Every household may suffer from pests sooner or later, especially during the summer when open windows invite them in to look for food.

Most pests are harmless. However some can pose a risk to your health and need to be treated. A variety of humane traps and chemical treatments are available in shops, but sometimes you need to call in the experts.

Kirklees Council's Pest Control Service can treat for the following pests :

• Ants
• Bed bugs
• Cockroaches
• Fleas
• Mice
• Wasps and wasp nests

Ants can be a particular problem during the summer.

To help stop them becoming a pest in your house:

• Look for how they might get in, for example, missing mortar between brickwork or gaps below doors.
• Discourage ants from nesting near external house walls by 'turning over' soil on a regular basis.
• Clean up any spilled food as soon as possible and store open food in sealed food-grade containers.

Most ants can be dealt with using readily available insecticides but you should always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

For severe infestations, call the Pest Control Service. Treatment is free for council tenants.