Brown Rat
High riskThe UK's most common rat. Burrows under sheds, decking and lawns; gnaws cables, contaminates food, carries Weil's disease.
Signs: Greasy runs along walls, droppings 12–18 mm, scratching at night.
A quick visual guide to the 18 most common pests we deal with across Cumbria and Lancashire — what they look like, where they hide and the tell-tale signs.
The UK's most common rat. Burrows under sheds, decking and lawns; gnaws cables, contaminates food, carries Weil's disease.
Tiny, agile and breeds fast — a single pair can produce 30+ young a year. Loves loft insulation, kitchen voids and wall cavities.
Builds papery nests in lofts, sheds, eaves and wall cavities. Aggressive late summer when the queen stops laying.
Much larger and louder than wasps, but generally less aggressive unless the nest is disturbed. Treatment is the same.
The UK's most reported commercial cockroach — kitchens, hotels, hospitals. Spreads salmonella, E. coli and asthma triggers.
Hides in mattress seams, bed frames, behind skirting. Doesn't spread disease but bites in clusters and causes serious distress.
Affects 95% of UK flea cases regardless of whether you own a pet. Survives in carpets and under skirting boards for months.
Larger and slower than house flies. Hibernates in loft spaces by the hundred from October to spring.
Black ants travelling in trails from outside to food. Annoyance pest rather than a health risk.
Yellow-brown commercial pest — hospitals and large heated buildings. Spreads bacteria across food and dressings.
The larvae ("woolly bears") eat wool, fur and natural fibres. Damage often blamed on moths.
The brown adult moth doesn't feed — its larvae do, eating holes through wool, silk and stored clothing.
Humidity-loving insect in bathrooms and kitchens. Damages books, wallpaper and stored paper.
Town and city pigeons nesting on ledges, parapets and solar panels. Droppings damage masonry and carry Psittacosis.
Aggressive in nesting season, especially in coastal Cumbria. Protected — control must be humane and licensed.
Small but persistent — colonises eaves and gutters. Protected, but proofing is straightforward.
Lofts in autumn and spring. Chews insulation, electrical cable and joists. Listed as an invasive species in the UK.
Tunnels under lawns, paddocks and golf courses. Treatment via traps; rodenticide is not permitted for moles.
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