Pest Control Christchurch

Ants are one of the main summer pests in Christchurch. Inside the home, “black ants” are common home invaders, typically – black house ants or white-footed house ants. Outside the home in the garden, Argentine ants are a major problem.

Professional pest managers will generally use a combination of ant baits and ant sprays to treat ant problems. Indoor ant problems can generally be completely eliminated. However, outdoor ant problems can often only be controlled for a limited period of time, as even if ants are eliminated from the yard, eventually new ants will re-invade from surrounding areas. This is particular the case for the invasive Argentine ant which can form super colonies that take over whole neighbourhoods.

Bed bugs are an increasing problem globally, particularly in the hospitality industry.

Eliminating a bed bug infestation is a job for a professional pest manager. It is important to do a thorough inspection for bed bugs to determine which rooms are infested and where they are hiding. An appropriate bed bug treatment can then be carried out.

For hotels and motels a bed bug management place is advised to prevent bed bug infestations in the first place.

Although there are no termites of concern in New Zealand, there are a couple of wood borers which cause damage:

• Common house borer of furniture beetle
• Native two tooth long-horn borer

Treatment for borers is best done by a professional pest manager as they can identify the species, inspect for infested timber and apply specialist borer products.

Carpet beetles are a common pest in New Zealand. Despite their name, they don’t just attack woollen carpets, they will attack a wide range of animal fibres in a variety of fabrics.

It is the larvae that do all the damage and it is important to locate these “wooly bears” during an inspection, so all the infested areas are treated and any “wooly bears” vacuumed up, as their hairs can cause irritation.

Clothes moths are a common fabric pest in New Zealand. In Christchurch, as the seasons change and the clothes you wear change to fit the season, it’s important to make sure the unused clothes are stored in sealed bags to protect from clothes moths. Suitable clothes moth repellents or traps should be used in wardrobes year round.

If you’re suffering from a clothes moth infestation, often it is best to get a professional pest manager to carry out a thorough inspection and comprehensive treatment to ensure the infestation is eliminated.

Cockroaches are a common pest in homes and businesses. Particularly, German cockroaches (the small cockroaches), which only live inside buildings and can be a pest all year round.

Large cockroach species, such as the American cockroach and Gisborne cockroach, which live outdoors, are less common in Christchurch due to the climate.

Cockroaches carry a large number of diseases (especially those that cause stomach upsets), so it’s understandable no one wants dirty cockroaches inside their home or business. The droppings and spend skins of cockroaches are known to cause allergic reactions and  asthma.

Dealing with a German cockroach problem is generally a problem for a professional pest manager as it needs a detailed inspection to determine their hiding places and they also have access to specialist cockroach baits, which are ideal for German cockroaches.

With cockroach problems, ensuring good housekeeping / hygiene is essential for eliminating and prevent cockroach infestations

Fleas generally aren’t a problem if pet flea treatments are kept up to date. However, we all know how easy it is to forget, so it’s always possible to suffer from a flea infestation.

Fleas are generally only a problem in the summer months as the thrive in the warmer, humid weather conditions. A pest professional flea treatments is generally the best option to completely eradicate the infestation as both indoor and outdoor areas need to be treated, targeting the pest resting places.

Flies are one of the main pests in New Zealand. Although the housefly is perhaps the most common pest, there are a number of “filth flies” that cause problems around homes and businesses.

Preventing flies entering the building is obviously ideal, but it’s not always possible. A professional fly treatment to fly resting places inside and outside the home can be very effective, but other control measures are often required to further reduce fly numbers, such as fly traps or fly zappers, especially in food handling businesses.

Housefly problems occurs if there is garbage, pet faeces or manure around for them to lay their eggs on – the maggot love any organic matter! So good hygiene around your property is key to eliminating any fly breeding spots. Of course, the breeding areas may not be on your property.

There are also drain flies, the small flies that you can find in bathrooms, laundries and kitchens. They typically feed on rotting fruit or vegetables or in the slime in drains. If you have a problem with these annoying flies try and find any rotting food and clean out the drains before calling your pest professional.

Pantry moths are a common pest in Christchurch during the summer months.

If you spot small moths flying around your kitchen, it’s a good chance they are pantry moths. You will need to inspect all your dried foods to see if they are infested with pantry moth caterpillars.

If you’re suffering from a pantry moth infestation, often it is best to get a professional pest manager to carry out a thorough inspection and comprehensive treatment to ensure the infestation is eliminated.

There are two pest rats in Auckland, the roof rat and the  sewer rat. Although smaller, the roof rat is more common.

Rats typically live outdoors coming inside to find food, although roof rats are happy to build their nests in the roof void of homes. They carry diseases and parasites, which can be transferred when they urinate on surfaces and food.

To ensure a safe and effective rodent treatment, it pays to use a pest professional to carry out the treatment to ensure the baits are placed in the best locations to deliver results and prevent accidental ingestion. Professional pest managers will use lockable bait stations in most areas.

Rats can also be difficult to control due to their intelligence and their neophobic behaviour – they are frightened of new things. Using a rodent expert will ensure you get the quickest results.

Spiders are generally beneficial, helping control other pests. Such an example is the Australian spider, Philoponella congregabilis, which has become established in Christchurch in recent years. It doesn’t have a venomous bite, but crushes insects by wrapping them up tightly in their silk.

However, no one really spiders around the house, especially inside. With some spiders like the katipo, redback and white-tail spiders, giving a nasty bite, there are real safety concerns, especially for children and pets. 

Professional spider treatments involve a “spider spray”, where the outside of the building, obvious webs and spider hiding places are sprayed. Sometimes insecticide dust may be blown into cracks and crevices. These treatments can be quite long lasting, typically 6 months or longer in protected areas.

Wasps are a significant safety concern in New Zealand. There are a number of invasive wasps species including the Australian and Asian paper wasps, but it is the common and German paper wasps that are of the most concern.

These European wasps can produce large nests and are very aggressive. Using a professional pest manager to eliminate the nest is a smart move, as they have all the necessary safety gear. They also have specialised equipment to treat wasp nests that are underground (which can be quite common) and can use wasp baits if the nest is not on the property / cannot be located.