Pest Control

Elite Pest Management is able to manage many pests including:

Cockroaches
Spiders
Ants
Silverfish
Fleas
Rodents
Bedbugs

“All Pest work is carried out by licensed and insured Technicians in accordance with the relevant government and workplace health and safety regulations and guidelines”.

We, at Elite Maintenance Service pride ourselves with the utmost up to date technical equipment for all customer needs.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are small non-flying insects with a flat oval shape about the size of an apple pip. Their flattened body allows them to squeeze into small cracks and crevices and as a result they can be hard to detect and eradicate.

They are blood-sucking insects that require blood for nutrition and development. In Australia there are two species, the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, and the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus. The type will depend on the location of the property affected. Fortunately the two species are similar and the same control strategies can be used for both.

Bed bugs feed mostly at night when the host is asleep. Bites cause small, hard, swollen welts on the skin that may become inflamed and itch severely. Bed bugs have not been implicated in the transmission of diseases. Their medical significance is usually limited to the irritation from their bites.

Cockcroaches

Cockroaches are primitive insects whose origin extends back at least 300 million years and are thought to have originated in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa. The advent of travel and international trade has brought about the spread of cockroaches to most countries in the world.

Although worldwide, there are over 3,000 species of cockroaches, only half a dozen have attained the status of pest species by adapting themselves to cohabit with man in his dwelling. The remaining non-pest species inhabit decaying plant material, dark damp areas such as caves, and beneath the bark of rotting trees. The omnivorous appetite of cockroaches makes any unprotected foodstuffs susceptible to cockroach infestation and contamination. Their indiscriminate feeding sources in such areas as sewers, drains and garbage areas bring them in contact with disease organisms including salmonella and other organisms associated with dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis and tuberculosis.

Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures and are seldom seen in any quantity during daylight hours, however, in areas where there are heavy infestations, sightings of cockroaches may become more common. It is generally accepted that for every cockroach seen there are at least a further ten that are hidden away in out of sight harbourages. Common harbourage areas include cracks and crevices, dishwashers, electrical motors and switches, ovens and almost any warm, moist areas where food is available. Tell tale signs indicating cockroach activity include the presence of egg cases, regurgitation marks, faecal pellets, odour and cast-off nymphal skins. Infestation occurs when cockroaches are carried into premises on raw materials or packaging or gain entry to the premises through drain covers, ventilation openings and under doors. Most common species have wings, but have a tendency to crawl rather than fly. When disturbed, cockroaches have the ability to scurry away with remarkable haste.

Life Cycle

Following mating, the female cockroaches enclose their eggs in purse-shaped egg cases which they deposit or glue onto a surface prior to the eggs hatching. The young cockroaches, or nymphs as they are referred to, emerge from the egg case and over a period of up to a year, go through 5-12 moults as they increase in size. They achieve adulthood after the final moult and are capable of breeding 2-3 weeks later. They are prolific breeders with the most common of the pest species, the German cockroach, being capable of producing 20,000 offspring within a twelve month period. Female cockroaches also have the ability to produce young without mating. This is referred to as parthenogenesis.

Cockroach Control

Successful cockroach control is based on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) starting with a thorough inspection of the entire premises to identify the species and to define the extent and source of infestation. Observations made during the inspection enable a program to be proposed which considers all possible facets of control procedures including proofing, trapping, sanitation, hygiene and the judicious use of preparations. Recent preparations developed for cockroach control are of low mammalian toxicity and do not persist in the environment. A new group of preparations called insect growth regulators are being presently used by the industry. These compounds prevent the immature stage of the insect from achieving adulthood and so prevent propagation of the species. The advantage of such formulations is that they are usually specific to a particular pest and have little effect against non-target species.

Fabric Pests

The group of insects known as fabric pests includes silverfish, clothes moths and carpet beetles. Except for the silverfish, the main food constituent sought after by fabric pests is a protein substance called keratin, present in fibres of animal origin such as wool. Silverfish prefer to eat substances of plant origin such as cotton cellulose and starch.

Silverfish

Silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata) are wingless, primitive insects and can be easily identified by the three long appendages protruding from the rear of the abdomen. They have a fish-like appearance with the body tapering to the rear and are covered in scales, giving them a dull silvery colouration.

The female adult lays eggs either singly or in small batches, which usually hatch after a period of 2-8 weeks into nymphs which closely resemble the shape of the adult but are smaller in size. The nymphs undergo a series of moults over a period of 3-24 months, becoming sexually mature adults. They are one of the few insects to continue moulting after they have achieved adulthood and can go on to live for a period of up to 4 years.

Silverfish can move extremely quickly when disturbed and in general have a tendency to avoid light. They are usually found in dark undisturbed areas, however they often range throughout a building particularly in cupboards, stored paper and bookshelves, and behind wallpaper that has peeled away from the wall surface. Silverfish cannot climb smooth surfaces and so are often found trapped in glasses, baths and basins. Silverfish do not carry disease organisms harmful to man or domestic animals.

Control of silverfish is normally achieved by the storage of books, paper and linen fabrics in well lit and ventilated areas. Chemical control consists of the careful application of residual surface sprays and the judicious use of space sprays.

Carpet Beetles

The most common carpet beetles to be found attacking various fabrics of animal origin are the black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor) and the variegated carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci).

As well as carpets, they can be found in woollen goods, fur, silk, upholstery and stuffed animals.

An infestation of carpet beetles usually occurs in undisturbed areas, such as below items of heavy furniture or perimeter areas of the carpet. It is possible for the carpet beetles to attack synthetic carpets, particularly if they are heavily soiled with organic food debris or urine. Many synthetic and woollen carpets are now treated with insecticides at the manufacturing stage rendering them resistant to carpet beetle attacks.

The adult female beetle lays her eggs in dark undisturbed areas. The eggs hatch into reddy-brown coloured larvae or grubs covered with tufted hairs. It is this larval stage that causes the damage to fabrics, rugs, underfelts and carpets. When they are fully fed the larvae change into an immobile pupal stage which, after several weeks, turn into adult beetles. The adult beetles usually fly to exterior areas where they are often attracted to white flowers. The adult beetles cause no further damage but often further infest dwellings by their presence in birds' nests or being introduced to the interior of dwellings on cut flowers.

Control of carpet beetle is usually achieved by attention to thorough vacuuming of the infested areas followed by the application of residual insecticide sprays.

Clothes Moths

Although less common than carpet beetles, these fabric pests are commonly experienced in similar environments to carpet beetles, namely woollen materials, felt, fur and other materials of animal origin. The two most common species of clothes moths are the case making clothes moth (Tinea pellionella) and the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella).

The female clothes moths lay eggs on materials that will provide an adequate food source for the emerging larvae. The larvae or grubs feed in dark undisturbed areas and larvae can be protected by a "case" woven from the fibres of the material on which they are feeding, (case making clothes moth). When the larvae are fully fed the case making clothes moth larvae migrate to areas high up on the wall or on the ceiling to pupate, whereas the common clothes moth pupates within the feeding material.

The pupa of both species change into the adult moth and are usually short lived. Signs of clothes moth activity is indicated by the presence of damaged material, cast larval skins and sand-like larval droppings.

Control of clothes moth generally consists of the application of short residual low toxicity preparations to affected areas. It may be necessary to space spray affected areas to control adult clothes moths.

It is also possible for the householder to place small affected items into dark plastic bags and place these in a sunny position, thus raising the temperature to a lethal temperature for the pest. When storing clothes for long periods, these should be dry before being stored in clean plastic bags with moth balls.

Fire Ant

The National Fire Ant Eradication Program has achieved some remarkable successes to date. From 65,000 plus fire ant nests in 2002, just over 100 nests have been confirmed in the financial year to date. However, the QDPI&F is concerned that there are still some more of the vicious pests to be found – small, isolated nests that if left untreated could spread to major proportions again. To report suspect ants in Queensland, please call the DPI&F on 13 25 23. An officer may respond in person or you may be asked to send in a pest sample.

Rodents

The three major pest species of rodents are the Norway rat, the roof rat, and the house mouse. These three rodents are known as commensal pests, which describes their ability to successfully cohabit with man. They are common in the main population centres in Australia and most countries throughout the world.

Since early times, rodents have been responsible for the loss and contamination of feed from the crop stage through to the storage of processed food in both domestic and commercial premises. Rodents have been associated with the transmission of disease organisms, the most notable being the occurrence of Bubonic Plague in Europe, causing the loss of 25 million lives.

Biology of Rodents

As climatic conditions become less favourable during the onset of winter months, rodents move indoors looking for both shelter and food, however, in commercial premises rodents can be a problem all year round, and in certain instances, mice can attain plague proportions in rural areas.

Rodents construct their nests utilising soft materials, such as shredded paper or fabrics, close to areas where they scavenge for food and water. These nests are usually situated in wall cavities, roof voids or underfloor areas, and in the case of Norway Rats, in burrows in garbage tips, and other similar sites. The adult female is capable of giving birth to 4-6 litters per year, each letter continuing between 5-10 young, which themselves are capable of reproduction three months after birth. Within a period of a year the mating of a single pair of rodents can result in a rodent population of 400-700.

Rodents actively forage for food at night using the same routes of movement to and from the food sources. Their diet includes food material of both animal and plant origin and apart from mice, access to water is necessary. Mice can obtain water from foodstuffs providing the food is sufficiently moist.

Although the vision of rodents is poor, they are complemented with other senses which are extremely sensitive. Their sense of smell and taste are so highly developed they can detect minute quantities of chemical in foodstuffs, and this can lead to 'bait shyness'. They are equipped with whiskers and guard hairs, which enable them to feel their way in darkness with little difficulty.

As previously mentioned, rodents are nocturnal and therefore activity is seldom observed during daylight hours, so it is important to recognise signs of their presence.

Rodents deposit their droppings on all surfaces over which they travel and this, together with stains caused by their almost continual urination, provide obvious indications of the presence of rodents. Greasy smear marks also become evident along their main routes of movement where they make contact with obstacles. Rodents are equipped with incisor teeth that continually grow, and it is essential they gnaw at frequent intervals to ensure they are sufficiently short to enable them to feed and fight. Fire can result from the short circuiting caused when rodents gnaw electrical conduiting.

Rodent Control

As with all pest management programs, an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach is an integral part of successful rodent control. IPM involves consideration of all control procedures including attention to sanitation and hygiene, trapping, proofing of entry points, and the use of baiting procedures. All control procedures are preceded by a thorough inspection of the entire premises to identify the rodent and to define the extent of infestation.

Spiders

Common sense in the home is the best way to avoid spider bites. Be able to correctly identify the spider and be aware of the places they like to hide. Because spiders are more active at night, do not leave clothes on the floor and shake them before putting them on. Check bed clothes before retiring for the night. Spiders can easily be removed into a glass jar and placed outside or sprayed with an insecticide for spider control.

White Tailed Spider (Lampona cylindrata)

The white tailed spider has been found in Australia for many years. The spider is easily identified by its elongated shape (1-2.5cm body length), cylindrical lemon pip shaped abdomen and is velvety black with dirty white markings at the top of the abdomen and on the tip of the tail. The legs are glossy with a dark reddish tint. Male spiders have striped legs.

Where are they found?

There are about a dozen Australian species in the genus. This common spider when found indoors, inhabits wardrobes, clothes left on the floor, bedclothes, bathrooms, laundries and behind curtains. It is normally nomadic, living in the garden under rocks, ground litter and other foliage and most active at night, living off small insects and spiders.

Their nomadic nature leads them into homes where they are most commonly found during Spring to late Autumn. White tailed spiders aren't web bound and catch their prey by predation. Being hunters, they are swift moving and scurry away when disturbed.

Do They Bite?

White tailed spiders only bite if provoked and are not normally aggressive to humans. The symptoms of the spider bite vary according to specific reactions, normally causing a localised burning, stinging feeling followed by a variable illness. Symptoms may include an itchy lump, swelling, blistering, ulceration, nausea or vomiting. Occasionally the bacteria on the fangs of the spider may cause infection or other specific allergic reactions.

The spider is suspected of causing skin necrosis, (the decomposition of flesh) in 14 spider bites over the past 10 years. However, until recently, none of the victims could positively identify what bit them.

A woman from Jericho in Tasmania claims as a result of a white tailed spider bite she suffered skin damage to her right leg. Many people have been bitten by white tailed spiders and suffered minimal skin reactions, if any.

The Answer

If bitten by a white tailed spider the wound should be washed with disinfectant, and if painful an ice pack or anaesthetic cream applied. Try to find and keep the spider responsible for the bite for future identification. Seek medical attention should the patient not improve in 2-3 hours. The Association wishes to place on record its appreciation for assistance provided by the Division of Natural History, Museum of Victoria in the preparation of this information.