Latin: Tineola bisselliella This small moth, now common in human habitations in temperate countries, came originally from warmer parts of the world. It was probably not very abundant until houses started to be warmed more or less efficiently. It does not, therefore, live outside in temperate regions, and it is not one of the insects […]
Small moths
Many of the smaller moths are superficially very similar in appearance. Some attack textiles, some are pests of agricultural crops, while others infest foods (p. 63). In everyday life, however, the moths most commonly encountered are those that attack clothing, and these must have been a nuisance to man for a very long time. As […]
Rat proofing and eradication
In most civilized countries serious attempts are made to control and eradicate rats, and in some places regular inspection of properties is required by law. All means of access should be made secure against rats. Windows should either be completely glazed or fitted with galvanized wire netting with a mesh of 1-2 cm, the wire […]
Black rat
Latin: Rattus rattus This rodent probably originated in south-east Asia, whence it has spread to large areas of the world. It arrived in Europe early in the Middle Ages and became very widespread until it was largely replaced by the brown rat. Black rats were responsible for spreading plague (Black Death) in Europe during the Middle […]
Brown rat
Latin: Rattus norvegicus The brown rat, now found in almost all parts of the world, is believed to have originated in eastern Asia. It spread partly on foot, partly by ship. It came to Europe relatively late, probably about the beginning of the 18th century, but when it did it spread very rapidly, for this […]
Mouse eradication
Small caches of poison can be laid outdoors along the base of the walls, where the mice try to find a way in. The poison must be protected from wind and weather, and positioned so that birds and other animals cannot reach it. In fact, it is best to put it in a length of […]
Mouse proofing
Naturally it is better if a house can be made proof against mice when it is actually being built. Even the best houses have their weak points where mice can gain entrance, and it is often difficult to find these and render them secure. It is always a good idea to ensure that cellar windows […]
House mouse
Latin: Mus musculus The house mouse came originally from south-western Asia. It has spread to all parts of the earth, mainly with the help of man. It has an amazing ability to adapt and it now occurs more or less wherever man has settled. In most areas this mouse is associated with buildings, often moving out […]
Rodents
Latin: Order Rodentia The rodents comprise about a third of all the living mammal species, and they include several of man’s most serious pests. Their most characteristic structural feature is the dentition. Rodents have two large curved incisors in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw, and these are separated from the remaining […]
House sparrow
( Latin: Passer domesticus) This is normally a harmless, quite attractive small bird when it builds in the eaves of a house (p. 183), but in food factories and stores it can do a lot of damage, and has been called a winged rat! Sparrows eat foods, foul them with their droppings and peck holes […]
Birds
Latin: Class Aves
Pharaoh ant
Latin: Monomorium pharaonis This small yellowish-red ant gets its popular and specific names from the fact that it was erroneously believed to have been one of the plagues of ancient Egypt. In fact, it came originally from the tropics and reached Europe in the early years of this century. It is completely dependent upon heated […]
The jet black ant
Latin: Acanthomyops fuliginosus It may also find its way into the kitchen. It makes it’s nest in timber and is discussed in more detail in the book on page 145 – jet black ant and timerberpest – together with the pests of timber.
Small black or garden ant
Latin: Lasius niger These are the ants most commonly seen on verandas and in the house. They live in the ground, frequently under rocks or flagstones, and they will often penetrate under the house itself, particularly if it has been built directly on the ground. Ants frequently build nests in the insulation layer and from […]
Ants
Latin: Superfamily Formicoidea Ants can be found more or less everywhere. About 3,500 different species have been described, and these are adapted for widely varying conditions. Common to them all, however, is the fact that they are social. The winged ants frequently seen in the middle of the summer are males and females which come […]
Cheese fly
Latin: Piophila casei This fly lays its eggs not only on cheese but also on other milk products, on meat as well as offal and faeces. The larvae, known as cheese skippers, have a fantastic ability to hop. They do this by bending themselves in the middle so that they can grasp the hind part […]
Vinegar fly
Latin: Drosophila funebris These small yellowish-brown flies can sometimes be seen when a peeled banana or a cut tomato is left on the kitchen table. Vinegar flies frequently settle on bottles with drops of wine, milk or beer on the outside and they also visit jams, ketchup and vinegar. The female lays eggs directly in such […]
Grey flesh fly
( Latin: Sarcophaga carnaria) This large grey fly is occasionally seen indoors. Like the true blowflies it lays on dead animals, so all meats and meat products must be kept out of its reach. The eggs hatch just before they are laid so the flesh fly can be said to produce live young.
Blowflies
Latin: Calliphoridae Long ago, before the months were named after Roman emperors, the month we now call July was called worm month in certain parts of northern Europe. The worms concerned were blowfly larvae or maggots and it reminds us of what a problem it must have been to keep meat fit for human consumption […]
Lesser housefly
( Latin: Fannia canicularis) This is the fly, common in houses, which circles ceaselessly round lamps and candles. The female lays eggs in very damp rotting material, such as wet manure, at the outflow of the kitchen sink and similar places, and there the characteristic, flat larvae develop (p. 104). This little fly is often […]
Housefly
Latin: Musca domestica This is by far the most common fly found in houses, and although it may occur in any room it is mainly found near to foodstuffs. It has been suggested that this fly came originally from Africa, but nowadays it has followed man to all corners of the earth. In northern Europe it […]
Golden spider beetle
(Latin: Niptus hololeucus) In this beetle the body is closely beset with yellow hairs. It can feed on almost anything and when it appears in a house, the source of infection may be dead chicks in a bird’s nest or little collections of seeds in the loft. Now and again this beetle has been recorded as […]
White-marked spider beetle
(Latin: Ptinus fur) Nowadays this European beetle is not as common as the Australian species just described. It eats the same kinds of food, including offal, but it is never a serious pest, partly because the female lays only about 50 eggs. This beetle is found both indoors and out in the open in Britain.
Australian spider beetle
( Latin: Ptinus tectus) This species arrived in Europe from Australia as recently as 1900, but it is now common more or less everywhere. The female can lay up to 1000 eggs, and the larvae will live in all kinds of dried plant products, such as grain, flour and spices. They may also breed in birds’ […]
Spider beetles
(Latin: Ptinidae) These beetles have a certain resemblance to spiders, for they have very long legs and a marked constriction between the thorax and the arched abdomen. Many of the species are practically speaking omnivorous. The newly hatched larvae are very active, but once they reach a source of food they soon become fat and […]
Ant beetle
( Latin: Corynetes coeruleus) This beetle is similar to the copra beetles, but is a uniform iridescent green. The larvae feed on dried carrion and may also eat smoked meat products. In roof spaces suffering attack by wood-boring beetles it lives as a predator (p. 121), its larvae hunting the wood-boring larvae like a mole […]
Khapra beetle
( Latin: Trogoderma granarium) Khapra beetles came originally from India. They often congregate in large numbers in the cracks and crevices of walls in warehouses. Unlike the preceding dermestids this beetle feeds mainly on plant material. It has now spread to almost all tropical and subtropical regions and those areas where it has not appeared […]
Dermestes frischi
(Latin: Dermestes frischii) In addition to the two preceding species, other very similar dermestid beetles are frequently imported with goods from overseas. The present species is one of the commonest of these and it often arrives in cargoes of untanned skins. As in the cases of its relatives the larvae that are ready to pupate […]
Dermestes haemorrhoidalis
(Latin: Dermestes haemorrhoidalis) This is a close relative of the preceding species which also lives on dried animal remains. Larvae ready to pupate have the same habit of gnawing their way into all kinds of materials. This is a recent addition to the European fauna, but it appears to have become quite common, particularly in […]
Larder beetle
(Latin: Dermestes lardarius) In former times this was a serious pest in private houses, for it attacked smoked hams and sausages hanging from the ceiling and also dried fish. Nowadays when most meat products are kept in a refrigerator or a deep freeze it is no longer a serious pest in private households. It sometimes […]
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