Everybody hates household pests. They walk in like they own the place and contribute nothing. Add to that the fact that many leave faecal matter and urine on carpets and counter-tops, some damage furniture and clothing while others spread some serious diseases.
That said, living in the UK we seem to be extremely lucky when it comes to pests. Few if any are venomous and the damage is hardly comparable to some of those found over-seas. So let’s count our blessings that we’re not overrun by any of these monstrosities…
Cockroaches
Yes you can get cockroaches in the UK, but they are thankfully still very rare and there are only 3 species that can even be considered native to the UK. These species are very small in contrast to some of those found in the United States for instance. The American cockroach is I suppose the poster-boy of the roach world and the one you would be most likely to see on TV.
These are some of the largest and fastest cockroaches in the world and are not a nice sight to be seen darting under your fridge. Fortunately these and other cockroaches like the German and Oriental Cockroaches are rarely if ever seen in the UK.
Termites
The bane of North America termites can do extreme damage to homes, even to the point of damaging the foundations as they devour wood. In fact, termites are stated in the US as being of a greater danger to housing than fire and flooding combined. Furthermore these home wreckers are notoriously difficult to eradicate.
Termites are generally indigenous to warm arid climates like the central and southern American states and Australia doing untold damage to wooden housing. The benefits of Britain to us that make us so inhospitable to them are not just the climate but also the more common use of stone foundations.
Unfortunately, termites have been found in the UK just over a decade ago in Devon if a very destructive variety. The instant and thorough eradication attempts showed just how harmful these pests are considered.
Venomous Spiders
While we do get a wide variety of spiders in the UK there are no known varieties with venom harmful to humans and none of a large size. Compare this to Australia and anyone with a hint of Arachnophobia might reconsider taking a trip there.
One of the most commonly seen is the huntsman spider which is very large but harmless. On the other hand the Redback and funnel web spiders are quite commonly seen and will occasionally invade homes. While it is often considered a myth, a lot of evidence has suggested that Redback spiders will make webs under toilet seats, which is not an appealing prospect. You don’t want a bite on your posterior, but then you would be annoyed too if someone dropped their drawers at your front door.
With all this considered, the poor weather of the UK seems a lot more palatable all of a sudden doesn’t it?
Archie Gemmill runs an office cleaning service in Swindon. He despises spiders to the point of near Arachnophobia.
