Fly control
Flies can efficiently transmit diseases to humans. They are mobile and freely interchange between decaying excrement and wastes, and human foods and utensils. They have hairy bodies that can carry disease organisms, and frequently vomit onto food while feeding. This is how flies transfer disease such as food poisoning, dysentery, typhoid fever, hepatitis, tuberculosis, various parasitic worms and many others.
Fly control measures might include non-chemical and chemical control procedures, or often a combination of both. AJET uses an integrated approach and is cautious and efficient in our use of chemicals in your home.
Non chemical prevention
The best approach to any fly control problem should involve an inspection of the premises to determine, if possible, the location of breeding sites. Where breeding sites are located within a premise, it is very likely that improvement in waste disposal:
- Keep garbage bins covered and away from doorways or windows
- Keep garbage bins clean and dry
- Keep compost bins away from the house and turn the compost regularly
And general “housekeeping” will do much to lessen the problem:
- Keep animal feeding bowls clean
- Don’t accumulate lawn clippings
- Dispose of animal waste regularly (daily)
- Don’t leave dirty dishes or uncovered food out.
Mosquitoes
New Zealand has 16 mosquito species, of which, only 3 are common pests to humans.
- The most common species is the vigilant mosquito (Culex pervigilans). It is commonly found around Auckland city, where it enters houses. It is a night-time feeder, and its high-pitched buzzing and biting can disturb sleep. The larvae are likely to be found in any container that collects rainwater, such as old tins or bottles.
- The Striped mosquito (Aedes notoscriptus) named for the white bands on its legs, was first noted in Auckland in 1916 and probably arrived from Australia. It is the mosquito most often seen in the North Island and females may bite during the day and at night. In the South Island the species is thought to occur only in Nelson, Marlborough and Christchurch.
- The brown house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) is found around North Island ports and occurs as far south as Marlborough. It readily bites people, and lays its eggs in standing water around houses (for example, in guttering, bird baths and septic tanks).
In New Zealand only Whataroa virus (an alphavirus) is associated with mosquitoes. Potentially, New Zealand could be open to mosquito-borne arboviral diseases such as Ross River Virus (RRV), Dengue fever, Barmah Forest Virus and Japanese Encephalitis. Yellow fever, malaria and filariasis are thought to be a much lower risk to New Zealand.
A combination of non-chemical and chemical control methods is usually needed for mosquito pest control. Prevention is the best way to deal with these insects. It is much simpler to prevent mosquito larvae from hatching then it is to deal with millions of hatched mosquitoes that are taking over your yard and continuing to breed. Mosquitoes look for standing water to lay their eggs in.
Non-chemical Prevention
- Regularly drain water from items such as flower pots, pool covers, recycling bins, trash cans, and any unused items that may be lying around your yard collecting water.
- Keep windows and doors closed at night if you have lights on
- Consider screening doors and windows
AJET’s pest experts will work with you towards eliminating your fly and mosquito problems.
Ant control
Ants are social insects and mostly live in permanent nests. Colony sizes vary and often the ants you see are only about 2% of the total number in a nest.
In addition to being a general nuisance, ants may present a health risk. There are known instances of ants carrying disease organisms that cause dysentery and food poisoning. Ants often find a food source in kitchens and other food-handling areas, as well as in garbage bins and animal waste. In addition to the health risk, some ants may sting or bite humans.
Pest ants are commonly found around foundations and in walls, roof voids, kitchens, lawns and gardens. Because of the ‘hidden’ locations of nests, ants can be difficult to control.
Ant control measures usually include non-chemical and chemical control procedures, or often a combination of both. AJET uses an integrated approach and is cautious and efficient in our use of ant control products in your home.
Effective control of ants often relies on knowing their feeding and nesting habits. Ants will often form trails from the food source to the entrance of their nest and by following an ant trail, the exact,or approximate, location of a nest may be found. Direct treatment of the nest usually provides the most effective, long-term control. Alternatively if a nest can’t be located, the use of chemical barriers that interfere between the nest and food source is often very effective.
Non-chemical Prevention
- Clean up thoroughly after cooking
- Eliminate all food particles from bench surfaces, shelves and drawers, floors, tables, chairs. Feeding utensils should be washed up soon after use
- Outside keep areas free of food sources (bones, unclean pet feeding bowls, un-rinsed drink bottles and cans
- Sap-sucking insect pest on plants around the house may encourage a variety of ants
Cockroach control
German Cockroach
The relatively small German cockroach is probably the most, widespread and successful cockroach that coexists with humans. When cockroaches cohabit with humans they are considered to be a very serious health threat. They can potentially contaminate food products, utensils and surfaces with droppings, cast skins, empty egg cases, and vomit marks. They can also cause allergic reactions in many people, particularly children, and may cause an asthma attack in asthmatics.
They will crawl from garbage bin or sewer onto kitchen work surfaces, perhaps carrying disease organisms on their feet and mouths. A variety of disease organisms that may be carried by cockroaches include salmonella, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and hepatitis.
German cockroaches infest homes, apartments, supermarkets, food processing plants, and restaurants; usually around kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and any areas with sustainable moisture. They seek warmth, moisture and food, and are often found under sinks and cupboards, in and under drawers, in and around appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and in wall voids adjoining kitchens and bathrooms.
These cockroaches are usually spread to new locations in food packages, crates of drinks, cardboard boxes etc. It is a prolific breeder and will build a large population within a short period of time. Being nocturnal, if these cockroaches are seen during the day or away from food handling areas, it is likely that there is an enormous population.
Non-chemical Prevention
- Regularly clean the kitchen and laundry
- Dishes and utensils should not be left unwashed overnight
- Pets feeding bowls should be washed regularly
- Fix leaking taps or pipes and remove unnecessary containers with water
- Store food in air tight containers; or in the refrigerator
- Garbage should be removed regularly and stored in closed bins
- Fill in any cracks/crevices that may harbour cockroaches
- Regularly clean around stoves and vents, and any spilt food in the back of cupboards
- Regularly pull out the stove, refrigerator, freezer, microwave, dishwasher and clean the cavity behind
Wood Cockroaches
The two types of wood cockroaches in New Zealand are the Gisborne Cockroach and Native Black.
Originally from Australia the Gisborne Cockroach can be found mostly outside e.g. bark gardens, timber or fire wood.
As a juvenile it is light brown and looks similar to the native cockroach, however as it matures it becomes a dark brown (sometimes mistaken for black). As an adult the Gisborne cockroach has a distinctive yellow stripe on each side of its body running from the head to the thorax.
The Gisborne cockroach sometimes comes into your house by accident, but does not usually infest food.
Native Black cockroach is wingless and a New Zealand native. It lives in leaf litter, under loose bark,in rotten wood and amongst stones on the ground. It eats decaying plant material and will not usually establish itself inside houses.
Non-Chemical Prevention
- Foliage touching your house should be trimmed back
- Avoid using bark in your gardens
- Don’t stack firewood against or under your house
Flea control
Fleas are more than a nuisance, they are a very real health hazard as they are carriers of many diseases including bubonic plague, salmonella, tape worm, typhus and other fevers. When grooming, cats and dogs consume infected fleas which can potentially result in the formation of tapeworms inside the pet. Any flea infested animal must be wormed at the time of the flea treatment.
Fleas are parasites and as adults are quite mobile and require a diet of blood. The most common flea to bite humans is the Cat Flea; however the Dog Flea will also bite humans if no other host is around. Bird fleas are often a problem where birds are or have nested in some part of a building. Flea bites may cause mild to severe irritation and bites usually occur around the ankles and lower legs.
The fleas you see represent only 5% of the total flea population at any given time – the other 95%are fleas in their developing stages:
- Eggs to Larva 2 - 10 days
- Larva to Pupa 7 - 60 days
- Pupa to Adult 7 - 365 days
In summer, an adult flea may be ready to hatch from the pupa about 7-14 days after it is formed, however they can remain dormant for up to 18 months. Hatching of the adult flea from the pupa is triggered by nearby movement, predominantly during warm, moist weather conditions.
Ten fleas can potentially reproduce to 250,000 in only 30 days!
Non-chemical control
- Vacuum and/or Steam Clean carpets – this will suck up the eggs, larvae and pupae.
- The adult flea lays eggs, most of which fall from the host and lodge themselves in carpets, crevices and furnishings.
- The larvae, minute worm-like creatures, live deep in carpet fibres.
- Larvae will pupate and then lie dormant until it detects the presence of a host by heat and vibrations.
- All floor areas should be frequently washed.
- Subfloor areas should be made inaccessible to pets as this often is a suitable environment for breeding fleas.
- Wash pet bedding, rugs and any other fabrics that may harbour fleas in hot soapy water. (Soapy water kills fleas no matter what stage they’re at)
AJET’s professional pest expert can now successfully treat your premises with a product that will continue to work for 3 – 4 months. Our treatment will also enhance your fly control.
Sometimes flea treatments may appear to be ineffective as small black fleas are seen after the treatment. This is because the pupae are quite resistant to chemicals. Fleas continue to hatch because insecticides cannot penetrate the flea pupae case. However the newly hatched adult flea will continue to die when they come into contact with the treated surfaces.
Bed bug treatment
Although Bed Bugs do not seem to be involved with any serious disease transmission, their bites at night can prove very irritating, even unbearable at times. The Bed Bug is wingless and therefore it is likely to be found near to where the host sleeps; in the mattress or bed frame, behind skirting and architraves, among books, behind wallpaper and in furniture. They hide during the day and come out at night to feed.
Often the only evidence of a bed bug infestation, other than people with itchy and irritated bitemarks, is blood spots on bed linen. Bed Bugs can infest even the cleanest of houses if they are transported in furniture, luggage clothes, etc.
Eradication of bed bugs can be difficult and requires chemical and non-chemical control strategies:
Non-chemical Prevention
- Reduce potential harbourages
- Seal any cracks or crevices
- Repair or remove any loose wallpaper.
- Thoroughly inspect any 2nd hand furniture, particularly wardrobes, beds, mattresses, before bringing them home.
- Vacuum your mattress and base regularly.
If you think you have an infestation of bed bugs they can be very difficult to eradicate:
- Hot wash and/or dry items in a dryer on a hot setting are sufficient to kill bed bugs in clothing or linen.
- Clothing and bedding that cannot be washed in a hot wash and/or dried can be bagged and placed in a freezer at -20C for at least 24 hours.
- In severe cases you may be advised to dispose of your mattress and base.
- Call a professional and discuss your options.
Rodents and rat control
There are 3 common species of Rodents in New Zealand, the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the Roof Rat (Rattus rattus), and the House Mouse (Mus musculus).
These animals are well adapted to living in close association with humans, sharing food and shelter. Throughout history, rats and mice have been responsible for huge losses of food and, having the ability to transmit diseases to humans, huge losses of human life. Even in New Zealand, people die from disease spread by rodents. A mouse can excrete between 40-100 droppings a day and a rat 20-50 as well as up to 14 mls of urine. As a result, there are potential risks of disease and sickness such as salmonella.
Rodents also cause serious damage to buildings, equipment, and furniture. The gnawing of wires and cables has caused the breakdown of telephone systems and can create a potential fire risk.
Often rodents may begin to look for shelter in buildings during the autumn or winter and will build their nest within reasonable range of a food source.
Non-chemical Prevention
- Ensure your garbage bin has a tight fitting lid
- Clean up any rubbish heaps and overgrown weeds around the building eliminating any potential rodent harbourages.
- Prevent entry into the building by blocking all possible entry points with durable materials such as metal plates or cement fill.
- Keep a high standard of hygiene and sanitation thus reducing the food and shelter available for rodent activity
If you do have a rodent problem call the professionals at AJET and we will thoroughly inspect the premises and put a rodent control program in place to combat the problem.
Spider control
New Zealand’s spiders are mostly harmless to humans, busily trapping or hunting a vast number of insects, which is of benefit to us around our homes where we consider insects to be pests.
Spiders produce extensive webbing in and around buildings that can be unsightly, dirty and difficult to remove. A treatment of the internal and external areas where these spiders live and spin webs will prevent the need to remove the webbing. Treatment will also reduce the risk of having White-tailed spiders roaming around your home.
White-tailed spider
Two species of the Australian white-tailed spider have been present in New Zealand for at least 100 years. Both live in cracks and crevices, sometimes on the outside of houses.
It is a fine-featured spider that has a light grey/brown body, brown-stripped legs and a distinctive cream/white tip on its tail. On younger spiders there are also additional creamy white marks on the abdomen. White-tails do not produce webs for catching prey. They produce a tangled web as a nest and actively hunt other spiders.
They are often found in leaf litter, tree bark, or under rocks in gardens but can also be found in bedrooms, bed clothes, clothes left on the floor, wardrobes, curtains, bathrooms, and laundries. While they are not aggressive spiders, they will bite if provoked or threatened.
The bite of the white-tailed spider is not poisonous to humans. There has been considerable publicity about serious skin infections, called necrotic lesions that may develop near bites. In a recent Australian study of 130 confirmed white-tailed spider bites, 75% of people said the bite was less painful than a bee sting, and nobody developed lesions.
Find out more about our pest management services
From indoor bug control to serious infestations, we are able to provide you with a solution to your pest problems. Please click through to the relevant section.
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