What's Your Pest?
Ticks
Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that feed off animals and human blood. Ticks latch on to shoes or clothes and work their way around until they find exposed skin.
Ticks are attracted to people during outdoor activities, gardening or bush walking. Once the skin has been exposed, they insert their feeding tube into your blood, inserting small amounts of natural anaesthetic, causing irritation or mild allergic reactions, which is why most people don’t recall having a tick bite.
Ticks are active during the warmer months such as summer, which is when their eggs hatch. Female ticks can lay up to 2500 eggs at a time that will hatch within 40-60 days.
Effects of ticks
These are some of the effects you may see from a tick infestation:
- Harming of pets and family members
- Possible serious illness in human infestations
- Ticks can spread spotted fever in humans which has symptoms including fever, headache and joint & muscle pain
- Ticks are also loosely linked to the spread of Lyme disease
- Increased chance of death in pets
If you’ve experienced any of these, or suspect you may have a tick infestation please contact us so we can exterminate your pest problem.
Tips to prevent tick infestations
It’s always best to call a professional to fix the problem, but there are a few steps you can take to minimise tick infestations in the short term:
- Avoid long grass when walking pets
- Wear long pants tucked into socks and a tucked in long-sleeved shirt
- When outdoors spray clothes with insect repellent before entering the home
- Regularly trim your front and back lawn
- If you own a pet ensure you visit the vet regularly
- Ensure sunlight can reach all soiled areas on your property (clear leaf mounds or mulch piles if they’ve built up)
- Use fine-point tweezers to remove a tick from your pet or your body
- When picking up the tick avoid crushing or breaking it as the blood can be toxic if touched
We offer internal and external sprays for tick infestations. Our Termiticidal technicians are skilled with an advanced knowledge to exterminate these pests. Contact us to book in your next treatment.
Let us help!
Don’t let these pests get the better of you, we’re here to help. Get in touch today for a fast, friendly and reliable pest management service.
Fleas
Fleas are a common pest problem for those who work closely with animals or have pets. Fleas may also be carried on other, especially hairy, animals like rabbits, foxes, rats, mice and livestock such as pigs. Fleas are most likely found in and around pet bedding, carpets and even outdoors in sandy soil.
Fleas prefer warm and humid conditions and throughout this time their compressed body enables them to weave in and out of the fur, hair or feathers of their hosts. Their long legs enable them to jump great distances, with most fleas being able to leap to a height of up to 18cm, or horizontally up to 33 cm.
Flea bites
Keep an eye out for these common signs that you or your pet have been bitten by a flea:
- Flea Bites on Adults – A round, red mark with a small, dark red dot in the centre appears on the skin. This usually stays for a few hours, and reactions differ from case to case. Itching is sometimes felt, while allergies can give rise to swelling and hives.
- Flea Bites on Children – More severe and itchier than they are on adults due to the greater sensitivity of a child’s skin. Bites are usually concentrated on the lower legs and ankles.
Actions to take if bitten:
- Contact a doctor or see a pharmacist
- Wash the bitten area with a gentle antiseptic detergent or soap
- Put some ice over the area to calm inflammation and swelling
- Apply a bit of calamine lotion or other soothing concoction for relief
Flea pest services requires a lot of knowledge and understanding.Contact our team at Termiticial and we will make sure these pests are no longer making your home their home.
Let us help!
Don’t let these pests get the better of you, we’re here to help. Get in touch today for a fast, friendly and reliable pest management service.
Silverfish
Silverfish are attracted to cool, damp places and are hard to spot. They generally prefer eating foods containing proteins and carbohydrates, live under dead leaves and are commonly found in the basement and/or attic causing extensive damage.
Silverfish roam around the house during the night-time and will eat their way into almost anything, including paper, book bindings, wallpaper and clothing, kitchen or bathroom doors, and storage boxes.
Tips to prevent silverfish
Use these tips to discover hidden silverfish and to help prevent infestations:
- Check dark undisturbed areas of your home e.g. cupboards
- Inspect incoming goods such as second-hand books, cardboard boxes and furniture
- Placing food in containers and frequent cleaning of scraps and crumbs helps to reduce the suitability of that environment to silverfish
- Throwing out unused papers or cardboard boxes
- Placing photographs, books, magazines or other loose paper material inside plastic containers or where possible stored in light and well-ventilated conditions
Large or repeated infestations will require professional treatment by our Termiticidal experienced technicians. Silverfish are a very common household pest. Eradication without the help of a professional pest controller is difficult as they are most active at night, making them extremely difficult to trace. Contact us now to book in your next service.
Let us help!
Don’t let these pests get the better of you, we’re here to help. Get in touch today for a fast, friendly and reliable pest management service.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs are the same size as an apple seed varying in colour from light yellow to brown and feed off blood as their only source of nutrition. Bed bugs bite humans who cause major distress with their feeding habits. They feed on blood at night when we are asleep, causing swelling and skin irritation. It may cause skin allergies and in some cases, major reactions.
Bed bugs are known to be found in beds, skirting boards, broken plaster, timer floorboards, furniture, luggage, carpet, and basically anywhere around the home. The more Australians travel and international travellers visit the country, the more chances there are of a bed bug infestation in Australian hotels, motels, inns and homes (including AIRBNB).
Signs of bed bug infestations
There are some tell-tale signs that you can easily use to determine if you have a bed bug infestation:
- Redness, itching and/or swelling of the skin
- Droppings which manifest as dark patches on sheets, skins or cuticle that gets left behind after shedding and the presence of live bugs in hiding places
- Tiny bloodstains or spots on sheets can also be evidence of bed bugs
Tips for avoiding bed bug infestations
Here are some tips you can take to help avoid possible bed bug infestations:
- Inspect new furniture once purchased especially beds and couches
- Never leave open suitcases lying around on the floor when you are on vacation
- Do not store your suitcase close to the bed in hotels, motels, inns, airbnb rooms etc
- Inspect your suitcase before bringing it into the house when you return from vacation
- Wash all clothes at a temperature of at least 60°C after returning from vacation
Bed bugs are not a problem that will go away on their own or that you can eradicate by yourself. If you suspect you have a bed bug infestation, call us today and we will book in your treatment. Our Termiticidal technicians will provide a long-term, effective bed bug control system. Without a professional treatment these bed bugs will continue to arise.
Let us help!
Don’t let these pests get the better of you, we’re here to help. Get in touch today for a fast, friendly and reliable pest management service.
