Wasps are the most familiar and generally disliked of all British insects. Their bodies bear the characteristic black and yellow bands and have a narrow waist. In the body they vary in size from the Worker, which is 10 – 15mm in length, to the Queen which is 20mm long. They have two pairs of wings which lock together.

The needle-like sting is possessed only by the females and is concealed near the tip of the abdomen.

The most common species in the UK is the Brown Rat also known as the Common or Sewer rat. The Brown Rat has a blunt nose, small furry ears, and is generally a brownish grey colour on top and slightly lighter underneath. On average they will live between 6-18 months in that time, reproducing up to 7 times.

The main type of mouse in Britain which can become pests are the Common House Mouse. The adult House Mouse may weigh up to 50 grams. It usually has brown or black fur, and it is black and is Grey underneath. Its ears are fairly large in relation to its body and it has small feet.

The tail is the same length as the Head and Body but is much thinner than the tail of a young rat.

The common Bedbug feeds on blood from people and normally emerges at night from cracks in furniture joints, bed frames, wallpaper and skirting boards. The main host of the Bedbug is people, although other warm-bodied animals such as domestic pets can be parasitised.

Bedbugs leave a characteristic almond or mint-like smell in rooms where they are active. Bites can be painful and cause a hard whitish swelling.

Flies are considered to be one of the most evolved insects known to man. They rely heavily on sight for survival and are generally sensitive to movement. Most fly species are more of a nuisance than a pest. However, flies such as mosquitoes which feed on blood can also cause painful skin reactions when they bite and can also transmit infectious diseases.

The adult flea is 2.7mm long and brownish in colour. Their bodies are compressed from side to side enabling them to move quickly through hairs and they have relatively large hind limbs which are used for jumping the three most common species cat flea dog and human.

Cat fleas are by far the most common accounting for 75% of flea infestations.

Cockroaches are insects which range in size from 10-23mm in length. They have long whip-like antennae and two pairs of wings. The two species most commonly found are the Oriental and the German and they can be distinguished by their size and colour. The Oriental cockroach being large and darker brown in colour. The Oriental cockroach unlike the German variety is unable to climb smooth vertical surfaces.

Common clothes moths attack natural fibres. The adults rarely fly to lights as you would normally associate with moth species. Any flying Clothes Moths are usually male as females tend to just hop around on the floor in dark and uninterrupted locations in search of breeding sites. The period of egg larvae pupa and adult emerging can take about six weeks in favourable conditions.

Adult carpet beetles predominately live outdoors feeding on nectar and pollen they thrive in undisturbed places such as old bird nesting sites and animal remains. The larvae can attack household carpets leaving bald patches in areas not visible without movement of sideboards and cabinets. They also infest leather, fur and silk.

There are two species of ant commonly encountered in the UK, Garden Ants and Pharaoh Ants. The garden ant has a black segmented body, the workers are 5mm in length and the queen is 15mm long and brown in colour their nests are found in soil, lawns and close to buildings.