs are very common animals in Northern Europe. They seek buildings, not because of the buildings themselves, but because they have narrow, dark hiding places. If […]
Crickets
(The House Cricket) Latin: Acheta domestica. The house cricket is closely related to the grasshopper. Both have developed the rear pair of legs to be jumping legs. Originally it came from North Africa. In the past, bakeries were the typical residence of house crickets. Today it has become a common insect in homes, where it […]
Prevention and Control, Integrated Control
The modern, synthetic insecticides, which began to emerge during the 1940s, revolutionised pest control. For years it was actually believed that all pest problems were now solved. People soon learned otherwise. Soon resistance to insecticides and adverse side effects were discovered. This has led to many of the “good old” methods now coming back into […]
Rat control
In food businesses chemical agents must be avoided as far as possible. There is a risk of contaminating the food and the dead rats stink horribly. However, it is advantageous to place boxes of rat poison in strategic locations outside buildings, so rats are fought before they find their way into buildings and establish themselves […]
Rat prevention
Windows should always have full glasses or be fitted with galvanized mesh with openings no greater than 20 mm and a wire thickness of at least 0.7 mm. Also vents should be secured with wire mesh. If there is room for a rat to pass, holes for pipes and wires should be covered with a […]
The black rat
Latin: Rattus rattus. This rat came to Europe in the early Middle Ages and raged fiercely until the 1700s where it was driven away by the brown rat. It was the black rat, or rather the fleas of the black rat, that caused the plague epidemics which under the name “the Black Death” depopulated much […]
The brown rat
Latin: Rattus norvegicus. The brown rat is found all over the world. It originated in East Asia, from where it has spread, partly on foot and partly by sea on ships. It arrived relatively late into Europe. We first hear about “wandering rats” ravaging the continent in the early 1700s. The brown rat has great […]
Mouse control
Preventively, one can lay out many small stores of poison grain along building foundations where the mice look for ways in. The stores must be shielded from bad weather and against children, birds and other animals eating them. This can be done by putting poison in special dispensers, in drainpipes or simply under boards, placed […]
Mouse prevention
Of course it would be best if the mice could not get in to houses and other buildings, but even the most solid buildings have weak points which can be quite difficult to detect and better. Basement windows must be closed, all windows must be whole and doors must fit tightly. Holes and cracks which […]
The yellow-necked mouse
Latin: Apodemus flavicollis. The yellow-necked mouse is dark brown on the top side, while the underside is pure white, except for a brown band (collar) in front of the front legs. It is larger than the house mouse, head and body measuring 10-12 cm, and the tail is slightly longer than the rest of the […]
The house mouse
Lat: Mus musculus. A grey mouse with a slightly lighter underside. Together head and body measure 8 – 9 cm, while the tail is a little shorter. It originates from southwest Asia, but is now widely spread around the world. It adapts easily and is found wherever people live. In the summer many house mice […]
Rodents
Rodents’ most characteristic feature is their set of teeth. The large, curved set of teeth, two in the upper mouth and two in the lower mouth, separated from the rest of the teeth by a large, toothless space. Rodents primarily gnaw with the lower front teeth in the lower part of the mouth while the […]
Prevention and control of birds
Poison It is illegal to use poisoned baits or other types of poison against birds. Attempts to sterilise pigeons with baits containing chemo-sterilants has not worked in practice and experiments with sleeping pills so that experts could collect the stunned birds have not been very promising. Shooting It is legal to shoot some birds on […]
The house sparrow
Latin: Passer domestica. Both in terms of food and choice of birthplace the house sparrow is dependent on people. Nests are often placed close together in colonies. When a sparrow has bred somewhere, it will usually stay there for life, which can be 3-4 years. The house sparrows which are sedentary birds, is at their […]
The domestic pigeon
Latin: Columba livia domestica. The domestic pigeons roosting on and in buildings are astray descendants of the ordinary pigeons. Like their ancestors, the European rock doves, they prefer to build nests up high on ledges. The pigeons can get by with very little nesting material. A pigeon’s nest is just a cake of excrement, held […]
Birds
Pigeons and sparrows are examples of animals that people often welcome, but in certain contexts they should be seen as pests. These two kinds of birds are not particularly afraid of people and they live mostly of grains, cereals and seeds. Once they have found a good spot with food in productions or warehouses, they […]
Wasps
Latin: Vespoides spp. The wasp is a wide category that covers digger wasps, parasitic wasps, hornets etc. Wasps are well known in their black and yellow striped abdomens and no less for their ability to sting. In Northern Europe there are about a dozen species of social wasps, which are very similar to each other […]
The pharaoh ant
Latin: Monomorium pharaonis. A tiny, bright yellow ant. The workers are only approximately 2 mm long. It is originally a tropical species, which has spread across the world through imports. In Northern Europe it has been known since the 1920s. In Northern Europe, the pharaoh ant depends on heated buildings. The pharaoh ant is most […]
The common black ant
Latin: Lasius niger. This is the species most frequently encountered indoors. An ant colony usually consists of a dozen thousand ants, and the colony is placed in the ground. In buildings, the ants establish colonies in cavity walls and under floors. Outside, they have a certain fondness for building colonies under tiles. They penetrate anywhere […]
Hymenoptera
The hymenoptera include ants, wasps and bees. They, like beetles, moths and flies, have complete metamorphosis. The larvae are limbless, blind and pale maggots. There are two pairs of transparent flying wings with relatively few but clear ribs. The rear wings are always smaller than the front wings. Mouth parts are arranged to either suck or […]
Fruit flies
Latin: Drosophila spp. Also called vinegar flies. Fruit flies are quite rich on species. We know more than 6000 different species, but only a few of them are found indoors. Adult fruit flies are 3-4 mm long, yellowish brown. They typically fly quietly. The larvae are yellowish-white maggots. Pupae almost look like small brown seeds. […]
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