The common garden (flying) ant is black, about 3-4 mm long and usually lives in outdoor or underfloor nests. Swarms of short-lived flying ants emerge to mate in August. Although garden ants are a nuisance, they are not significant disease carriers. Pharaoh Ants are reddish in colour and about 2 mm long. | Pests around the house Ants - Bats - Bedbugs - Bluebottles - Carpet Beetles - Cockroaches - Death Watch Beetles -Earwigs - Fleas - Flies - Mice - Moths - Rats - Spiders - Wasps - Woodlice - Woodworm REMEMBER This sheet suggests the use of certain poisons and chemicals to control the pests - these can be dangerous. Always handle with care and follow the manufacturer s instructions. ANTS The common garden flying ant is black about 3-4 mm long and usually lives in outdoor or underfloor nests. Swarms of short-lived flying ants emerge to mate in August. Although garden ants are a nuisance they are not significant disease carriers. Pharaoh Ants are reddish in colour and about 2 mm long. They are fairly common in flats and hotels and spread disease from drains to food. They nest within the building structure and may well be hard to get at. Remedy Find the nest entrance and pour boiling water over the nest site. Then apply an insecticide powder. An insecticide lacquer can be applied around door thresholds or wall floor junctions where ants run. Ant Bait work so that the ant takes the bait back to the nest killing the whole colony after a few days lay in along where ants run. If you have a Pharaohs infestation you may need to contact a local pest control contractors or Environmental Health Department. BATS Bats sleep during the day hanging upside down from the roof rafters or on an outside wall. Contrary to popular ideas they do not like belfries as they like drought free locations. Various types are native to Britain and are usually seen around dusk as they sweep across the sky catching air borne insects. They cause no harm and under British law can only be handled by licensed people. Remedy Law protects all species of bat found in the UK as they are endangered species it is illegal to kill or even disturb bats in their roosts. If you have a colony of bats you should contact the Nature Conservancy Council they will arrange for a person to visit the site and advise on the .
