Pest Info
Protect your family from pests. Find out how to prevent and treat your pest problems.
There are many things you can do to prevent pests from getting into your home. Here are some key suggestions and recommendations:
✅ Make sure all doors to the outside are well sealed. If light can be seen from around or under a door, then insects can gain access.
✅ Check for plumbing leaks. Don’t let water accumulate anywhere in or around your home.
✅ Check grout around bathtubs and toilets. A good seal will keep out small insects, such as silverfish and ants.
✅ Store all open food containers in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator.
✅ Store pet food in sealed plastic containers. Limit the amount of time the food is left out.
✅ Store garbage in sealed containers and dispose of it regularly.
✅ Keep roof-voids and sub-floor areas well ventilated and dry.
✅ Repair or replace any torn screens to keep insects from getting inside.
✅ Seal around vents to make sure rodents and insects can’t get into the roof space.
✅ Seal around conduits and piping where it enters your house. Many insects and rodents follow power lines or climb conduits and pipes to get inside.
✅ Check gutter drains to make sure that water is diverted away from your house. The base of each gutter should drain water away from the foundation to discourage moisture from building up next to your house.
✅ Remove all accumulated leaves and debris from rain gutters and the roof to prevent insects from breeding under the build-up.
✅ Seal all cracks and crevices—for example, under window frames or around pipes entering the side of your house—to prevent insects from entering.
✅ Keep garbage bins clean and lids sealed to prevent ants, cockroaches, and flies from feeding and breeding in the garbage.
✅ Prune any excess plants or trees touching your house. These can create an insect highway directly into your house.
Cockroaches
🎯 Protect Your Family from Cockroaches.
🎯 Cockroaches are a high-risk pest to have in your home.
🎯 They carry a range of serious illnesses including salmonella, dysentery, and gastroenteritis.
🎯 The risk is particularly high in homes with children, the elderly or those fighting illnesses. Cockroach droppings have even been implicated as being a contributing factor leading to childhood asthma. Beyond significant health risks, cockroaches are a disturbing pest to many homeowners. They also produce an obnoxious odor that contaminates nearby food and belongings.
Cockroaches can breed rapidly and are highly resilient. A quick response is essential to prevent cockroaches in your home or spreading to your neighbors.
🎯 Recognizing Cockroaches
🎯 There are three common species found in the home:
🎯 German Cockroach (12 – 15 mm): Also known as the “croton bug”, the German roach is brown in color with 2 dark stripes on the pronotum. The wings are as long as the body or slightly overlapping in both sexes; despite this, they prefer to run or climb. It prefers moist environments such as kitchen cabinets and bathrooms.
🎯 Australian Cockroach (30 – 35 mm): Dark brown to black in color with a clearly defined yellow border around the pronotum and the foremargin of the forewings distinctly yellow. The wings cover the abdomen. Both sexes prefer to run or climb. It prefers cool, damp environments like drains, sewers, subfloors, wall cavities, roof voids, garages, and sheds.
🎯 American Cockroach (35 – 40 mm): The American Cockroach is reddish-brown in color and has a pale yellow area around the perimeter of the pronotum. These cockroaches tend to be found in dark, undisturbed areas that are high in humidity like subfloors, sewers, wall voids, roof voids, and around garbage bins.
🎯 The typical signs of a cockroach problem are:
• Seeing live insects – cockroaches are nocturnal and hide during the day. You will most likely see them when turning on the light in the kitchen at night.
• Egg cases and cast skins – cockroaches shed their skin 5–8 times as they mature.
• Droppings – cockroaches leave a dust of black droppings less than 1mm wide and of varying lengths.
• Odor – established cockroach infestations produce an unpleasant, musty smell.
• Damage – cockroaches will attack organic goods including leather and books.
🎯 How to Prevent Cockroaches
🎯 Sealing entry points can help prevent cockroaches from entering the home. Key risks are gaps around pipes, drains, and common walls with neighboring properties when dealing with Australian and American cockroaches. German cockroaches tend to favor kitchens and can be prevented by keeping crumbs and other particles of food from accumulating in and around counters and cabinets.
🎯 As with many pests, the most effective way to control cockroaches is to keep food and water out of reach:
• Store food in containers or in sealed plastic bags.
• Clean all garbage and spills immediately.
• Clean food debris from under refrigerators or ovens.
• Clean used dishes immediately after meals.
• Remove pet food, water, and litter trays overnight.
• Keep garbage or compost in sealed bins.
• Do not leave liquids in sinks or buckets overnight.
🎯 How to get Rid of Cockroaches
Cockroaches can be difficult to control and may require professional treatment. Although many homeowners struggle with do-it-yourself cockroach control remedies, the results are often less than satisfactory. Small problems can develop into large ones, and this is when many people seek out the services of a pest control professional.
Fleas
🐛 Protect Your Home and Family from Fleas
🐛 Fleas are a common pest problem in homes, especially when cats or dogs are present. Not only are they a concern for pets, but they also bite humans. Fleas are usually found in homes with pets, but they can also be a problem for new homeowners who move into previously infested homes and apartments. Pest control is important not only because of the discomfort bites cause to pets and people, but also because fleas are carriers of the tapeworm parasite.
🐛 Understanding Fleas
Fleas are small (1.5 mm to 4 mm long), reddish-brown insects that spend most of their adult lives clinging to and feeding on the body of their chosen host. Adults are wingless and have flattened bodies that allow them to move freely between the hairs of dogs and cats. Fleas are also extraordinary jumpers and can jump hundreds of times higher than their body length.
Immature fleas or larvae do not live on a host. Flea larvae live around and feed upon the organic flecks of skin and other similar materials that collect wherever pets spend time. This includes favorite resting areas and bedding sites. Proper cleaning in these areas can go a long way towards flea control.
Newly developed adult fleas emerge within a protective cocoon they created when they were larvae. Adults within their cocoons can remain dormant for long periods of time and are stimulated to emerge by the vibration of footsteps. The ability to remain dormant is one reason why fleas seem to suddenly emerge in vacant homes once new owners move in and start walking around. Also, it’s important to note that fleas aren’t always associated with a previous owner’s pets. Sometimes wild animals living in crawl spaces or other similar areas bring fleas with them, which cause problems for homeowners.
🐛 Treating Flea Bites
When fleas are present, homeowners generally notice them first by the bites they leave behind. Typically, bites are concentrated around the ankle and look very similar to mosquito bites. Fleas can be selective and will often feed on only one or a few people living in a house. Many times the people most affected are small children and infants.
🐛 The most important treatment for an insect bite is to clean the wound.
If any insect debris has been left in the wound, remove carefully with fingernails or tweezers. Then clean the bite using soap and water or alcohol wipes.
🐛 Swelling can be reduced immediately after a bite by covering it with a cold compress such as ice in a cloth (but never hold ice directly on the skin).
🐛 The swelling from a bite may take more than a week to go down and may remain itchy for several days.
🐛 The itchiness and swelling can be relieved with antihistamine creams for bites and stings. Oral antihistamines (“hay fever tablets”) can also help, especially where there are multiple bites.
🐛 Try not to scratch bites as this will increase the itch and could lead to the bite becoming infected by bacteria.
🐛 Call your doctor if:
• The swelling or pain is so severe that it prevents moving around or sleeping.
• The swelling continues to worsen more than a day after the bite.
• The bite appears to be infected.
• Repeat bites such as those caused by a flea infestation can lead to sensitized skin and dermatitis. Speak with your pharmacist or doctor for treatment.
🐛 Protecting Pets from Fleas
Even with the best care, it is difficult to fully protect your dog or cat from fleas. A pet with fleas will frequently scratch or try to bite the fleas in its fur. Although a flea comb may be sufficient to prevent some flea infestations, generally pet owners need to consult their veterinarian for advice on eliminating fleas from their pets.
If you choose to use an over-the-counter flea treatment for your pet, you must be aware that the materials used on cats are different than those used on dogs. Be sure you only use a cat- or dog-specific material on your pet and consult your vet if there are signs of irritation such as reddening of the skin or if there are thin patches in your pet’s coat.
🐛 How to get rid of Fleas
If you have pets, it is essential to prevent fleas becoming established in carpets and bedding:
🐛 Vacuum carpets and furnishings where pets sleep to remove fleas and eggs. Use the strongest suction that will not damage the fabric. Empty the vacuum cleaner bag directly into a sealable plastic bag and immediately discard it outside your home.
• Wash pet bedding regularly in hot water to kill flea eggs, larvae, and adults within cocoons.
• Take care when transferring bedding, rugs, etc., to avoid spreading flea eggs.
• Consider placing pet beds in areas without carpets, such as on wooden floors.
Although many homeowners struggle with do-it-yourself flea control remedies, the results are often less than satisfactory. Small problems can develop into large ones, and this is when many people seek out the services of a pest control professional.
Spiders
🎯 Dealing with Spider Problems in Your Home
Spiders can be a particular nuisance in the home. They are attracted to warm, dark, small spaces, like wall cracks, corners, air vents, and in the eaves of your home. Other species prefer to stay closer to the outdoors, weaving their webs in your garden or near your outside lighting. Most spiders are a nuisance primarily because of their webbing.
🎯 Spiders
There are more than 35,000 species of spiders worldwide, a few thousand of which are found in Australia alone. Spiders exist in a wide range of colors and sizes, yet they are all easily recognizable by their 8 legs. Spiders are often beneficial because they eat many types of insects, including those that are pests.
Some common species of spiders that can be found entering your home are:
🎯 Huntsman Spider: Large flat-bodied spider that is poisonous to humans but not fatal.
Red Back Spider: Lives in and around the house. Very poisonous to humans; female bites are very painful and can be fatal to children and the elderly.
🎯 Funnel Web Spiders: A large, black, bulky spider; bites may be fatal to humans.
🎯 White-Tailed Spiders: Found in cool, dark places; bites can cause swelling and itchiness.
Spiders are most likely to enter the home in autumn due to their search for a warm place to spend the winter. There are several ways that you can help to prevent and control spider problems in your home:
• Vacuum regularly.
• Remove noticeable webs.
• Fill in gaps in walls and under doors to deter entry.
• Remove sheltering sites like firewood piles and compost piles from near your home.
• Use lighting in a way that is less attractive to the insects that spiders feed on.
• JA Pest Control can help you tackle the problem of spiders in your home in a safe, effective, and professional way.
🎯 How to Get Rid of Spiders
Although many homeowners struggle with do-it-yourself spider control remedies, the results are often less than satisfactory. Small problems can develop into large ones, and this is when many people seek out the services of a pest control professional.
Ants
🐛 Dealing with Ants in your Home
It can be annoying to find ants in your home, and many ants, including the common pavement ant, can be difficult to control. Considering that ants frequently travel through unsanitary areas before they end up on your countertops, you should take steps to keep them away from your family, pets, and food.
🐛 Types of Ant Problems
Some ant species live in colonies that are supported by a single queen, while others are supported by multiple queens. Although there are thousands of different ant species, there are relatively few that we commonly see as pests. These include:
🐛 Black House Ant: Black House Ants are only 2.5–3mm long. These ants are regarded as a nuisance and scavenge in kitchens, garbage, and dog excrement, therefore potentially spreading diseases such as salmonella. “Common Ants” include the intensely black “Black House Ants”, which are attracted to sweets, and the light yellowish-brown “Coastal Brown Ant”, which prefers to feed on meat products and grease. The most effective control measure is to find the colony and treat it.
🐛 Green Ant: 5–6mm long. Black with a metallic green head. Distinctive appearance and odor. Typically nests in small colonies under paths and among rockeries. Mostly associated with bushy areas. Feeds mainly on materials of vegetable origin. Can inflict a painful sting.
🐛 Coastal Brown Ant: About 1.5–2 mm long. Light yellowish-brown to darker brown. Two raised nodes on pedicel, hind node more rounded. One pair of small spines on hind part of thorax. Often located within building structures, in crevices in brickwork, in cavity walls, and behind skirtings and architraves. Sometimes nests around paths and rockeries. Prefers materials of animal origin, including dead insects, meat particles, fats, and grease.
🐛 How to Ant-Proof Your Home
Most ants come inside your home looking for food. They are attracted by sweet and sticky substances. Ant-proof your home by making food unavailable:
🐛 Always cover food – who knows where that ant has been before it crawls across your food!
• Clean food and liquid spills immediately.
• Clean food debris from under kitchen appliances.
• Make sure all garbage cans are tightly sealed.
• Keep compost piles enclosed and covered.
• Put away pet food as soon as your pet has finished eating.
You can also help prevent ants entering your home by sealing access points such as cracks and crevices in door and window frames.
🐛 How to get rid of Ants
While a wide range of do-it-yourself products are available for ants, many times effective control requires a professional pest control service to gain control and prevent recurrence.
Wasps and Bees
🎯 Protect your family from stinging insects
Being stung by a wasp or bee is a painful experience and can be life-threatening to anyone who may be allergic to stings.
However, it is possible to reduce these risks by taking sensible precautions when outdoors and ensuring that wasp or bee nests are properly managed.
🎯 Treating insect stings
Insect stings are uncomfortable and can often be distressing, particularly if suffering from several stings.
However, the risks of being stung can be minimized by destroying wasp nests in or near the home and taking some basic precautions when outside.
🎯 Allergies to Insect Stings
Some people are much more sensitive to insect stings than others, and young children tend to be particularly sensitive.
However, three percent of the population are extremely allergic to insect stings. An allergy to insect stings can develop at any time, even if they have not reacted to a previous sting.
Call an ambulance immediately if someone has a severe reaction to an insect sting. Symptoms may include fainting, dizziness, nausea, or difficulty in breathing or swallowing.
🎯 Symptoms of an allergic reaction
For those with a moderate allergy to stings, there may be more general swelling around the wound. Consult your doctor if the swelling is severe or persistent.
Call an ambulance immediately if any of the following symptoms are seen within 30 minutes of a sting:
• Swelling around the throat, mouth, or tongue that could constrict breathing.
• Wheezing, choking, or an inability to catch breath.
• Fainting, dizziness, or headaches.
• Any chest pains.
• Nausea or stomach cramps.
Remember, allergies to stings can develop at any time.
Those stung on two or more occasions in previous years are at higher risk of developing an allergy.
Another group at high risk are those who suffer from other allergies (such as to pollen or pets).
🎯 Insect stings should not be confused with insect bites.
An insect (wasp, hornet, etc.) stings to defend itself when it perceives a threat either to itself or the colony. It stings by injecting poison into or under the skin. The effect is immediate and results in a sharp, burning sensation.
While some insects sting to defend themselves, others (like mosquitoes) bite to draw blood. To give the insect time to feed, insect bites have evolved so that the pain is not as sharp as a sting (although the bite of a horsefly is very painful).
🎯 Insect Stings
The most common stinging insects are wasps (including hornets) or bees. Wasps are the most aggressive and may sting with little provocation.
Bees are much less likely to sting, usually only when they are stood or sat on. The key sign of a bee sting is that it leaves its stinger lodged inside the skin, and a venomous sac will continue to pump poison for more than a minute.
In contrast, the only sign of a wasp or hornet sting is likely to be a small puncture hole.
Once stung by a wasp or bee, the surrounding area will quickly redden and a raised welt will form. The welt will lessen after a few hours, but it may remain itchy for more than a day.
🎯 Treating an Insect Sting
There are practical steps recommended if you are stung by an insect.
If stung by a bee, remove the stinger promptly. This should be done carefully using tweezers. Take great care not to squeeze the sting sac, as this will inject more poison into the wound.
If stung by a bee or wasp, wash the wound with soap and water and then reduce swelling by soaking in cold water or by covering it with a cold compress such as ice in a cloth (but never hold ice directly on the skin).
To relieve itching, apply an antihistamine cream for bites and stings or take an oral antihistamine tablet (a “hayfever tablet”).
Calamine lotion can also be applied to ease the itch. If the itching is severe, consult your pharmacist or doctor.
🎯 Preventing Insect Stings
People who are sensitive to insect stings should take care to minimize the risk of being stung, but there are practical steps that we can all take.
🎯 To avoid being stung when outdoors:
Try not to swat wasps or bees. This will only agitate the insect.
Do not wave your arms and try not to panic, as this will also excite the insect. If you enter an area with many stinging insects, walk calmly and slowly away.
🎯 Stinging Insects in the Home or Garden
If there are high numbers of wasps or bees in your home or garden, it is likely there is a nest nearby.
It is important to deal with nests as early as possible – wasps become more aggressive in late summer, and it is much safer to deal with them earlier in the year.
Wasps Nests
⚙️ Take care when dealing with wasps – they have a potent sting and can attack in large numbers if disturbed.
If you are experiencing high numbers of wasps in your home or yard, there may be a nest nearby.
A single nest may contain hundreds of wasps which may swarm and attack if disturbed. If the location of a nest puts people at risk, then it should be professionally destroyed.
The nest is made from chewed wood that gives them their distinctive papery walls. Queens build small nests in the spring and lay the first batch of eggs. These quickly develop into workers that soon take over nest-building activities for the remainder of the season.
By mid-summer, wasp nests can reach considerable size. Some nests can be the size of basketballs or even larger! Common sites for a wasp nest include under the roof eaves, behind shutters, or in sheds.
This risk from these insects increases towards the end of summer – it is preferable to destroy wasp nests earlier in the year before wasps become aggressive.
⚙️ How to Destroy Wasp Nests
To locate the nest, watch the flight path of returning wasps. If the nest is near the home, keep nearby windows closed. If you suspect the nest is in your attic or in a wall, it is then almost always best to call a professional.
You may choose to use DIY products to destroy a wasp nest yourself if the nest is easily accessible. However, if you decide to destroy the nest yourself, follow all instructions carefully. Ensure that you minimize uncovered skin, including wearing gloves and a hat. Treating at night is generally recommended because wasps are less aggressive then.
Do not attempt DIY treatment if you suspect you are sensitive to the sting of wasps, if the nest is indoors, or if the nest is inaccessible.
Do not treat a wasp nest when on a ladder or from a raised height unless you have bee-proof clothing including a headnet.
Many wasps, including yellow jackets, frequently construct their nests below ground, and when this happens they can be especially difficult to treat. Sometimes nests are below concrete slabs or piles of rock or vegetation. In these situations, it can be difficult to treat the nest, and activity will continue despite your repeated attempts at control. In these situations, you may consider the assistance of a professional.
Stinging insect swarms are dangerous – if in doubt, get professional help.
⚙️ How to get rid of Bees
If honey bees have invaded your home, then you have the added concern of honey left behind once a colony is eliminated. Sometimes secondary insects invade or the honey drips and comes through the wall. Considering bees are highly beneficial to the environment, they should only be controlled when they pose a direct threat to your home or family.
If a bee nest represents a high risk (such as a nest in the home, a hospital, or near those who are allergic to bee stings), it may be possible to remove the nest with the assistance of a beekeeper.
JA Pest Control will only destroy a bee nest or colony if it is considered a threat to people. When possible, we will try to find a beekeeper to remove the hive.
Rodents
Mice, Rats, and Rodents
🎯 Is the very thought of rats and mice enough to send a shiver down your spine? There are several types of rodents that you really don’t want to see around the place — but the principal three are the black rat, the brown rat, and the house mouse. Discover more about rats and mice below.
The Pest Guides section is designed to inform and educate you about a wide variety of pests around the world.
🎯 Black Rat / Roof Rat – “The Climber” (Rattus rattus)
🎯 Appearance:
• 33.5 – 45 cm in length, with a tail longer than the head and body.
• 200 – 225g in weight.
• Pointed nose, large ears, and a slender body when compared to the Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus).
🎯 Lifecycle:
• 6 – 10 young per litter; 4 – 6 litters a year.
• Gestation period of about 3 weeks.
• 2 – 3 months from birth to sexual maturity.
🎯 Habits:
• Often climbs, crossing from one building to another via connecting cables.
• Nesting in wall and roof voids. Outdoors they may nest among vines and trees, but they seldom burrow.
• Activity is mostly restricted to the indoors of premises and structures.
• Preferred food is fruits and vegetables.
• Will eat around 28g of food a day and drink 15 – 20 ml water.
🎯 Brown Rat / Norway Rat – “The Burrower” (Rattus norvegicus)
🎯 Appearance:
• Up to 30 – 45 cm in length, with a tail shorter than the head and body.
• 350 – 500g in weight.
• Blunt nose, small ears, and a thicker body when compared to the Black Rat (Rattus rattus).
🎯 Lifecycle:
• 6 – 12 young per litter; 4 – 7 litters a year.
• Gestation period of about 4 weeks.
• 2 – 3 months from birth to sexual maturity.
🎯 Habits:
• Usually burrows, swims well, lives outside and inside, nesting in various places. The only species to occur in sewers in Australia.
• Preferred food is meats, fish, grains, and almost anything (garbage).
• Will eat around 28 – 85g of food a day and drink 20 – 30ml water.
🎯 House Mouse – “The Invader” (Mus domesticus)
🎯 Appearance:
• 15 – 20 cm in length, with a tail around the same length.
• 20g in weight.
• Their relatively small feet & head, pointed nose, and large eyes & ears distinguish them from a young brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).
🎯 Lifecycle:
• 5 – 6 young per litter; 6 – 10 litters a year.
• Gestation period of about 3 weeks.
• 1 – 1.5 months from birth to sexual maturity.
🎯 Habits:
• Usually they are very good climbers, jumpers, and swimmers, although they do not seem to swim very often.
• Normally nests in wall voids, cupboards, roof voids, stored foods, furniture, and many other locations.
• Preferred food is grains, meats, fish, cereals, and many other foods.
• Will eat around 3g of food a day and can survive without any additional water. They will drink up to 1ml a day if their diet is particularly dry.
Termite Inspection
🐛 Your house is never “immune” to termites and every home in the country is at potential risk of this destructive pest.
Annual termite inspections are essential to find termite activity, and to assess the conditions that make a property more susceptible to timber pests.
The Australian Standard AS4349.3 2010, Inspection of Buildings recommends a competent pest inspection at least on an annual basis and in some cases more frequent depending on the environment and the type of structure.
Termites are considered to be the most destructive insect pests in the world.
🐛 Subterranean Termites (e.g., Coptotermes spp.)
🐛 Appearance:
• 3/16″ – 3/8″ in length.
• Soldiers: White, broad bodies with a brown head.
🐛 Lifecycle:
• Queens can lay several thousands of eggs in one day.
• The king remains only slightly bigger than an average termite and continues to mate with the queen for life.
• Males in ant colonies die immediately after mating, unlike termite male alates, which become kings and live with the queen.
🐛 Habits:
• Nests are built in the soil and these termites are very dependent on soil for moisture.
• In their search for food, subterranean termites construct mud tubes because they are susceptible to desiccation when exposed to air.
• Subterranean termites usually work their way above ground to reach wood or any other cellulose source. The cellulose is then broken down into simple starch with the help of protozoans in the termites’ gut.
🐛 Inspection Benefits:
• Correct identification of invasive termite species – helps to choose the most relevant control methods required.
• Early detection – leads to prompt action and a faster control solution to your problem. Reduce costs of repairs to damaged areas early.
• Regulated inspection – all our inspections are carried out in accordance with Australian Standards 3660. All areas of your home will be checked for signs of activity, including outdoor areas in the yard and any other nearby suspected locations.
• Comprehensive report – a full written report is provided with recommendations on the best solution for your individual situation. If no termites are found, JA Pest Control is able to provide advice on future prevention tips.
🐛 Termite Prevention
Almost every Australian home may be at risk of termites, but do not lose hope. The fight against this damaging pest is not yet lost.
The good news is we have several methods to help protect your building or structure against termites. These include:
🐛 Chemical Termite Barriers
By the time termites are found, it’s probably already too late. Termite infestations are not easy to spot and they can do incredible amounts of damage. Preventative measures can provide a “safety bubble” for your home.
🐛 What is a chemical termite barrier?
A chemical termite barrier involves applying a liquid chemical to the soil, either under concrete flooring or around the entire perimeter of your home’s foundations. Our Termite Control Technicians are trained to take care of your home, working with you to create an effective barrier with the minimum disruption to your home and its surroundings.
🐛 Who should use a chemical barrier?
A chemical barrier is suitable for most people who want to take steps towards protecting their home from termite infestations. Other termite barriers have to be put in place while construction is taking place, but a chemical barrier has the advantage that it can be implemented at any time.
🐛 Types of chemical barrier
There are various types of chemical termite barriers, for example, some chemicals are designed to kill the termites and others are designed to deter them. The life expectancy of a chemical barrier ranges from 5 to 10 years, depending on which product is used.
Every termite situation is different, so choosing the right type of termite chemical barrier for you is very important.
🐛 Physical Termite Barriers
It is estimated that termites destroy more homes in Australia than all natural disasters combined. Even a building slab built to Australian Standards can sometimes crack, allowing termites to enter your home from beneath, undetected.
🐛 What is a physical termite barrier?
A physical termite barrier is a layer underneath the slab of your home. It comes in wide sheets which are laid in the same way as a moisture layer before the slab is poured. The sheets in a barrier are overlapped, sealed with adhesive, and taped down with a quality cloth tape.
🐛 Who should use a physical barrier?
There may be value in installing a physical termite barrier if:
• You are building your new home.
• You are building a new extension to your home.
The physical termite barrier is long-lasting and will remain in place, protecting your property without the need to continually top it up with additional chemicals.
Reticulation System
🐛 What is a reticulation system?
The reticulation system is a network of underground pipes designed to distribute an anti-termite chemical evenly throughout your home’s foundations. Using precise control of the chemical flow, this system helps to protect against invasion by termites which would otherwise enter from the outside of your home.
🐛 Who should use the reticulation system?
There may be value in installing a reticulation system if:
• You have been assessed as living in a high-risk area.
• You are building a new home.
🐛 How do I maintain my reticulation system?
Chemical levels in the reticulation system should be topped up every three to five years in order to maintain their effectiveness.
🐛 Call JA Pest Control at 0422 909 982 to find out more.
🐛 How To Prevent Termites
How can I prevent termites in my home? This is a frequently asked question by homeowners.
We understand that you will want to do everything in your power to protect your home against termites and any other pest.
Our practical tips below will help to show you that even a little effort can go a long way towards guarding your home.
🐛 Tips
Remove stored timber, debris, and cellulose materials from under, in, and around the property and under the house.
• Storing timber against or under your house or property on a soil sub-floor will provide an attractive food source and nesting site for subterranean termites. It can also hide evidence of termites invading your home. Remove any timber and/or debris (dead leaves) away from the house.
Repair leaking taps and pipes.
• These include leaking taps, pipes, and hot water overflow pipes under or around your home. Repairing these will reduce moisture levels, which attract subterranean termites to nest close to or under your property.
Ensure that vents to sub-floor areas are never blocked.
• Substandard ventilation in the sub-floor areas of your property will result in high humidity and high moisture levels. Good ventilation and extraction fans where necessary are essential to reduce the risk from subterranean termites.
Divert all hot water services & air conditioning overflows away from side of house.
Ensure storm water run-off is properly connected.
Use only termite-treated timber in garden beds, retaining walls, or fence posts.
• Do not use untreated timbers to form garden beds or retaining walls, as these will attract termites around your property.
Construct timber fences and support posts with a 50mm clearance between the timbers and the soil.
• Often the bases of timber fence palings and/or sub-floor timbers breach the soil surface. This allows termites access without detection. Galvanized post shoes that elevate the timber off the ground are available from any good hardware store.
Don’t allow climbing plants or bushy gardens to grow against the structure.
• Climbing plants growing against the side of the structure of your property provide termites with entry undetected. The roots of some plants can also penetrate the foundations of your property, allowing termites access that is very difficult to locate. Allow at least a 30cm clearance. Plant trees that are notorious for sending roots under slabs well away from your home.
Remove dead trees or stumps.
• Dead trees and stumps are ideal sites for termites to nest in. Remove these or have them treated to reduce the risk to your property.
Ensure that termite shielding is not damaged or breached in any way.
• Metal strips or ant caps around the foundation of your home do not prevent termite entry but force termites out into the open where they can be detected with regular inspection.
Be aware: Building alterations or additions can alter or render ineffective previous termite protection.
• Adding a pergola, new awnings or veranda, concrete slab extensions, or even new plumbing can provide a route of entry for termites into the property across the termite protection barrier previously applied.
Where a house is a concrete slab on ground construction, Australian Standards state that you should leave a minimum of 75mm of slab edge exposed.
• Weep holes in between brickwork, found immediately above the slab, should also be left exposed. If you construct gardens, do not allow soil to be deposited above the edge of the slab, or above pavers over the slab face, otherwise termites can gain entry undetected into your property and breach the previously applied termite barriers.
Ensure all formwork timber is removed after construction.
• Termites can often attack formwork and use it to gain access into your home.
Your first step should be to arrange a thorough inspection of your property to confirm their presence.
• JA Pest Control will check your property both inside and out and will be able to quickly confirm if you have an infestation of termites or another pest.
🐛 How Can I Prevent Termites Coming Back?
If you have been unlucky enough to experience termites in your home, you will be very keen to ensure you don’t have to deal with them ever again.
Whilst no-one can fully guarantee that you will never have a termite problem, there are some steps you can take to reduce the chance of their return.
Call JA Pest Control today on 0422 909 982 for more advice about termite prevention or to arrange an inspection.
🐛 Termite Treatment
Did you know that termites can devalue a home by more than 25%?
If you find your home under attack by the destructive nature of termites, you want someone you can trust to quickly restore the comfort and safety in your home.
Our Termite Treatment Plans are the best way to take action in defending your home against a termite attack. We will recommend a specific solution that best suits your home.
Physical treatments are designed to force termites out into the open so that they are more easily detected. Chemical treatments create a barrier or treated zone around your building or structure to prevent termites from gaining access.
In-Ground Termite Monitoring & Baiting
• This plan involves the use of unobtrusive termite bait stations, which are placed around the perimeter of your property to detect termites.
• We will routinely monitor these stations for termite activity, and when detected, bait is added to the system.
• The termites consume the bait and take it back to the nest, therefore infecting and eliminating the colony.
• Any increased termite activity means that we will automatically increase our visits to ensure optimum protection of your home.
🐛 Benefits:
• All In-Ground Termite Monitoring solutions include a Year-Round Protection Plan. We visit your home to monitor the termite stations.
• You’ll have protection from termites and the other pests that threaten your home and family.
🐛 What you need to know:
• Installation of in-ground monitoring and baiting stations may require holes to be created in concrete and paving.
Above Ground Baiting
• If termite activity is found, an above-ground baiting solution can be used. Above-ground bait stations are placed on termite activity within the home or other structures. The termites consume the bait and take it back to the nest, therefore infecting and eliminating the colony.
• The bait inside the stations is highly palatable to termites but non-toxic to pets and children.
🐛 What you need to know:
• The baiting stations are placed directly at the location of termite activity. This may be within your home or in the garden.
🐛 Do I still need inspections if I have a treatment in place?
Yes, is the short answer.
You may have had a prevention system pre-installed into your home, or you may be looking to have a new termite prevention barrier introduced. In either case, routine inspections are a practical way to complement the all-round protection of your termite barrier.