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As the Easten seaboard of Australia battens down for another period of wild, wet weather, be prepared to see an increase in pest activity around your garden, home or business. Many of Australia’s pests will seek drier conditions and ants, spiders, cockroaches and mosquitoes in particular, are likely to cause more of a nuisance in the comings weeks ahead
Pests such as ants, cockroaches, spiders, rats and mice will search for drier conditions if there’s too much rain. Like us, they would prefer to be dry and will seek harbourage in drier places whilst mosquitos are causing more than just a nuisance, for a lot longer this year and bringing with them more than just an annoying bite, with Japanese Encephalitis and Ross River fever cases springing up in pockets of Australia
The ongoing rain is damaging nests, causing our soil to become waterlogged and of course resulting in overflowing sewage systems.
The most obvious place to find ants or cockroaches will be in your kitchen, mainly thanks to the food supply that these insects will seek out when sheltering from the wet weather. As ants typically colonise in the soil, when significant downpours cause waterlogging, ants will quickly search for drier conditions. Cockroaches love the pursuit of easily available food. Ensure that all foodstuffs are in sealed containers, crumbs and food debris cleaned up (think the bottom of your toaster) and all small cracks or crevices leading into your home are sealed.
Overflowing sewer systems can bring rats closer to your door than you would prefer. Nests can be damaged and the rodents will seek shelter in a drier environment. Mice can squeeze themselves into the smallest of spaces - check the most common entry points such as piping leading into your property, spaces around windows or doors, to ensure that you minimise any opportunity to attract unwanted guests. Always ensure that your bins have a fitted lid in the garden, to also reduce rodent attention
Despite the fact that we are coming into May, mosquitos are still causing many issues thanks to the wet, humid weather. Not only are these annoying pests continuing to cause nuisance to those that attract their irritating bites, unfortunately cases of the deadly Japanese Encephalitis and Ross River fever are springing up in pockets of the country. These illnesses can cause extreme sickness and even death. To minimise the risk of mosquito activity, minimise stagnant water pooling in your garden - think empty flower pots or ponds that have no filtration. Sweep away any stagnant water that may pool on your patio area or uneven surface outdoors, carefully, to disturb the mosquito larvae from hatching and producing more mosquitos.
If you are concerned about pest activity around your premises or home, get in touch with Rentokil, the pest experts, today
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