Black Ant ( Ochetellus glaber )

Structure, Appearance and Characteristics Adult:

Larvae (The young):

Life Cycle

Complete metamorphosis (egg – larva – pupa – adult). Eggs are small and ovoid in shape. Larvae are fed by the adults. After several moults the larvae pupate. There are 3 different castes of adults:

1.Male: Winged. Function is to mate with female.

2.Female: Winged until after mating. Largest in body size. This caste become the reproductive queen of the colony. Can live many years.

3.Worker: Wingless, sterile. Act as nest-builders, foragers for food, feeding larvae, looking after eggs and defence of nest. Soldiers come from this caste. Normally live about 1 year.

Habitat

Can nest outside against paths, in rockeries and other cracks and crevices. Will readily nest indoors. Nests have been found in between walls, ceilings, doors, fences and many more unusual places, but rarely do they nest in the soil. Adults will usually run in distinct trails which can assist in finding nests. Another sign for locating nests is the fall out of black droppings on floors, window sills and benches which indicate nests above or near the droppings.

Food

Preference is for sweet foods but will eat seeds, plants, fats and grease. Their need for moisture is the most common reason for invading kitchens, bathrooms or other sources of water in a premises. Adults cannot ingestsolid food particles but ingest liquids which are pressed out of food material. Larvae depend entirely on workers for food. Young larvae are fed in liquids, the older larvae are fed on small food particles which they can ingest. Adults will also feed on excretions from larvae.

Economic Impact / Nuisance

Trailing of ants can also be considered unsightly. Swarming can occur within a premises which can cause distress to the occupants. Invasion of kitchen areas and wet areas can also be a nuisance to occupants. Can be vectors of disease organisms such as dysentery, smallpox and bacteria such as Salmonella. The adult stage is considered the pest.

Control

Being a social insect, concern for individuals is reduced. This is a major strength making control difficult. They are also small and extremely adaptable at establishing smaller colonies within a house or building. However the entire colony lives to serve the queen reproductive. Should the queen die the colony will die also. This is a weakness which must be exploited. Control measures can involve barrier treatments to try to keep ants away from their food and water source. Since the individual is not important, these barriers can be breached at the sacrifice of many colony members should the need arise. Another form of treatment is to exploit their foraging activities for food. Using baits, the food is taken back to the ant colony where it can target many more members including the queen. Our licensed technicians can assist you with a flexible, tailored solution to meet your needs and prevent these pests from becoming a problem in your home or workplace. Please contact us to see how we can help you maintain an environment free of these and other pests.

General Information

Ants belong to a family of insects, which also contain the bees and wasps. Ants are, in fact, a group of small and highly specialized wasps, which have one of the most advanced forms of social life amongst the insects. They live in colonies that range in size from a few to hundreds of thousands of individuals and due to their ability to organize and administer a society leave humans far behind. A large colony of ants presents thousands of mouths to feed. Foraging is an important job, which is the duty of the workers. Although some ants favour certain foods, most are omnivorous, meaning they will eat a wide variety of substances including insects, honeydew, sweets, grease, oils, vegetables etc. Most ants carry food to the nest where they feed each other, the Queen and larva (the young). Of The many species of ants in Australia, only a small number have become pests of homes and offices.

German cockroach – Blatella germanica

Identification: The body of an adult german cockroach is about 1/2 inch in length. Biege to light brown in color, with two dark stripes on back of head.

World best traveller? The German cockroach is the most widely transported insect pest in the world. Infestations occur even in Alaska and other cold climates in larger installations with central heating or around machinery that produces heat.

In warmer climates, it is commonly found in homes, apartments, restaurants, food processing plants, supermarkets and warehouses. Their eggs arrive in food containers, cartons, fridges, stoves and other appliances or materials brought into a building.

Habitat: German cockroaches are unable to survive in locations away from humans or human activity. German cockroach infestations usually occur in bathrooms and kitchens. They like to hide-out during the day in tight secure places.

Daytime harborage areas are usually near a food and moisture source, such as, inside wall cavities, behind baseboards, cracks and crevices in pantry, kitchen and bathroom cupboards, and under electrical, heating and cooking appliances.

Rapid breeding cycle: The German cockroach is the most prolific breeder among all cockroaches. The female German cockroach lives up to 6 months. She carries an egg capsule containing 30 to 40 eggs. Development from egg to adult can occur in 45 days, during which they moult 6 times.

Major problems:The German cockroach will breed rapidly throughout the year, but favours a humid environment of around 80F or warmer. An small initial infestation can become a major problem in a few months.

American cockroach – Periplaneta americana

Identification: The largest of the cockroach pest species, the body of an adult American cockroach or “water bug” is 1.5 to 2 inches in length. Color: reddish brown, with a yellowish band behind the head.

Habitat: Preferred daytime habitat locations include the subfloor, basement, in sewers and other warm, dark, moist locations. They avoid cold areas but will thrive outdoors in temperatures above 80F. Indoors they often congregate around hot water pipes, fridge motors, boilers and other heating appliances. The American cockroach will feed on a wide variety of plant and animal material.

Rapid breeding cycle: The female life span up to 1.5 years; incubation period of eggs 6 to 8 weeks; in ideal conditions they quickly reach plague proportions.

Oriental cockroach — Blatta orientalis

Identification:The body of an adult oriental cockroach is about 1 inch in length. Dark brown to black in color.

Habitat:Most often found in dark basements or cellars, but can also climb garbage shutes, sewer and water pipes to the upper floors in highrise buildings. Oriental cockroaches prefer to feed on starchy foods.

Rapid breeding cycle: The female lives up to 2 years; deposits up to 18 egg-sacs in lifetime; each eggsac contains 16 eggs; incubation period is 1 to 2 months; development period is 12 months, undergoing 7 moults.

An infestation will rapidly expand in ideal conditions, particularly during the warm summer months with temperatures regularly above 80F.

Australian cockroach — Periplanta australasiae

Identification:the Australian cockroach is reddish brown and looks similar to American cockroach but is smaller at 1.25 inches (35mm) in body length.

The Australian cockroach has`yellow strips on the outer edge of the front wings. A world-wide species that prefers a vegetarian diet. It is known to eat holes in clothing and even book covers.

Habitat:Generally prevalent in areas where winters are relatively mild. However, in colder climates they are prevalent in greenhouses and near large heating appartus, air-conditioners or other equipment emitting heat constantly. They are opportunistic fliers and will infest anywhere adequate heat, humidity and food supply is available. Prime areas of interest are often pet food bowls and food waste storage areas.

Rapid breeding cycle:The female lives up to 6 months; incubation period of eggs 40 days. An infestation can rapidly expand in ideal conditions, particularly during the warmer climates when temperatures are regularly above 80F. Chronic household infestations usually eminate from the roof void, attic or sub-floor areas of the building.

Redback Spiders – Latrodectus hasselti

Redback Spiders are found throughout Australia. They are common in disturbed and urban areas. They belong to the Family Theridiidae, which is found worldwide. The notorious Black Widow Spider ( Latrodectus sp ) of the United States is a close relative of the Redback Spider, and only differs in appearance by the absence of a red dorsal stripe. Other species of Latrodectus occur in the Africa Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Europe and North and South America.

Habitat and Biology

Webs consist of a tangled, funnel-like upper retreat area from which vertical, sticky catching threads run to ground attachments. The Redback Spider favours proximity to human habitation, with webs being built in dry, sheltered sites, such as among rocks, in logs, shrubs, junk-piles, sheds, or toilets. Redback Spiders are less common in winter months. Daddy-long-legs Spiders and White-tailed Spiders are known to catch and kill Redback Spiders.

Insects are the usual prey of Redback Spiders, but they are capable of capturing quite large animals, such as male trapdoor spiders, king crickets and small lizards, if they become entangled in the web. Prey-stealing is also common, with large females taking stored food items from others’ webs.

Female Redback Spiders are black (occasionally brownish) with an obvious orange to red longitudinal stripe on the upper abdomen, with the red stripe sometimes being broken, and an “hourglass” shaped red/orange spot on the underside of the abdomen. Juveniles have additional white markings on the abdomen. Females have a body about the size of a large pea (1cm long) and slender legs.

Habits, Mating and Reproduction

Male Redback Spiders do not produce a web, but may be found on the fringe of a female’s web, especially during the summer mating season. The male has to make overtures to the female to discover whether she is ready to mate, which can prove fatal if she mistakes him for prey. It has been found that in order to occupy the female’s attention during mating, the male spider offers her his abdomen by standing on his head and ‘somersaulting’ his abdomen towards her mouthparts. The female begins to squirt digestive juices onto the male’s abdomen while the first palp is inserted. If he is not too weak, he will manage to withdraw, and then insert the second palp. She will continue to ‘digest’ his abdomen. Most males do not survive this process, which seems to be unique to Latrodectus hasselti .

Females mature on average in about four months. The smaller male matures on average in about 90 days. Females may live for two to three years, whereas males only live for about six or seven months.

Toxicity

Redback bites occur frequently, particularly over the summer months. More than 250 cases receive antivenom each year, with several milder envenomations probably going unreported. Only the female bite is dangerous. They can cause serious illness and have caused deaths. However, since Redback Spiders rarely leave their webs, humans are not likely to be bitten unless a body part such as a hand is put directly into the web, and because of their small jaws many bites are ineffective. The venom acts directly on the nerves, resulting in release and subsequent depletion of neurotransmitters.

Common early symptoms are pain (which can become severe), sweating (always including local sweating at bite site), muscular weakness, nausea and vomiting. Antivenom is available. No deaths have occurred since its introduction.

First Aid

Apply an ice pack to the bitten area to relieve pain. Do not apply a pressure bandage (venom movement is slow and pressure worsens pain). Collect the spider for positive identification. Seek medical attention. St John Ambulance Emergency First Aid pages

BEDBUG MANAGEMEN

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

The aim of the treatment by your Pest Manager is simple. All harbourages must be located, treated and eliminated. It is the implementation that is difficult and may need your assistance. The Pest Manager will locate all potential harbourages within 2-3m of the bed. A harbourage is any crack that you can slide the corner of a piece of paper into – because bedbugs are paper-thin.

Typically harbourages include:

Items, such as bedheads, should be removed if possible because bedbugs are gregarious (many live together) and the crack between the wall and the bedhead may be the entrance to a large void and many bedbugs. Pest Managers have special nozzles to treat into cracks where it is not possible to expose the void inside.

It is not possible to know if someone is a ‘bedbug carrier’. Premises such as backpackers should be inspected regularly for signs of infestation to avoid the costs and inconvenience associated with complaints of bedbug attacks.

Rates & Mice

In domestic situations

Rodents are the most common mammals in the world, both in numbers and in species. Australia has more than 60 species of native rodents. These natives rarely invade homes but some do cause problems in agriculture. There are also three introduced rodents:

It is the introduced rodents that cause problems in urban are

These are known as commensal rodents – those that live with or near people and depend on humans for at least part of their food or shelter. They are often attracted to houses for food and shelter as the weather cools in autumn/winter.

Rodents prominent incisor teeth grow continuously. ‘Rodent’ is derived from the Latin ‘rodere’ which means ‘to gnaw’. Gnawing is a natural and necessary survival behaviour of the rat and mouse. Rats and mice enjoy gnawing wires – a potential cause of fires in houses.

Rodents contaminate our environment with their urine and droppings and by spreading disease. Rodents are known to be vectors of over fifty disease organisms including the causes of plague, leptospirosis, murine typhus and food poisoning.

HELPFUL HINTS

Service Policy

Note-Additional services costs at companies discretion for Job Bookings, Public Holidays, Extra cleaning services deemed needed to complete job to satisfactory standard, After-hours services, Emergency Services, Cancellation of Services without 48hrs notice prior to service, Key handing and Administration services, Payment processing fees all may incur a minimum fee of $99 Inc gst