Whether you’ve had to completely de-flea a home or apply some nuisance bird management, UK pest control tends to fall within a few common categories. But what about some of the really strange pest outbreaks to have occurred around the world? From snails to alligators, we take quick look at the most obscure and exotic pests in the globe.
Giant African Land Snails
In 2011 a population of snails that grow as long as 10 inches virtually took over an area of Miami. These snails are far from the common garden snail found in the UK. Giant African Land Snails can eat through anything, including the foundation of a house. The only way to rid the area was by hand as officials actually went around the houses picking them all up by hand.
Macaques
In Delhi locals and officials have a long standing problem with macaque monkeys. These seemingly cute primates go through bins and even steal food from people’s houses, often breaking in as an organised macaque gang. City officials took the unusual step in 2006 of entering into a so-called ‘monkey arms race’. This entailed introducing larger and scarier langur apes onto the scene to scare the local population of macaques. The tactic seemed to work but when they returned in full throttle the council began hiring men in monkey masks to try and scare off the pesky macaques.
Alligators
In the UK the biggest ‘pest’ we may need to contend with could be a badger or perhaps a feral cat, and even these are rare compared to the usual bed bugs, rats and fleas that UK pest control companies such as www.vvenv.co.uk/ deal with on a daily basis. Residents of Florida have to deal with alligators which are known to walk up streets and even enter houses on occasion. With over a million alligators living in the Everglades, dealing with them is an ongoing problem.
Nuisance animals such as monkeys or alligators make noisy birds or scampering mice look like a walk in the park. In reality however, these common UK pests can cause much distress to those who have to live with them. If you do have any sort of pest problem or infestation in your house, seek the advice of a professional, and sooner rather than later. And be thankful it’s not an alligator!