PEST SERVICES
Spider Control
HELPFUL HINTS
-
Keep garden mulch, loose timber, rubbish and foliage away from the exterior wall area of your home.
-
Keep rubbish bins clean and sealed tightly.
-
Potted plants on patios and verandas attract insects and spiders and should be moved further away from the house.
-
Avoid using outdoor lights at night as they attract insects that are then eaten by spiders. Fewer insects mean fewer spiders.
-
Use a broom to remove all spider webs about ten (10) days after the treatment. The webless spiders are then forced to come into contact with the residual chemicals that were applied.
-
It is best to have your home treated for spiders on a regular basis before the numbers build up.
-
Bugmans Pest Control recommends at least every six (6) months to keep the spider population around your home at a safe and acceptable level.
-
We recommend that you have this treatment carried out at least every 12 months to keep the cockroach population around your home at a safe and acceptable level.
Mice & Rat Control
HELPFUL HINTS
-
Some properties are invaded in autumn every year as rats and mice seek shelter in cooler weather. Others may be invaded when nearby areas are developed. If you are aware of a potential influx, contact your Pest Manager to introduce a program before the event.
-
Pet food is a major attraction for rodents. Ensure that all pet food is never left outside overnight and by storing in metal containers.
-
The house should be inspected for potential entry points, concentrating on gaps in the wall, such as weep holes, doors and windows and
-
penetrations for plumbing and electrical services. Trim all tree branches away from the house. Remove ivy and trellises from the walls.
-
Do not store timber or debris adjacent to the house.
-
Repair leaky taps and remove other water sources.
-
Rodents develop territories and have a social hierarchy. Not all will have equal access to baits. The most dominant and aggressive individuals tend to be the oldest and largest male members of the colony. Treatment programs must be designed to control the colony, rather than a few individuals.
-
An adult house mouse produces 50 to 100 droppings and up to 3,000 micro-droplets of urine per day, a rat about 40 to 50 droppings per day or 15,000 droppings and over 10 litres of urine per year.
-
Rodents may die in inaccessible places such as wall cavities. Odours from dead mice are seldom a problem but rats, because of their larger body mass may cause an odour. Your Pest Manager may be able to find and remove the carcass or apply odour absorbing products.
Termite Control
HELPFUL HINTS.
-
Termites are small soft bodied insects, commonly referred to as white ants. Although they look similar to ants, they are not related. There are hundreds of species of termites in Australia. Some are important recyclers of dead and decaying timber, others feed on grasses, while only a few species cause economic damage to timber. These economically significant species of subterranean termite travel through soil as they constantly forage for and evaluate the size and quality of potential food resources. They seek out cellulose, the primary component of wood. They feed on fallen or dead trees, and benefit the environment by recycling nutrients from them. unfortunately, termites also find timber in service in houses very attractive, and cause significant damage as a result.
They have the potential to be present in a building for several years with few obvious signs of activity.
Termites form large nests or colonies, within which individual members (millions in some cases work tirelessly to ensure it survives and flourishes.)
There are several castes within the colony, with clearly defined workloads and responsibilities:
-
REPRODUCTIVES (Queen, King & Alates): Every year, when conditions are favourable (warm, humid weather), thousands of winged alates are released from mature colonies– they fly out and are attracted by light sources. A small number survive, mate as King and Queen and perpetuate the species in a new colony. In some cases, the Queen can live for more than 25 years and produce over 2000 eggs daily.
-
WORKERS: The majority of termites are workers. Cream in colour, they build and maintain the nest, search for food and distribute it within the colony, tend the young and eat or bury the dead. They make the telltale mud shelter tubes and cause the damage to timber.
-
SOLDIERS: Relatively few in number, they are responsible for the protection of other defenceless colony members from predators. With characteristic fighting mouth parts, they will often sacrifice themselves to save the colony.
-
CSIRO surveys estimate that the risk of termite attack and damage is high. The statistical risk is that one in three houses will be attacked at some stage during their economic life. Bear in mind that most home insurance Policies do not cover termite damage.
Cockroaches Control
HELPFUL HINTS
-
Keep garden mulch, loose timber, rubbish and foliage away from the exterior of your home.
-
Keep rubbish bins clean and sealed tightly.
-
Eliminate food sources by removing all food particles from cupboards and bench tops. Eliminate water sources by turning off all taps, empty kettle and wiping kitchen sinks dry before retiring for the night.
-
Store food in sealed containers and in refrigerators to reduce accessibility for cockroaches.
-
Inspect in-coming containers from food and beverage stores prior to unwrapping in the house or business. German cockroaches are generally introduced in this manner.
-
Fill in cracks and crevices in the walls and cupboards to prevent areas where cockroaches can hide and reproduce.
-
It is best to have your home treated for cockroaches on a regular basis before the numbers build up. For every one you see there are twenty hiding out!
We recommend that you have this treatment carried out at least every 12 months to keep the cockroach population around your home at a safe and acceptable level.