Rat Exterminator Melbourne/Pest Control Melbourne

Rats and mice: the creatures of nightmares. Around the world, these pests are known to spread over 35 diseases that can affect people and pets. And sadly Melbourne is not at all safe from these critters. Introduced to Australia during colonisation, mice and rats have caused havoc since. Strangely, and without an exact reason to date, Australia and China are the only two countries where mouse plagues occur. This is probably due to a lack of natural predators to keep these rodents under control. And we have been hit badly on many occasions, approximately every four years in the southern states. Perhaps the worst instance occurred here in 1993, where mammoth numbers of mice caused approximately $96 million worth of damage. These nasty pests went about destroying thousands of hectares of crops, attacked livestock, damaged vehicles and ruined buildings.

However, more recent plagues have continued to damage property, cause health risks and frighten residents. In 2017, mouse plagues rocked Melbourne, with rodents migrating enmasse from the west of Victoria. Due to increased wet weather and a “bumper harvest”, spring proved a great time for these pests to breed; however, in winter when the mercury dropped and temperatures hit rock bottom, mice and rats fled for warmer weather in droves, preferably seeking the comfort of the indoors. The plague moved from Victoria’s rural areas to the outer suburbs, and by this time one year ago, mice and rats had reached the inner city in huge numbers.

And that wasn’t the end of it. Just a few months later during breeding season, a plague of a different kind hit the city. For anyone that lives on a train line in inner city Melbourne, you might remember closures. For those living close to the CBD, it is likely you had a few unwanted house guests! This was due to the new metro rail tunnel works disturbing a hidden swarm of rats. This “subterranean” group of rodents had been disturbed by the increased construction activity, sending them scampering to the surface, through the rail tunnels, into the city, its shops and houses. Areas especially affected and targeted by pest controllers were Flagstaff Gardens, Batman Park, Carlton Gardens and Fitzroy Gardens.

I would love to say the rodent plagues that hit Melbourne last year have dissipated. However, from my experience, the rodent problem in Melbourne’s inner and outer suburbs has only gotten worse this winter. With very low temperatures, mice and rats will be looking for somewhere warm to sleep and breed. Be sure to contact Right Pest Control’s expert rodent control team on 0478 308 361. We can safely and quickly assess and eradicate a rodent problem from your Melbourne home, business or property.

 

Redback Spider/Pest Control Melbourne

Unlike the white-tailed spider, that has earnt itself a nasty reputation since the 1980s for reasons perhaps undeserved, the redback spider is a different case altogether. The redback spider (Latrodectus hasseltii) is a species of highly venomous spider believed to originate in the South Australian or adjacent Western Australian deserts, but is now found throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and New Zealand. Responsible for fatalities and serious illness, this spider often makes an appearance on “dangerous creatures” lists, earning Australia its reputation as a home of some of the world’s most threatening species.

 

The striking characteristics of the female redback spider are what we most commonly associate with this alarming insect: a bold, red stripe striking down the upper side of her 10 mm black abdomen, and an hourglass shaped orange streak beneath her, are unique to this species. Luckily, these markings make her easily recognisable, while her smaller male counterpart reaches only three to four mm in length, is much plainer in appearance, and isn’t venomous at all.

 

Coming out at night, the female redback chooses a warm, sheltered location to cast her often unruly looking web. Unfortunately, this is very often near, or inside, human homes and properties, where she preys on other spiders and small vertebrates that become ensnared in her web. The redback most commonly feeds on insects, like trapdoor spiders and fruit flies, or crustaceans such as woodlice. However, these spiders have been known to feast on small lizards, mice and even snakes!

 

Not for the faint-hearted, the female redback kills her prey by injecting it with venom through her two fangs, before wrapping the victim in silk and sucking out its liquefied insides. To initially immobolise its victim, the redback spider often squirts her prey with a glue-like substance that sticks its legs to the rest of its body, stopping it from escaping. She then wraps the body in silk, and bites the prey repeatedly on its head, body and leg segments before taking it back to a hidden retreat for consumption. This process can take some hours if the prey is dangerous, strong and continues to pose a threat to the redback spider, however the prey are most usually consumed in five to 20 minutes from the first bite.  

 

As food scraps and light attract insects to areas of human occupation, this too attracts the redback; for this reason, it is vital to remove redback spiders from your property safely and professionally. The redback spider is commonly found around homes in the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and is one of the few spider species that can be seriously harmful to humans. Affecting the central and peripheral nervous system, the venom gives rise to a syndrome known as “latrodectism”. Latrodectism is a condition associated specifically with the bite of widow spiders (of which the redback is one), and starts with pain around the bite site, which usually becomes very severe and progresses up the bitten limb for over 24 hours and up to six days. Generalised symptoms of swelling, nausea, vomiting, headache, and agitation may also occur and indicate severe envenomation. Since an anti-venom was created in 1956, there have been no deaths from this species. However the systematic response to female redback spider bites is severe, painful and can cause death to animals. Should someone be bitten in your home, seek medical attention immediately, and contact Right Pest Control for the safe and professional removal of redback spiders from properties in Melbourne.

 



 

Termite Control & Pest Control Northern Suburbs

Commonly mistaken for ants, termites are classified in the same order as cockroaches. However, it is unsurprising that these pests are known as “wood ants” or “white ants”, as certain termite species have been known to cause great damage to homes and structures.

The eusocial termite builds complex colonies. For this reason, they are known as ‘superorganisms’, as the individual insects form part of a self-regulating entity: the colony itself. These colonies live in nests that are composed of two parts: the inanimate (still) and the animate (living). The inanimate nest consists of all the termites living inside the nest, while the inanimate nest is the structure itself, made usually from termite faeces (partly digested plant matter). However, when these insects take up residence in the walls of a home, the worker mites go about consuming the wooden structure to build their nest. This often has dire and expensive consequences for homeowners.

As termites prefer warmer climates, they are common to Australia. With Melbourne experiencing higher than usual temperatures, termite damage has been on the rise for the past two years. As their nests are often inconspicuously located within the structure of the building, it is not always easy to spot the termites’ well-hidden colony. However, factors that indicate your home may be the victim of these pests include: a clicking sound of the termites eating; flying  or swarming termites (fertile male and females) that have left the nest to build a new colony; hollow sounding timber; tight fitting doors and windows caused by moisture the termites leave in the wood as they eat; fine tunnels in wood that falls from the house; droppings (frass) left behind from drywood termites that push their faeces outside instead of using it to build a nest (like other varieties of termite).

Homeowners can reduce the risk of a termite attack by:

Eliminating wood contact with the ground. If the structure of your home meets the ground, termites have the perfect pathway into the structure of the building. Sidings, latticework, window frames and other wooden items should be maintained approximately 30 centimetres above the ground to reduce the risk of this pathway.

Reducing moisture build-up at the foundation of your property. Like many other insects, termites are attracted to sites where there is an easily-accessible water supply. Water should be diverted away from the building with well-constructed gutters, spouts and splash backs, as leaking faucets and outlets will only encourage these pests to move into your property.

Lowering humidity is the crawl space beneath your home. Crawl space, or the area beneath a house, should be ventilated to reduce the humidity that termites thrive in. Vents should be kept free from dirt, leaves and debris, as to encourage air flow and cooling.

Excess wood and plant matter should be removed from the close perimeter of your home.  Excess wood such as rubbish, mulch, vegetation and fire wood should not come in contact with the crawl space or foundation. A build-up of this material encourages termites to nest and move into the structure of your home.

As Melbourne has reached higher than usual levels of infestation over the past two years due to warmer weather conditions, it is important to prevent termites attacking your home or work property. If you anticipate your property has become infested with this destructive guest, call the expert termite removers at Right Pest Control on 0478 308 361. We will assess the termite problem and carry out the safe and necessary measures to eliminate termites causing further damage to your property.