Pest Control across East Anglia 

Appearance: 2 to 3 mm, shiny black, elbowed feelers, large head, slender mid section, they also have characteristic waist and long legs.  

Breeding: The Queen Ant lays a variable number of eggs, 3 to 4 weeks later legless grubs hatch, 3 weeks later larvae mature, 2 weeks after pupation adult ants emerge. Late summer winged and mature males leave nest ant mate and the males die whilst the females find new nest sites. Many thousands of ants live in a nest in a social group tending to various jobs.  

Food: Sweet spillages indoors but outside of human habitations they may find a wide food range including much organic matter.  

Where do Garden ants live? A wide range of locations, ant colonies can sometimes be in close proximity to human dwellings, entering buildings to forage for food. Sometimes nests can be found well inside buildings with the ants exploiting proofing defects such as cracks in the building fabric.  

Diseases: No diseases are passed to man or animals by this species.  

Damage: They cause no damage apart from nesting in sandy areas sometimes beneath paving slabs where they might excavate small workings. 

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Appearance: Adult: strongly depressed; oval body; reddish brown; length females: 4–8 mm; males are slightly smaller. They are normally mahogany red brown but become purple after feeding. The legs are clawed to allow them to climb rough surfaces.  

Breeding: Their eggs are slightly curved pearly white and 0.8-1.3mm long. They are laid in the hidden areas and cemented to the surface. Three eggs laid per day and approximately 200 over the life. They hatch into nymphs after 10 /20 days. Five moults are normal and one blood feed is needed before each moult. Development rate depends on the temperature and food availability: Egg to adult is usually 9-18 weeks (depending on room temperature). This period is shorter during warmer periods. They have 2-4 generations per year. If they have fed then they can survive for up to a year at low temperatures, without feeding  

Food: Bed bugs feed at night and at a distance are able to detect host’s body heat. Once they have found a host, they inject saliva to cause irritation and swelling. They then feed on blood for up to 10 minutes ingesting up to seven times their own weight retreating to hiding places excrement stains, cast larval skins can be found. Where do Bedbugs live? Head board and bed structure, Mattress-buttons, seams, Broken plaster, Peeling wallpaper, Crevices in woodwork, Skirting, Flooring joints, Carpets, Picture rails.  

Signs: Excretion speckling / cast skins and an almond like smell from the stink glands  

Diseases: No actual disease is carried by this insect but continued biting can cause anaemia in some circumstances when bitten constantly 

Appearance: The bumble is round and furry and not at all like the more wasp shaped cousin. There are three kinds of bumble bee, the large Queen, the smaller imperfectly formed female worker bee and the tiny male or drone bee. All are seen at different times of year. 

Breeding: The queen will locate a suitable place to build her nest. Once the eggs hatch the larvae eat their way through the pollen reserve. Eventually the grubs pupate and the grubs emerge a few days later as fully grown worker bees. The queen continues to lay eggs and spends her whole time in the nest. Unlike honey bees the young bumble queens will continue to live and work in the colony for the remainder of the Summer and Autumn.  

Food: In the first warm days of Spring you may see the large queens flying busily about the early bulbs and flowers. These large slow bees are searching for nectar and pollen to turn into honey and food for their newly hatching brood.  

Where do Bumble bees live? Most common are the leaf litter in a hedge bottom, an old mouse hole, a cool dark place under a large stone or under the wooden floor of a garden shed or other building. Because the bumble bee does not live in a large colony the nest is usually little bigger than half a grapefruit even in the busiest days of high Summer.  

Diseases & damage: No diseases are passed on by these bees. Not all bumble bees have a sting. Drones have no sting at all. Bumble bees are much less aggressive than honey bees. Generally they will not attack a human at all, unless their life is under threat. Only the Queen and the worker bees have a sting. No damage is caused by these bees either. 

Honey bees are beneficial insects. Honeybees, both feral (wild) and colonized, are important beneficial insects, not normally considered as pests. They live either in the wild in nests or as colonies in hives kept by beekeepers. In either case they will only sting people if strongly provoked. Because of their beneficial role every effort should be made to avoid carrying out control treatments against honeybees. Treatment with a pesticide should be considered only as a last resort.  

Risks from treated nests. If foraging non-target honey bees find a nest, which has been treated, they will carry away contaminated honey. This can lead to contamination of honey destined for food use, and the destruction of hives.  

Should you ask to treat a Honey bee nest? Have honeybees from the nest stung people, or are they at risk because of its location? If the nest is not causing any risk to public health then you should carefully consider the alternatives before asking for a treatment to be carried out.  

What precautions should you take? If you consider treatment is the only option, make use of the British Beekeepers Association spray liaison scheme. This will enable local beekeepers to be warned by their own spray liaison officer.  

A list of contact numbers for spray liaison officers is available from regional National Farmers Union offices (NFU) or via the NFU orderline service on 01891 338700.  

The British Beekeepers Association can provide advice and can sometimes remove accessible feral honeybee colonies, avoiding the need to use pesticides.  

HSE, Pesticides registration section Bootle Merseyside. 0151 951 3535.  

British Beekeepers Association. Stoneleigh Warwicks. 01203 696679.  

National Bee Unit. CSL. Sand Hutton. 01904 462510. 

Appearance: Pale brown and dark brown body and dark brown legs.  

Breeding: After laying her eggs, the female bee seals and abandons the nest and soon dies, leaving her offspring (larvae) to develop on their own. The burrows are 2-10cm long and are lined with a varnish that the bee produces from its salivary glands. The burrows are filled pollen and nectar to a depth of 1cm. A single egg is deposited and the larva feed on the food material until full grown, it then pupates and over winters until the spring before hatching.  

Food: The adult bee feeds on pollen and nectar. Where do Masonry bees live? Soft stonework and masonry is colonised in older buildings during the spring and summer months. Sometimes these bees adopt keyholes in old buildings and outbuildings. Although they are solitary way many bees can live in the same wall together. The holes can be plugged with cement after control has been carried out.  

Diseases: No disease is carried by these bees and they do not sting either.  

Damage: Small burrows excavated in buildings with many individuals living in close proximity but on a solitary basis. 

Appearance: The underparts and upper parts are blue-grey, but the back is paler, and there is always a white patch on its rump. The neck is iridescent with green and purple. The wings are grey except for two distinct black wing-bars. The eyes and legs are red. 31-34 cm (12-13") long.  

Breeding: Pigeons lay 2 eggs and usually have 4 – 5 broods per year. Food: Pigeons eat 60gms of food per day and they can produce 20gms of droppings per day.  

Where do Feral pigeons live? On ledges, parapets, balconies, in light wells, guttering etc. on almost any type of building where they can nest or roost. They often enter disused buildings or floors of buildings not in use through damaged windows or via holes – this becomes a pigeon loft full of droppings, dead birds and eggs.  

Diseases: Tuberculosis and Ornithosis (Lung diseases), Salmonella (Food poisoning), Silicosis (Harmful ammonia in droppings), Aspergilosis (Fungal spores found in droppings), and Siticosis or pigeon fanciers lung (dust from old droppings).  

Damage: Possible contamination of food products, spread of disease through dusty droppings. Droppings can create slippery surfaces; feathers and droppings are also a health risk, many insects associated with birds that cause irritation - biting mites, lice, flies and fleas. Mites & insects sometimes migrate from nests to rooms or offices. 

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Appearance: 2-3mm long and brown eggs are 0.5mm long oval and pearly white 4-8 eggs are laid after blood meal, 1000 in lifetime. Eggs hatch after 10 days. Flea larvae are 1.5mm long and threadlike.  

Breeding: Development is 8-150 days depending on temperature but usually 2-3 weeks. They moult twice growing to 5mm long and have 13 segments. When full grown the larva spins a cocoon, pupation can last months to years  

Food: Animal and human blood, whilst the larva eats flea droppings and regurgitated food and small insects, mites and organic debris. Where do Fleas live? Often around pets and their bedding, sometimes in disused premises which have been vacated by pets.  

Diseases: No disease is carried by fleas in the U.K but they can cause serious anxiety and the bites can sometimes become infected if scratched.  

Control: This has to be a thorough approach, pets, bedding, carpets, vacuuming and use of contact insecticide and IGR’s. Treatment of adult fleas on pets (this is the owner’s responsibility) Treatment has to be the control larvae, pupae and eggs especially around carpet edges, under chair cushions etc. The vacuuming of floors is also important especially prior to treatment. 

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Appearance: Blue Bottles 11mm long, wingspan 25mm, bristly body dull metallic blue, Green Bottles bright metallic green. Stiff bluish transparent wings, very large compound eyes.  

Breeding: Blue Bottles and Green Bottles flies mate and egg laying commences 4 days later, up to 600 eggs laid in clusters in fresh or older meat, meat products and offal. These hatch out 18-48 hours at 18-20°C game is singled out. They feed for 8-11 days and the larvae moult 3 times, larvae grow to 18mm.They wander off to pupate anything up to 100 metres away preferably in soil and the pupae is approx. 10mm and a dull mahogany brown and at 18-20°C the fly emerges 2 weeks later. The adults live for 35 days. The life cycle is rapid taking only 13-25 days to complete.  

Food: Any meat product especially game and bacon products. Flesh flies prefer dead & decaying animal matter and carrion. Green bottles will lay their eggs in decaying matter but also in sheep fleeces especially around the tail if it is soiled, it will open up wounds in animals. Human cadavers sometimes infested in premises where a body has laid undiscovered for a period of time, they are sometimes reported in morgues also. Flesh flies are attracted to dead pigeons, rodents, road kill victims etc. Blue bottles are often seen in butchers and wet fish shops on produce.  

Where do Blue bottles live? Meat processing plants, commercial canteens and any food processing factory. They are found in restaurants, cafes, offices and any premises where they have access to suitable food material.  

Damage: This fly exploits bad hygiene practices and proofing defects, it will lay eggs in meat products and will blow food. 

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Appearance: 6mm long, wingspan 10 mm, a largish fly with a distinctive bristly yellowish and black marked body, the mid section is covered with yellow - gold hairs, it has large reddish eyes  

Breeding: Eggs are laid loosely on damp soil and in leaf litter, larvae hatch after a week and seek out earthworms, they bore through the wall of the victim’s body. After it has grown to full size it bores its way out of the worm and pupates in the soil. Depending on the weather 2 generations are normal but up to 4 are possible, flies hatch from the pupae and live outdoors; they start to enter buildings in large numbers in late September onwards into November when the temperature begins to fall.  

Food: The earthworm is the food source of the larvae, the adult fly feeds on nectar from flowers, and they only enter buildings in order to hibernate. Where do Cluster flies live? South West and mainly South facing buildings are favoured; the flies will invade cladded buildings and will enter roof spaces and voids via small gaps. They will cluster on the exterior of buildings in huge numbers prior to crawling into the harbourages, in the spring the warmth revives them and they start to leave buildings in numbers.  

Diseases and damage: No disease is carried by this fly. They do not breed or feed in buildings and only over-winter in roofs and voids. Their presence can be alarming but they are more an annoyance than a threat to health. 

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Appearance: Adults are about (1.5-5 mm) long, delicate and fuzzy. They are pale yellowish to brownish grey to blackish in colour, depending on the species. Their wings are broadly oval, pointed and held roof like over body at rest. The mature larvae about 4-10 mm long with a breathing tube and are pale in colour.  

Breeding: Eggs are laid in batches of around 200 on wet, decaying matter and particularly on the filters of sewage beds. Larvae are legless and slow moving, living partially submerged in the sewage sludge on which they feed. Fast breeding, as many as 8 generations are possible within one year.  

Food: Decaying matter and particularly on the filters of sewage beds. Sometimes in drains or in gullies, also attracted to stagnant water beneath floors or in ducts. These flies do not bite  

Where do Filter flies live? Widely distributed, filter flies take their name from one of their preferred habitats of sewage filter beds.  

Diseases and damage: No disease is attributed to these flies but they are likely to carry pathogens because of where they live and the medium they breed in. They are probably mechanical carriers of disease organisms. 

Appearance: 2mm long, 3 to 4mm wingspan, fat bulbous body greyish yellow, some have large often red or orange eyes, feathery antennae, cross-striped body.  

Breeding: 700 to 800 eggs laid at 20 to 25 per day in the foodstuff for the hatching larvae, larvae have 3 moults and they migrate to pupate. The egg to adult stage can be as short as 8 days at 30°C.  

Food: Varies but it is usually sour milk, rotting and fermenting fruit e.g. grapes and bananas, vinegar, wines, beers, fruit juices, tomatoes and dried fruits.  

Where do Fruit flies live? Bars, breweries, wine producers, dried fruit plants, tomato processors, fruit drink producers. They are often found in bars around optics and where beer or soft drinks have been spilt or empty bottles stored in bins etc. They alight in clouds and take to the wing if disturbed.  

Diseases and damage: No disease as transmitted by these flies but they will encourage fermentation of products.  

Control: This is achieved by the removal of their breeding medium and food attraction source, leakage should be kept to a minimum and spillages cleaned away. Control depends on improved hygiene - drains and gullies need to be kept clean. In bars and kitchen areas, remove or cap all fruit juice bottles and similar attractive receptacles. Ensure improved hygiene around beer, fruit juice and other drinks dispensers. Screening windows and doors is the preferred option. This fly is often wrongly confused with the filter or drain fly. 

Appearance: Adults are about (3-4 mm) long, grey to blackish in colour  

Breeding: Fungus gnats develop through complete metamorphosis: egg; larva; pupa; and adult. Each female can lay up to 200 eggs and larval development occurs in 2 to 4 weeks. 

Food: Adult fungus gnats are attracted to moist, organically rich soil and any rotting medium which includes stagnant water or wet floors below shower cubicles or baths.  

Where do Fungus gnats live? In houseplants the presence of fungus gnats may indicate overwatering. They may be feeding on roots that have sat in drain water too long and are rotting or may be attracted to fungus growing in saturated top soil. Typically draining the excess water from the plants drain pan and allowing the soil to dry will eliminate them. Fungus gnats are typically harmless to healthy plants.  

Diseases and damage: No disease is attributed to these flies but they might carry pathogens because of where they live and the medium they breed in. They are possibly mechanical carriers of disease organisms 

Appearance: 9mm long, a largish fly with a distinctive metallic blue green sheen, not dissimilar to the green bottle  

Breeding: 25-30 eggs are laid loosely in cow dung, larvae hatch after 1-3 says and feed for 28 days on this material, and then they pupate in the soil. Pupae hatch after 21-28 days and their season is May to November. They live outdoors; they start to enter buildings in large numbers in late September onwards into November when the temperature begins to fall. They prefer to overwinter in large open structures such as barns 

Food: Cow dung is the food source of the larvae, the adult fly feeds on nectar from flowers, and they only enter buildings in order to hibernate.  

Where do Cluster flies live? South West and mainly South facing buildings are favoured; the flies will invade cladded buildings and will enter roof spaces and voids via small gaps. They will cluster on the exterior of buildings in huge numbers prior to crawling into the harbourages, in the spring the warmth revives them and they start to leave buildings in numbers.  

Diseases and damage: No disease is carried by this fly. They do not breed or feed in buildings and only over-winter in roofs and voids. Their presence can be alarming but they are more an annoyance than a threat to health. 

Appearance: 6mm long, wingspan of 10mm, grey / black chequered abdomen which is slightly hairy, blackish stripes on thorax, distance between eyes wide in female and narrow in male, vein bends sharply before reaching edge of wing. At rest wings are spread. Larvae are white and opaque and pointed  

Breeding: Up to 150 eggs each 1mm long laid in batches at a time in the selected foodstuffs and larvae starts putrefaction that is spread by the adults with bacteria on their bodies. Up to 5 batches are laid in their lifetime, larvae (maggots) hatch in 8 to 48 hours and are 1mm long depending on temperature. The larvae have three moults and reach 12mm in length. The larva then travels some distance to pupate and will crawl up smooth surfaces if moist. It prefers to pupate in the soil and buries itself 7-60cm depending on the medium. The larval skin is cast turning into a puparium, this is 5-6mm long, the adult fly hatches 3 to 4 weeks later. The fly lives for 25-52 days and is found from April to November normally.  

Food: In any high protein material from animal waste to refuse and food material especially if fermenting or rotting, moist material is favoured.  

Where do House flies live? A fly found around dustbins, compactors and where there are poor hygiene practices  

Damage: This fly exploits bad hygiene practices and proofing defects, it alights on light fittings and doorframes, vomits and defecates. Often spotting is visible. It carries disease and infests food products causing alarm, cost and possible litigation. 

Appearance: 6mm long with a 12 mm wingspan, grey thorax with 4 longitudinal dark stripes, extensive yellow patch at base of abdomen, at rest wings are folded along back, venation shows 4th vein extending straight to wing margin. The larvae is dull grey-brown and is fairly flat with feathery growths  

Breeding: Approx. 50 eggs are laid in batches when female is 10 days old, they are 1 mm in length they hatch in 24 to 48 hours, larval development 8 days and 3 skin moults, larvae 6mm when full grown, egg to adult normally 3 weeks. The pupae stage lasts from 1-4 weeks.  

Food: All organic matter especially if fermenting. The preference is for decomposing organic matter such as cow or poultry dung, vegetable, fruit or fungal matter; they are able to float in a semi-liquid medium.  

Where do Lesser house flies live? These flies mainly breed in poultry manure which the farmers spread on the fields from poultry houses seasonally, this is the reason why numbers of adult flies are found in or around factories and properties if located in a rural area.  

Damage: This fly exploits bad hygiene practices and proofing defects, it alights on light fittings and doorframes, vomits and defecates. Often spotting is visible. It carries disease and infests food products causing alarm, cost and possible litigation. 

An unpleasant looking larva which can grow up to 1.5cm or more in length which eats old dead wasps and bees, wasp and bee larvae, wasp and bee pupa and their eggs.  

Once a nest has been treated these flies sometimes find the nest, lay eggs and the larvae snack on dead insects in the nest.  

Then the larvae decides to pupate and goes for a wander which means they are often seen on floors or are found dropping out of attics if the nest was in a roof void.  

Control is difficult because the nest really has to be removed, this is almost impossible to achieve in many situations. As long as the nest is there these fly larvae may live very happily.  

We can treat carpets and surfaces but as with all fly larvae they are difficult to control unless an oil-based insecticide is used. 

Appearance: 2.5- 3mm long, with a 5mm wingspan, they are bright yellow with three longitudinal black marks on the thorax and transverse marks on the abdomen.  

Breeding: Eggs are laid in the soil and they have 3 moults and they migrate to pupate.  

Food: The larvae feed on the juvenile stages of root aphids and the adults are plant feeders.  

Where do Yellow Swarming Flies live? They live out in the fields and gardens in the summer months and overwinter in buildings during the autumn. They enter buildings in large numbers in September to November and are often found in windows, lofts and where natural UV shines through openings. They leave buildings again in the spring months March to April.  

Diseases and damage: No disease as transmitted by these flies but they are considered a nuisance and might contaminate food and manufacturing processes.  

Control: Contact insecticidal spray to window frames and misting / fogging to voids and spaces where flies are harbouring / alighting. 

Appearance: Length 23-25mm female and 21-28mm male. Two colour forms exist in Europe. This is a large wasp and the markings are similar to European wasps but it is their sheer size and reddish colouration that distinguishes them.  

Breeding: Queens emerge in April and are active until September. Nest construction is similar to the German and European or common wasp. New queens over-winter in tree stumps and hollow trees. Nests are often in the same location every year but old nests are not used, new ones are built.  

Food: Its principle food preference is soft-bodied insects, caterpillars and flies. The adults visit flowers and take nectar. It visits orchards in the autumn to feed from ripened and fallen fruit.  

Where do Hornets live? Oak woods, water meadows and old parks are favoured sometimes close to human habitations. They favour orchards and will nest in homes and outbuildings as well as trees.  

Diseases: No disease is passed to man but it is a fairly aggressive insect in defence of its nest - it does not normally bother man.  

Damage: Hornets will sometimes attack hives and rob bees of their honey. They will also spoil fruit in orchards like wasps, but their activity is minor because it is a generally rarer insect. 

Appearance: Black velvety and blind  

Breeding: In the spring long straight surface tunnels are sometimes made by males in search of females. They breed from February to June and 1 litter is usual. Pregnancy lasts about 4 weeks. They can have 2-7 young but normally 4. The young are furless pink-skinned and eyes are closed at birth. Fur develops between 2-3 weeks and the young leave the nest when they are 5 weeks old. Food: Worms, but not brandling worms.  

Where do Moles live? Adult moles are solitary and live mostly underground in their tunnel system. Tunnel systems vary from 400-2,000m2. There are 2 types of main tunnel: Surface tunnels distinguished by the ridges of soil formed on the surface. Deep tunnels are 5-20cm below the surface and mole hills are found on the surface from the soil excavated from the digging.  

Diseases: None attributed to this animal.  

Damage: Mole hills and runs are a hazard for horses and other livestock as they can cause leg injury. Moles also throw up stones which can damage mowers. Their activities can also spoil turf and greens. Disturbed soil can contaminate silage 

Appearance: The overall colour is brown to grey with a lighter underside. The ears are large and the tail is slightly less than the body length. The adult weighs about 15 grams or ½ an ounce.  

Breeding: 

Pregnancy: 21 days  

Litters per year: 5-8  

Litter size: 4-12  

Maturity: 10-12 weeks  

Life span: 9-12 months  

Droppings: 80 per day average  

Food: They will eat almost anything, but prefers fatty foods or food containing oils. They do not drink water they take their moisture from food as long as the food contains 15% or more in content.  

Where do House mice live? They can survive in almost any environment even in temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius, so cold stores are not a problem for a mouse.  

Diseases: Salmonella is carried by mice along with Q fever and some parasites.  

Damage: They damage and contaminate sometimes more than they eat. They will gnaw through electric cables, alarm wires & computer wiring potentially causing fires and disruption. 

Appearance: Back yellowish brown to dark brown, the belly is paler, the joint of back and belly is marked by an orange-brown line. The snout is pointed; they have large ears, big black eyes; the tail is about as long as sometimes longer than body. Adults: body length: 7 – 11 cm.  

Breeding: 2 – 4 litters per annum and the life expectancy is about 1 year.  

Food: Green parts of plants, nuts, seeds, grains, insects, worms, etc.  

Where do Field mice live? Preference for borders of woodland with dense undergrowth, open areas in woods with cover; it lives in burrows with 2 to 3 entrances and a store chamber, sometimes up to 1 m deep; they are also found in buildings in the vicinity of their normal environment.  

Diseases: None known to humans or pets.  

Damage: These small friendly mammals are not considered to be pests in the main. They sometimes come indoors but are out of their normal surroundings and prefer the countryside 

Appearance: Full grown rabbits weigh between 1.1-2.2kg. Usual colouring is grey above and greyish white underneath. Sandy or dark coloured animals occur occasionally and black forms are widespread.  

Breeding: The breeding season lasts from late January to July or August. Although some breeding occurs throughout the year. The pregnancy period is 28-30 days. The average young in a litter is 5. The average numbers of litters per female is 4-5 year. The young are born in a nest within the main warren or in a blind burrow 1-3m long called stops which are usually dug some distance away from the main warren. The entrance is usually carefully blocked by the doe when she leaves. The nest is usually only used for 1 litter only. The young are hairless and their eyes are closed. The young usually weaned at 3-4 weeks of age.  

Food: Rabbits eat around 0.5kg of green food a day.  

Where do Rabbits live? In hedgerows & embankments living in burrows and below shrubs sometimes they live in scrapes.  

Diseases: None attributed to man although they do catch and carry a variety of diseases which just infect the rabbit.  

Damage: They cause immense agricultural damage to crops, small holdings and even to gardens. Motorway embankment and rail cuttings when subsidence can occur. 

Appearance: These rats are usually brown to grey in colour with a lighter underside. Their ears are small, the eyes are also small. Their tails are shorter than head and body. This rat runs with its tail and body close the ground.  

Breeding:  

Pregnancy: 3 weeks  

Litters per year: 3 – 6  

Litter size: 8 – 10  

Mature: 3 months  

Life span: 12 months  

Droppings: 40 per day on average  

Food: Rats eat almost anything but a rat must drink 40mls of water per day.  

Where do Brown rats live? It lives at ground level and below ground level in burrows, sewers and drains. Rats sometimes get into buildings through old or damaged pipes and services. 

Diseases: Salmonella is carried by rats and also Weils disease which is a type of jaundice, this is found in their urine and 50% of rats carry it.  

Damage: They will gnaw through electric cables potentially causing fires and often will gnaw water pipes / gas pipes. Sometimes they will damage roof timbers and the structure of buildings. 

Appearance: Grey to grey / rust colour with a distinctive bushy tail and white underbelly  

Breeding: Two breeding seasons June-August and January to March 3-4 young produced after a 6 weeks pregnancy.  

Food: They can damage foodstuffs and the building fabric Squirrels eat a wide range of items from nuts, fruit buds and shoots to fungi, birds - eggs and nestlings. In suburban gardens most of their diet comes from food put out for birds or deliberately put out for squirrels. Surplus food is often buried and later retrieved by the squirrels.  

Where do Grey squirrels live? They have a territory 2km square and grey squirrels are active during daytime and are easily seen and identified. Nests are called dreys are usually in trees but sometimes in lofts often amongst insulation.  

Diseases: There is no disease that carried by squirrels that affect man, however they sometimes bite humans and will attack us if standing under trees.  

Damage: They can gnaw cables, wiring and facia boards in buildings. Will cause noise when in situ. They will strip tree bark to lick sap this causes much damage to saplings