Most insects have wings, but others crawl instead.
Some insects that have wings predominantly crawl anyway, such as cockroaches.
Crawling insects can be regarded as pests if they:
bite or feed on humans.
transfer pathogens (e.g. crawling through waste and then across a kitchen worksurface).
damage food (such as biscuit weevils); damage natural textiles (carpet beetles); damage wooden structures and furniture (such as woodworm)
transmit disease (e.g. body lice can pass typhus between hosts)
produce allergens.
There are thousands of species of crawling insects! They tend to be named after the thing they most commonly cause damage to.
Book lice feed on the paste used in book binding (but also algae and lichen on trees).
We refer to a large group of crawling insects as Stored Product Insects. These particularly affect agriculture and manufacturing industries.
Silverfish are amongst the most common crawling insect pests in UK homes. They feed on anything that contain polysaccharides (carpet, textiles, glue, hair, paper).
Crawling insects generally like to conceal themselves in damp, dark and undisturbed places.
What you can do
Vacuum regularly, moving furniture and lifting carpet runners, wall hangings and pictures.
Treat any areas of damp and make sure extractor fans are working effectively.
Frequently disturb the dark, quiet corners of your home.
Inspect packages coming into your property, particularly if you are not sure of their origin.
If you have a pest bird problem, we will…
Identify the species and extent of the infestation.
This will determine the course of treatment.
If appropriate, our technicians will advise you on housekeeping and offer you a monitoring programme.