All three are seasonal insects, more common in the warm spring and summer months.

Wasps, hornets and bees will emerge in the spring to start and colonise and build new nests.

Many people think that they will use old nest sites again, this is not the case.

The nest is only ever used for one season.

Pest Purge treats and removes wasp and hornet nests from properties, both insects can be a real nuisance and a potential source of harm to people and pets if they are stung.

A hornets sting is more powerful, and likely to cause more pain and discomfort if you are unfortunate enough to be stung by one of these insects.

We will endeavour to remove hornet and wasp nests from your property or business within 24 hours of being called, often on the same day.

We know that these insects can disrupt your lifestyle and your business so we will respond quickly when notified.

Wasps and hornets will pollinate plants and eat a lot of insects during the summer.

If the weather is dry and warm the insect life will flourish and the wasps and hornets will be more abundant.

Their nests are beautifully constructed, works of art, made from their saliva and wood that they strip from fences and trees to construct the nest.

There are many species of wasp in the UK but only one type of hornet, the European hornet.

There is likely to be a new visitor from the hornet family arriving in the UK sometime soon, the Asian Hornet.

They are widespread in Europe and France and therefore likely to arrive here imminently.

They will nest high up in the branches of trees and close to water.

They are strong fliers and experts think with a strong breeze they will be able to fly across from France.

They are not welcome and the authorities will urge people to notify them of their arrival if you think you have spotted one or a nest.

They are slightly smaller than the European Hornet and with a darker thorax and yellow legs distinguishing them from their European cousin.

People are sometimes frightened of wasps and hornets, sometimes with good reason.

If the Queen of the nest perceives that the nest is under threat or attack, she will muster her troops and the colony will work together to defend themselves.

This may mean that they will change from being passive to aggressive and will fly out of the nest ready to attack the invading army. (If this invading army happens to be you gardening and you inadvertently stick a fork through a wasp nest in a shrub, you had better move fast to avoid being stung.)

Some people can display an allergic reaction to the poison, in most cases it is never severe but it has proved to be fatal in a small number of cases.

Do not try to deal with wasp or hornet nests yourself, you will be inviting trouble.

Better to call in the professionals.

At Pest Purge we are used to dealing with them from a distance and have the equipment to carry out the work safely with the minimum of fuss.

Be aware that the treatment is not instantaneous, the insecticide we use takes a short while to take effect and to neutralise the colony.

Pest Purge also deals with bees, there are many species of bee in the UK and as they are in decline we are keen to preserve them.

If you have a problem with nuisance bees, call us and we will advise you how we can remove them without destroying them.

Bees are generally passive insects and are unlikely to sting you.

Honeybees are greatly in demand with bee keepers, so if you see a swarm it is likely that a bee keeper will come and collect it for you. We have included some useful contacts below.

Kent Bee Keepers Association

British Bee keepers Association

Natural History Museum insect identification blogs & forums in Nature Plus

These are some of the most common pests that Pest Purge is equipped to deal with.

The main problems associated with them both at home and in businesses include damage to stock, wiring and electrics including structural damage to the building fabric and the key concern that everybody has is their potential to spread disease.

Rats and mice are a health hazard; call in Pest Purge as soon as you see signs of activity.

If left unchecked their numbers will increase and their potential for causing widespread costly damage will multiply greatly.

Vermin Health Risk

The health risk they pose is caused by their droppings contaminating things, rats are responsible for weils disease, the plague and hantavirus, all of them liable to cause serious illness if contracted.

When do Rats enter properties?

Often Rats and mice enter properties on a seasonal basis, as the weather cools down they will seek out somewhere warm to stay with a good food source nearby.

Both rodents will head for the loft once they are inside, often they are quiet and warm and they can forage around and remain undisturbed.

Usually the first sign will be the sound of them on your ceiling as you lie awake at night wondering what is up there.

Professional Vermin Control

Pest Purge are experienced at removing rodents from your home or business, we use professional rodenticides to bait the animals and we can safely deploy baits around your garden or premises in sealed containers which are effective and which pose no risk to pets or other non-target species.

We can also trap them for you, removing the risk of them dying somewhere and leaving a foul odour to be dealt with.

Trapping is another option with spring traps designed to kill the rodent instantly and humanely.

These small solitary creatures are a common garden and agricultural pest, popping up their mole hills as they tunnel around underground searching for food. Pest Purge is experienced at capturing moles, we trap them underground.

Trapping Garden Moles

The art of mole trapping is to know where and how to set the traps in order to catch the moles quickly before too much damage is done to lawns and fields.

Act Fast To Prevent Damage Caused By Moles

Traditional techniques are used which prove highly effective. The quicker you call Pest Purge to start trapping the less damage will be done; we have worked at allotments, bowling greens and equestrian centres, for farmers and homeowners keen to get rid of them.

Significant mole activity will undermine the soil and the tunnels may give way underfoot, posing a risk to animals like horses and cattle and the possibility you may incur costly vet bills.

These rural and urban pests are common throughout the country. Everywhere you go you will encounter foxes somewhere nearby.

Pest Purge has contracts with farmers to remove them as well as working with homeowners who want them out of their gardens.

We understand wildlife as we are experienced rural pest controllers.

It is important to understand their behaviour and lifestyle in order to successfully trap and remove foxes that have become a pest.

Cage trapping is a common method of control and the traps will need to be checked twice a day to ensure that any captured animal does not suffer any distress.

Another method which Pest Purge uses is shooting at night time.

We are licensed Firearms Certificate holders, expert marksmen, and used to using a rifle equipped with a sound moderator and infrared night sight.

This enables us to see the animal in the dark in order to humanely despatch it.

Foxes will scavenge for food, in towns they will occasionally empty bins and in the wild they will eat most things, as omnivores their diet is varied and includes small mammals, birds, mice, rabbits, fruit, vegetables, worms, grubs and reptiles.

They are very adaptable and successful at living in close proximity to humans. Unfortunately, when they get too close and too familiar is when they become a problem.

They pose a small risk to pets, dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, hens and guinea pigs left out at night, all are fair game to a hungry fox. They do not pose a threat to adults or children.

They are naturally wary of humans, except in our urban environments where they are very bold and used to moving around in the daytime in search of food.

Normally foxes are nocturnal preferring to roam around under the cover of darkness.

Pest Purge has found that dealing with fox problems in towns and villages can be controversial as many people like to see them as well as feeding and encouraging them.

It is quite likely that you may wish to get rid of them and your neighbour feels the complete opposite, enjoying watching them, having adopted them.

Foxes will set up home under sheds, garages, decking and in overgrown gardens.

Once established in the area they will establish a territory.

Their population remains fairly constant.

If you remove a fox it will be replaced by several rivals.

Competition for territory means more fighting, more noise and fouling of gardens.

This is because calling and scent marking are used to lay claim to a territory.

Due to the relatively large numbers of urban foxes local councils will not get involved in removing them.

If you have a fox problem call Pest Purge to get some professional help.

This is an adaptable and evolving insect, one that has been around for thousands of years since mankind started colonising the earth and living in groups.

An insect which can be difficult to treat effectively.

Pest Purge has a lot of experience dealing with bedbugs for home owners, letting agents and hoteliers.

We are successful at treating this pest because we are thorough.

First of all an inspection is required to determine the extent of the infestation before an initial treatment can be carried out.

Often a single treatment can be effective in eradicating the pest but in some cases a follow up treatment is required.

How do you know if you have bedbugs?

You will be lying in bed and you will get bitten.

The bedbug will be attracted to the warmth from your body and the carbon dioxide you breathe out, it will climb up the bedframe, onto the mattress and then onto you, to feed and drink your blood (most likely waking you up and disturbing your sleep).

Once they have finished doing this they will move away and rest up during the day somewhere dark and quiet, to repeat the trip again when they are hungry.

They are tiny and hard to see, like the size of a lentil.

To spot the nymphs you should call in the experts to confirm their presence.

Bedbugs are resilient, they can live for around eleven months in a bedroom, sitting dormant waiting for someone to sleep on the bed and then out they will come to feed.

If there is no one in the room they will sit and wait.

Bedbugs, when they get going, can multiply very quickly.

An adult female can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime; she will lay 2-3 eggs a day.

In six months in the right conditions a single bedbug can turn a room into an infestation, with around 8,000 adults living in or on your bed.

Pest Purge will advise you on the best course of action, we can advise you if your bed (mattress and base) are worth saving or replacing.

If an infestation is left too long, the bedbugs may have crawled inside the mattress or be living inside the bed frame, damaged and second hand bedroom furnishings will mean a greater chance the bedbugs have gained a foothold and will be harder to get rid of.

Luckily Pest Purge use the latest professional insecticides to treat them, we understand about the different chemical compositions that can be used and resistance issues that the bedbugs develop, which will ensure a greater likelihood of success when treating them.

The key thing to remember is that if you suspect you are getting bitten and there are rashes on your skin or blood spots on the sheets, call in the professionals quickly.

Pest Purge will be able to reassure you and organise an effective treatment strategy with some advice about how to deal with them immediately.

This is one bedroom pest that requires treating quickly.

Pheromone monitors and bedbug proof mattress covers can also be supplied to ensure that the insect is eradicated completely.

Sleep tight!

There are many species of Ant living near to us. Mostly their nests will be in the garden. But as they forage around looking for food they sometimes enter our homes.

Most of us have seen trails of ants marching towards a food source; they leave a pheromone trail which the others can follow to find the food.

Common UK ants include the Garden ant and Pharohs ant but there are thousands of species.

Correct identification is key to selecting the right treatment as behaviour and characteristics vary considerably.

Pest Purge has experience of dealing with ants in homes and businesses.

Ant colonies can hold up to half a million ants, they will have a queen of the colony and she will control it.

You can spot them outside as a small spoil of soil is left raised above the ground, if disturbed you will see the ants rushing around below.

Some ants will live inside, choosing instead to make their home under the floor or inside a wall cavity.

Pest Purge uses modern ant gels to eradicate them, as they come into contact with the insecticide and transfer it to the rest of the colony, it will successfully remove them.

Also, traps can be placed outside with the gel in, attracting the ants through its sweet and palatable formulation.

Ants are very well travelled pests; they have even made it into space.

In 2014 they were sent up into space as part of a schools science project to see how their behaviour alters in micro-gravity; they were part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Not bad for an Ant!