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.

A client in Melbourne’s CBD could not understand why they were waking with rows of bites each morning. When they contacted our expert pest control in Melbourne  about this problem and described what was happening, we suspected it would be bed bugs. We suggested that they contact their real estate agent as they had only been living in this property for a week, and with their approval we went in to do and inspection. It didn’t take long to confirm the problem with a quick inspection of the the bed and frame. Bed bugs have become a large problem throughout Melbourne CBD of recent times with the increase of overseas travelers staying long periods of time in fully furnished apartments and shared accommodation. While bed bugs do feed on human blood they do not carry or transfer disease to the recipient. One thing that we have noticed at Right Pest Control is the majority of our clients receiving bites from bed bugs are female rather than male. There is no scientific study to suggest that bed bugs feed more often on females than males but this is just something we notice.

The average life span of a bed bug is between 6-12 months and a female can lay between 1-5 eggs per day,within 10 days of hatching a newly emerged bed bug is out for a feed so at this stage you may notice an increase in bites. So it don’t take long for an infestation to get out of control in a short period of time. While each adult bed bug only needs to feed approximately every 10 days. When a bed bug bites its victim it also injects enzymes and an anticoagulant to stop the blood from clotting during feeding,while the recipient will not be aware of this happing until several hours later when the sore and itchy welts come about.

With an inspection program and monitoring systems available these are great tools for hotels and hostels to stay on top of the increasing problem we have in melbourne. Prevention is always a better solution than waiting until its to late having your valuable clients complaining and putting bad reviews about your business which can be very damaging to your bottom line.

CALL US FOR BED BUG REMOVAL IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS – 04783 08 361

 

Well here we are at the end of summer with the colder nights coming. Rodents like mice and rats are just getting their families a nice warm home for the winter, that being our homes too. We always notice around Easter a big influx of rodents in the home or office environment not only because it’s warm, but rodents actually love chocolate. So the best thing that can be done is keep all those Easter eggs in sealed air tight containers trying to not leave any crumbs lying around inviting these furry little critters into our homes.

These little guys were caught in Craigieburn. Where this family have been having an ongoing battle with mice for quite sometime being able to combat the the problem using snap traps, catching the odd mouse here and there. The problem with using snap traps is you can only catch one mouse at a time. These little critters are quite clever at taking the little treat you leave for them on the trap and actually evade the the deadly blow intended.

So this Craigieburn couple finally decided to call in the experts to get the job done. While we set some strategically place rodent bait stations throughout the home,and baited the roof void to stop those scurrying sounds they are hearing at night. These little guys will be gone in no time using the methods we use.

Craigieburn along with all the other fast growing northern suburbs like Doreen ,Mernda and Wollert seem to be areas with a lot of rodents. With all the new construction going on and is taking up what was once there habitat, there will be quite a lot of rodent control needed in these areas for quite some time.

For all your Pest Control needs feel free to contact Right Pest Control at anytime on 0478 308 361.

 

 

When it comes to Bee control & care, Right Pest Control’s number one aim is to save colonies where possible and to relocate them to a safe manageable apiary or Bee yard. With a critical global declination of bee population due to CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and a myriad of other diseases such as AFB (American Foul Brood), we need to ensure that all is done to save this amazing and important little insect.

Environmental conditions are causing a rapid decline in the bees’ population rate. The current wide spread use of pesticides in farming and agriculture can be quiet devastating on our wild bee population. Bees are said to help pollinate around 75% of all plants and flowers which contribute to putting food on our tables.

Backyard beekeeping is becoming very popular and trendy throughout Melbourne and even the CBD with companies like Roof Top Honey setting up hives on top of our lovely city buildings. With our Pest Control Melbourne service, we have set up our very own apiary in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, not only will this produce natural raw honey but will also prove beneficial in saving the bees’ population.

Creepy and crawly pests are the worst nightmare for a house owner, they can cause a lot of damage, potential diseases and pose a threat to the well being and health of you and your family members. Thus, you should be well aware of the techniques and methods to get rid of the pests in your house using pest control Melbourne services. There are chemicals like sprays, baits, artificial repellents, and poisons that can be dangerous if not lethal when accidentally touched or ingested, hence it is best to leave the work to the professionals. They use various kind of techniques and procedures to completely destroy all the pests present in your home. But there are certain household techniques which even you can utilize to keep the pests out of your house.

• Clean spills and crumbs as soon as possible.
• Do a regular weekly clean inside your kitchen cupboards.
• Storing food in airtight containers and never leaving food out.
• Seal all cracks around your kitchen as cockroaches slip through cracks in the wall.
• Stop smuggling bugs and cockroaches from shopping bags by inspecting them before putting them away.
• Don’t leave pet food out in the open.
• Be careful and do not stack up magazines and papers.
• Empty the kitchen’s rubbish bin regularly.

Thus, by employing the above tips you can be assured that your house will never be infested with pests again and you will also ensure the wellbeing and good health of you and your family members by providing them with a cleaner and healthier home.