Think like a bug and win the battle against household insect pests
Five most common insect pests in 2021
Last year our staff identified and logged 56,742 insects at the places we care for.
The five most common insect pests found in 2021 remain the same as those recorded in 2020, although interestingly there has been movement at the top with the webbing clothes moth knocking silverfish out of the number-one spot.
Here's the fascinating, yet troublesome pests that topped the leaderboard.
- Webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) rose 18 per cent, leaping to the number one spot.
- Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) slumped 31 per cent to the number two slot last year, continuing their decline from a 2019 peak, possibly due to drier conditions overall across the year.
- Australian spider beetle (Ptinus tectus) numbers are at last showing signs of retreat, although they remain high at Tredegar in Wales and are growing at three sites in Northern Ireland. They remain a decidedly 'north of the Midlands' phenomenon, with regional weather trends likely to be the determining factor as we see warmer, wetter winters. They are also very difficult to evict, once embedded.
- Common booklouse (Liposcelis bostrychophila) came next in 4th place, outdoing Woolly bear, after a sharp increase in 2019 and a steady climb in 2020.
- Woolly bear (a generic term for various carpet beetle larvae), came in at number 5 on the list for 2021.
Your visits help to protect precious collections
Insect pests such as moths and silverfish thrived during lockdowns. With less disturbance and relative darkness providing the perfect conditions for pest larvae and adults, their numbers increased by 11 per cent during this time. However, their efforts were slowed in 2021.
With the reopening of houses come May, visitors unknowingly played an important role in keeping pests at bay, helping drive a 6 per cent downturn in moths, silverfish and other insects that can cause damage to historic collections. Despite this, warmer, wetter winters are leading to an increase in pest breeding cycles and helping some pests increase their range by moving north.


Spring clean, anyone?
Historically, most of our houses would have been closed at some point in the year, usually in the winter. House staff would have used this as an opportunity to strip rooms down and give them a thorough clean. They’d also be on the lookout for insect pests or damage.
This is still the case in some of our houses today, so on top of your general housekeeping, consider giving each space a really good spring clean every year.
Use a soft rubber pet brush and your vacuum crevice tool for reaching tight, carpeted corners and skirting boards. Try to vacuum busy hallways and stairways regularly to remove the dirt, dust and debris that can also act as insect food. Plump up cushions and try to vacuum underneath furniture from time to time.
Insects like to be safe and undisturbed, so think like an insect and try and see your living space with their buggy eyes!