Pest Information in Bathurst
Termites
In Australia, termites are commonly referred to as white ants. These pests cause millions of dollars in damage to houses and structures in Australia annually, making termite pest control vital. There are hundreds of termite species in Australia, and around 30 of those are considered to be pests of economic importance.
- Every year 180,000 Australian homes are attacked by termites
- The CSIRO has reported that over one in three homes will be attacked by termites
- You have an 80 percent chance of being within 25 metres of a termite colony
Termite Caste System
All termite species are social, and termite colonies are divided into groups or castes. Members of each caste have different jobs and different physical features. The main function of the king and queen is reproduction. These termites are the only ones with eyes. The rest of the termites are blind and navigate using scent and moisture trails.
Winged reproductive termites are the sexual form of a colony, or the future kings and queens of colonies yet to be established. Soldiers defend the colony from invaders, typically ants and termites from other colonies.
Workers are a milky or creamy colour. As their name suggests, they do most of the work in the colony. They dig tunnels, gather food and care for the young. They also feed the king, queen and soldiers who are unable to feed themselves. Workers and soldiers are sterile.
How to Handle a Termite Infestation
If you suspect you have termites, do not disturb them or attempt to treat them with generic products. This will not work and may even make the professional’s job much harder. Ensure your subfloor is dry and well-ventilated. Termites love to feed on the fungal growth that occurs in timber with a moisture content of above 20 percent.
Do not use untreated timber in garden beds or retaining walls. Remove any timber debris from around your home. Sometimes waste timber is left behind after the construction of a new home. Remove the sources of moisture and ensure all water is directed into stormwater drains from downpipes, hot water system overflows and air conditioning units. Repair any leaking plumbing or dripping taps.
We also advise having an annual termite inspection.
Cockroaches
There are over 3,500 different species of cockroaches. Around 10 are considered pests while others are beneficial in their natural environment. The three main types of cockroaches commonly found in Australian homes include the German cockroach, Australian cockroach and American cockroach.
The Dangers of Cockroaches
While a cockroach infestation is a nuisance, it can also trigger allergies and spread bacteria and diseases. You may be at risk of dysentery, salmonella and gastroenteritis if you don’t address your cockroach infestation promptly. The bacteria that cause these illnesses are carried on the legs and bodies of cockroaches. They are easily deposited on food and utensils. Cockroaches can also trigger asthma attacks in children and the elderly. These allergic reactions are caused by the skin that these insects shed.
Cockroach Treatment
We treat cockroaches using bait, the latest pesticides and other materials to prevent their return. Cockroach control is usually achieved through a combination of insecticidal dust, wet chemical sprays and cockroach gels.
Cockroach Species
The German Cockroach
Notorious for their worldwide distribution, German cockroaches are easily identifiable by two dark, longitudinal stripes on their pronotum. Adults grow to approximately 12 – 15mm in length.
Females carry between 35 and 40 eggs in an ootheca (egg case) until they are ready to hatch. The eggs are usually ready to hatch in one month. Nymphs take between six weeks to six months to develop into adults. Cockroaches generally produce three to four generations per year.
Most German cockroaches are found indoors. They prefer wet, humid conditions and are typically found in kitchens and bathrooms in homes and commercial properties.
The Oriental Cockroach
This cockroach appears dark brown or black in colour. They grow to be 20 – 25mm long. The wings are undeveloped in females and cover the ¾ length of the abdomen in the male.
Females deposit 16 eggs in an ootheca (egg case). They are ready to hatch within two months. Nymphs take six –18 months to develop into adults.
Highly adapted for surviving in the natural environment, Oriental cockroaches thrive in cool, damp areas such as basements, drains and openings beneath porches. Known for their preference for feeding on garbage and decay, these insects can most commonly be found in rubbish tips and leaf litters. They tend to run rather than fly.
The American Cockroach
The American cockroach is one of the largest pest cockroaches to invade homes and commercial properties. They grow to be 35 – 40mm long and appear a shining red-brown colour. Males have wings longer than their bodies. The wings on females just overlap the abdomen. They may run or fly at very high temperatures.
The ootheca (egg case) containing up to 16 eggs is carried by the female for several days before being deposited. The eggs hatch within a month or two. Nymphs usually develop in 6 – 12 months, but it can take up to 15 months.
This kind of cockroach is also known as the Palmetto bug because they live on trees. The American cockroach prefers dark, humid and undisturbed areas and can be found in subfloors, basements, kitchens, roof voids and bathrooms of homes.
The Australian Cockroach
The Australian Cockroach usually grows to be 35 – 40mm long and a shining red-brown colour. Males have wings longer than their bodies. The wings on females just overlap the abdomen. Both males and females have yellow markings on the edge of the forewings and on the head. They may run or fly at very high temperatures.
Females deposit the ootheca (egg case) containing 24 eggs approximately one day after production. After hatching, nymphs take six – 12 months to develop into adults. These cockroaches enter buildings at night from gardens and debris. Generally, they are prevalent in areas where winters are relatively mild.
Despite its name, this is not a native species.
The Smoky Brown Cockroach
This cockroach grows to be 3 – 35 mm long. As their name suggests, they are a shiny dark brown colour. Males have wings longer than their bodies. The wings on females just overlap the abdomen. They may run or fly at very high temperatures.
Females deposit the ootheca (egg case) containing 22 – 26 eggs a day after production. Nymphs take between six – 12 months to develop into adults. The noticeable difference between nymphs and adults, apart from size, is the lack of wings in the young.
This kind of cockroach lives in tree hollows, under bark, under floors and enters buildings at night. It is also nocturnal, meaning that it hides during the day in cracks and crevices or any other dark warm places. This type of cockroach has a habit of entering houses and contaminating food with excrement, regurgitated salivary fluid and potentially harmful bacteria.
Spiders
Of more than the 35,000 species of spiders worldwide, several thousand (including the most dangerous) are found in Australia alone.
While spiders can be very beneficial around the home, eating many common insects around the house and garden, they can also pose a significant danger to pets and children. A spider bite on an adult person is typically painful, resulting in swelling localised around the bite. However, some spider bites are fatal and can result in death. On a small child or pet, the results can be quite dramatic, so it is crucial to conduct effective spider management to reduce this risk.
Most spiders encountered around the home do not pose a significant threat to humans or pets. They are merely prey to the spiders that are venomous such as funnel-web spiders, Redbacks and White Tails.
As the spider management experts in Bathurst and the Central West, we only use safe and effective means for the control and removal of spiders around the home or commercial premises without upsetting the local ecosystem.
Ants
Ants can be a nuisance when they get into your home. Garden and black ants aren’t thought to carry diseases, but without knowing where they’ve been foraging outside, you don’t want them marching through your food cupboards.
Ants will travel far and wide searching for food, following trails they have established and clustering around food sources. They become a nuisance in homes, organisations and businesses. Their origin is indicated by small piles of earth around holes in the soil and at the base of exterior walls.
Ants Common to the Central West:
- Argentine ants
- Bulldog/bull ants
- Carpenter ants
- Coastal brown ants
- Common black house ants
- Garden ants
- Pavement ants
You can prevent ants by tracking down where they are coming in and sealing off entry points. Make sure to clear up sticky residues on worktops as ants are attracted to sweet things. Cover any foodstuffs that could be a food source for ants.
There are 1,300 known ant species within Australia, and most of them benefit the ecosystem. However, there are some that are regarded as pests to humans. For some species, this is mainly due to the sheer number of these insects and their ability to infest homes and commercial premises. Spoiling of food and odour are some of the problems these pests cause.
Some of the larger stinging ant species such as bull ants and meat ants, while found outdoors, make it very difficult to enjoy outdoor spaces with the constant threat of painful bites. Other stinging ants include:
- Argentine ants
- Coastal brown ants
- Black house ants
Rodents
Wherever there are humans, you will find rodents, such as rats and mice. Rodents can create serious issues for your home, commercial premises or business. Rodents can carry diseases, mites, fleas and parasites, not to mention the bacteria and disease-ridden urine and faeces they leave everywhere.
They can also damage items in your home or business by chewing them up. Rodents need to gnaw things constantly to keep their incisor teeth trimmed, so they will gnaw on electrical wiring, plastic water pipes, air conditioning ducting, timber, plasterboard and more. Electrical fires and leaking pipes are just some of the hazards created by this behaviour
At Australian Pest Services, we can provide a tailored plan in order to provide the most effective rodent management and control available to ensure long-lasting treatment. Rodents can appear in your home or business at any time of the year, but they are commonly found in buildings in the cold, wet winter months and can cause significant losses.
The last thing that you want is a rodent infestation on your premises. Since rodents can spread disease, they can contaminate food and cause physical damage to electrical wiring and buildings. Australian Pest Services uses safe and effective methods when carrying out our proven rodent control.
Wasps and Bees
Wasp and bee stings can be very painful and even life-threatening to those who are allergic to their venom. Wasp nests and beehives create a hazard within their immediate area (often around the home), which is why effective bee removal is so important.
Bee Removal
Bees are a very important part of the food chain, and as such, Australian Pest Services prefers to remove them rather than kill them.
Bees will swarm in spring when a new queen leaves the nest with some workers looking for a new location to form a hive. If you see a bee swarm and there aren't any allergic people in your house, it is best to leave them as they will sometimes move on within 24 – 48 hours. If they decide to stay around and they have not set up in the walls or any other inaccessible place in your home, you can call a beekeeper and they will come and remove them (some may charge a small fee).
If they have found an inaccessible location and started to nest, or somebody in your house is allergic, the only option may be to eradicate the bees.
Wasps
Of all the wasp species in Australia, the Paper Nest Wasp, Mud Dauber and European Wasp are the most common in the Central West. Wasps can instil a sense of fear for their ability to chase and sting humans if their nest is disturbed.
Although they may look similar, there are slight differences in each of the insects that enable identification. An easier way to tell which wasp is present is to see what sort of nest it is building. Paper nest wasps build funnel-shaped, segmented nests. The mud dauber, as the name suggests, builds its nest out of mud and is usually attached to the outside of a building. You will generally not see a European Wasp nest if it is in your home, but you may witness them crawling through gaps into eave or wall cavities, which is where the nest will be located.
Types of wasps:
- Mud dauber
- Paper nest wasp
- European wasp
Remotely Baiting of European Wasps
European Wasps workers die off over winter, but the Queens survive and every nest that has not been treated and killed off from the previous season, can produce up to 100 Queens who will move off to start a new colony of her own and if left alone will continue to build in size through summer until late Autumn where the nest can hold thousands of Wasps that can’t wait to invade your picnic or family BBQ.
European Wasps are usually observed scavenging for meat scraps, dog food, your sandwich and killing insects including Honeybees. European Wasps are a major predator of our beloved Honeybees. All the protein rich food that has been harvested will be fed to the young developing Wasps while adult Wasps annoyingly fly into your personal space, are searching for carbohydrates coming from sugars found in things like fruits, soft drinks and pollen.
In the past, unless a nest was located, there was not a lot that could be done for invasive European Wasp activity. Now that has changed, Australian Pest Services is a Vespex Accredited Specialist and able to utilise the Vespex European Wasp Lure system.
This system can be used to trap Emerging Queens (This is starting to happen right now!) or remotely bait European Wasp nests eliminating the need to locate the nest.
Direct treatment is the best option if possible, but this new system provides Australian Pest Services with another weapon in their arsenal to reduce the population of the invasive pests.
A two-pronged process can be used to eliminate or reduce Wasp numbers starting with the Queens as they emerge in spring, by luring them into wasp traps using a specially formulated lure that is not attractive to Bees. The wasps cannot escape and die reducing the number of Queens and potential colonies.
In late Summer and Autumn when the number of worker Wasps are starting to increase exponentially, bait tunnels can be used and an innovative active ingredient is added to the lure, the wasps feed readily on the lure and take it back to their nest where it is distributed through the colony resulting in the collapse of the entire colony Queen and all.
Only accredited and licenced Pest Control companies can utilise the toxicant baiting programme ensuring compliance and environmental best practice.
This system can be used in many different situations including residential premises, outdoor dining areas for cafes and restaurants, parks and picnic areas, orchards, vineyards, food production facilities or any situation where Wasp activity is present, and a nest cannot be located.
To make sure you don’t get swarmed by Wasps give Australian Pest Services a call.
Birds
Although many people would not consider birds as pests, it’s a different story if they decide to take up residence in your house or business. Pigeons, mynas, starlings and sparrows are some of the common species of bird that create a nuisance.
Birds tend to nest in roof areas of houses or businesses and bring with them a host of diseases as well as fleas, mites and lice. Nesting material can also block gutters and contaminate foodstuffs. Even after the birds leave, the fleas, lice and mites need to look for a new host, which could be you. Their droppings are unsightly around residential and commercial buildings and can also damage building surfaces due to their acidic content.
Types of bird pests:
- Starlings
- Mynas
- Sparrows
- Pigeons
When it comes to effective bird management in homes, deterrence is preferable to removal via several means. There is a large range of proofing options available for bird management, including:
- Netting
- Spikes
- Bird Slide
- Bird-Shock
- Bird Wire
- Hot Silicone
Fleas
Fleas are an annoying insect that mostly feeds on the blood of mammals. There are about 70 species in Australia with the most common ones being the dog flea, cat flea, bird flea, rat flea, rabbit flea and even the human flea. They do have a preference but are not actually host-specific, meaning they don’t really care who or what they catch a ride on.
Fleas can carry diseases such as endemic typhus and tapeworms while the flea/rat combination was the cause of the bubonic plague.
Once fed, the flea will look to mate and immediately lay eggs. In the next two to three weeks, hundreds of eggs will be laid. Some of these may fall in the yard, some in the house and some will remain on the pet. When the eggs hatch, a small caterpillar-like creature comes out to feed on anything organic. The flea larva will feed for days, after which it will spin a cocoon and undergo metamorphosis. This stage is called the flea pupa. This is the worst stage of all because we can’t kill it. No spray will completely eradicate flea pupa.
The treatments will kill the larvae and the adult flea, but the eggs will still hatch. However, the fleas will not mature into adults. What makes flea control very tricky is the fact that the pupa can lay dormant for many months waiting for activation from any vibration or heat. It is advised if you have a treatment to continue to use all of the areas that have been treated to encourage the pupa to hatch and then come into contact with the treatment chemicals. Depending on the severity of the infestation, it could take more than one treatment for total eradication.
Silverfish
The silverfish is a small insect spanning 13 – 25mm long and is tapered from the head to the tail. Its silver colour together with its fish-like movements is where it gets its name. Silverfish prefer humid or damp conditions and are likely to be hiding in dark areas in kitchens, basements and bathrooms. They are usually found in baths, basins and other places with smooth surfaces that they cannot climb out of.
They are by no means fussy eaters and will consume anything with sugar, starch or cellulose. These include book bindings, wallpaper glue, paper, leather, most clothing fibres, dandruff, hair and more. They can survive for 12 months without a meal.
