What this tool does

It helps you work out which pest you are most likely dealing with, based on a short description of what you have seen around your home, garden, or workplace. Once it has a likely match, it gives you clear advice on what to do next, from quick fixes you can try yourself through to signs that it is time to call someone in.

The aim is to save you time trawling through photo galleries and forum threads when you just want a sensible answer.

When to use it

Use it when you have spotted something in the house or garden and you are not sure what it is. That might be droppings in a kitchen cupboard, scratching noises in the loft at night, small holes in clothes or wooden furniture, insects around the bins, or an animal in the garden you do not recognise.

It is aimed at householders, tenants, landlords, and small business owners in the UK who want a sensible starting point before spending money on treatments or a pest controller. If you already know what you are dealing with and just want treatment advice, you may be better off going straight to our guides.

How it works

You answer a few short questions about what you saw, where you saw it, and any details you can remember such as size, colour, markings, movement, time of day, or damage left behind. The more specific you can be, the more useful the result. You then get a plain English summary with the most likely pest, a couple of other possibilities to rule out, and practical next steps suited to a UK home. Your answers are not saved and nothing is shared, so you can describe the problem honestly without signing up or leaving an email address.