A Complete Guide To Pests And Pest Control
When pests infest a rental property, both tenants and landlords will incur losses. The damages are likely to double when the involved parties need to enact pest control strategies to handle the situation.
It’s common for conflicts to emerge between landlords and tenants when pests such as bugs infest a property. The tenants may say that the landlords are responsible for controlling them. On the other hand, landlords will say that it’s the tenant’s role to manage their property issues because they directly affect their stay within the premises. The result of these stands can be an endless blame game.
What’s Pest Management and Control?
Undoubtedly, pests are a menace. Pest Control in Australia is a broad concept that explores the strategies for curbing various malicious animal outbreaks and infestations. Several types of pests invade properties across Sydney. They include;
Ant Infestation
There’re over one thousand three hundred ant species in Australia. However, only a handful of them is perceived as pests. The common ant species predominant in Sydney include the following;
Argentine Ant: They are workers elongating to about 1.6 mm in length. Their colors vary from light to dark brown, and they do not swarm. They bite without stinging.
Black-house Ant: Their length ranges from 2.5 mm to 3mm. They are shiny black. They are common ants that infest homes.
Fire Ants: These groups of ants live in swarms, and they are enormous. Queens can grow to 1.59 cm long while workers’ size varies between 3.18 mm and 6.35 mm. They’re coppery brown on the head while the abdomen is darker.
Other Common Types of Ants Include:
- Bull ant
- Coastal brown ant
- Ghost ant
- Sugar ant
- Pharaoh’s ant
- White-footed house ant
- Green ant
- Pavement ant
Bed-Bugs
A bed bug is the last thing that you want a pest to be. Bed bugs are elusive, slippery, hard to eliminate, and always to move. They’re the worst indoor pests because of their ability to adapt to versatile human conditions. Bed bugs will ride with you everywhere you go. The unwanted friends are good at embarrassing you in public.
They can live everywhere in your home. You’ll find them hidden deep under your beddings, clothing, used furniture, cracks, living room couches, carpets, and headboards, among others. The fast red flag of an infestation is the appearance of tiny but numerous dark spots on your linen or mattress.
Bugs aren’t known to transmit diseases. However, their bite is not something that you’re going to enjoy either. The bites also cause itchy swells. Whenever you notice the presence of bed bugs in your home, you don’t want to take chances. Think of Pest Control in Australia as soon as possible.
Bees
You didn’t see this coming. Most people don’t classify bees as pests. Whenever you spot the beautiful, noisy insect landing on the flowers in your yard to suck nectar, the first thing that comes into your mind is honey.
It’s worth noting that despite their numerous benefits, some bees can be problematic. They can pose a danger to your family. Besides providing honey, bees also eliminate insect species that damage plants. Bees are easily agitated. They can sting repeatedly, and if massive, bee attacks are dangerous. If you spot bees around your home, especially near dumpsters, garbage, and soda cans, contact a professional Pest Control in Australia for assistance. Avoid DIY when dealing with bees.
Beetles
They invade the pantries and the kitchen. Beetles contaminate food stocked on countertops and in cupboards. The creepy animals are known to nipple their way through unopened and opened food boxes. They are notorious pests that do what they do best; destroying your food. They don’t spare whole to ground grains, including corn and rice.
Carpet beetles invade natural fibers and eat them to destruction. They’ve advanced their game to feasting on your sugar, nuts, cereals, and flour. It’s common to find beetle larval on your dried food. Have you been experiencing the menace of beetles contaminating food in your home or destroying your furniture? Contact a professional Pest Control in Australia for tips on how to get rid of beetles.
Cockroaches
For every five homes, one has a cockroach problem. Cockroach species aren’t as many as ants. However, there are enough species to move around your home and cause havoc. Five primary cockroach species give the residents of Sydney nightmares. They include;
- German cockroach
- Australian cockroach
- Oriental cockroach
- Smokey-brown cockroach
- American cockroach
How Can You Identify Cockroach Infestation and Get Rid of Them?
If you’ve suspected the possibility of a cockroach infestation, you can invite a company that deals with Pest Control in Australia to come and inspect your home. Commonly examined areas include;
- Crevices and cracks
- Dishwashers
- Ovens
- Drawers
- Refrigerators
- Kitchens
- Bathrooms
Pest control professionals use cockroach glue for confirmation of cockroach activities and the extent of the infestation.
Once the professionals confirm the presence of cockroaches in your residence, they enact primary control mechanisms such as denying them food and water sources. They can use a dehumidifier to create unfriendly conditions because cockroaches thrive in a humid environment.
The most common cockroach species that invade properties in Sydney is the German cockroach. It breeds quickly, making it a menace a short period after infesting your home. Cockroaches contaminate food and transmit various types of harmful bacteria. It’s worth contacting a professional Pest Control in Australia immediately to assist you in dealing with the problem of cockroaches.
Mosquitoes
Mosquito bites are not only irritating but also hazardous to your health. Australia is home to at least three hundred mosquito species. While most of them are more annoying than dangerous, infectious mosquitoes can pose the following health risks;
- They are known to transmit the Ross River Virus associated with muscle aches, fatigue, inflammation, and rashes. Some victims of the bites take nearly a year to recover.
- Mosquitoes transmit the Barmah Forest virus. Victims experience joint aches, fatigue, muscle pains, fever, torsos, and limb rashes, among other effects.
- Some species of mosquito transmit the Murray Valley encephalitis virus. Although the condition is rare, it affects the brain of victims and can result in death sometimes.
Keep mosquitoes away from your residential or commercial property in Sydney. Hire a Pest Control in Australia service provider to offer you comprehensive tips for controlling mosquitoes. Pest control companies in Sydney use a four-step procedure to keep your environment secure from mosquitoes.
- Inspection: upon contacting a pest control professional seeking mosquito control services, they’ll begin with an inspection. The exterminator will establish possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Besides, they’ll investigate the extent of infestation to enact relevant mechanisms.
- A Control Plan: The plan seeks to eliminate mosquitoes from the environment by clearing all their breeding grounds. The step also includes choosing the specific treatment to use and the expected timeline.
- Extermination: pest control firms use varieties of techniques in this stage. The strategies include physical, biological control measures, fogging, and pesticides. Sometimes, extermination involves a combination of different methods depending on the extent of the infestation.
- On-going prevention: One common problem associated with mosquitoes is the re-occurrence of breeding. It’s challenging to eliminate all mosquito breeding grounds, especially during rainy seasons. On-going measures help you to prevent mosquito infestation in your home.
Rodents
The discussion about pests and pest control can’t be complete without mentioning rodents. Multiple surveys reveal that Sydney residents worry about health-concerns associated with a rodent infestation.
Rats and mice transmit a host of severe infections. They can transmit hemorrhagic fever, rat-bite fever, Hantavirus, and plague, among others. Rodents also indirectly transmit diseases such as Lyme disease and typhus, making it necessary to seek Pest Control in Australia.
The bad news about the infections that rats and mice transmit is their ability to spread by getting into contact with the mice’s urine, feces, or saliva. The risk increases because rodents can chew anything and everything that they come across in your home.
Rodents are attracted to areas with inadequate waste management programs. They come looking for food and a nest. If you don’t manage dirt on your property, you’ll soon attract rats.
Methods of Reducing Rodent Infestation
- Ensure that your property doesn’t attract rodents. Keep your pet food in an enclosed place and maintain your compound in good condition at all times.
- Contain all waste in rubbish pits where you can conveniently plan for its disposal.
- Roof your property using solid and durable materials to keep rodents away.
- Contact a licensed professional pest controller to get tips on how you build your property to prevent a pest invasion.
The Problem of Termites
Termites are aggressive pests. They cause irreparable damages to the furniture and other properties. If you discover the problem of termites in a room where you keep crucial documents too late, you’ll incur substantial losses.
The invasion of termites is disastrous because their natural food is wood. The structural integrity of your house is never going to be the same again in the presence of termites. The problem is complicated by the fact that a majority of Sydney homes are founded on wood.
A single infestation that goes undiscovered can bring down your house’s structure. It’s helpful to discover the problem early and enact reverse mechanisms to stop further termite invasion. It’s advisable to contact a pest control firm to carry periodical supervision on your building. You can save your building if you discover the problem in time and enact Pest Control in Australia.
Who Should Take Care of Pest Control in A Building? The Landlord or Tenants?
The problem of pest invasion occurs in any rental property. The question, however, is, who should take responsibility for managing the issue. Many territories throughout Australia remain silent on pest control policies leaving it proper interpretation between property owners and their tenants.
Most tenants don’t consider the issues of pest control when moving into a property. They will rarely remember to have meaningful discussions about future possible pest infestation and dealing with it. Have you been caught up in a conflict with your tenants or landlord about pest control responsibilities? These tips might help.
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Go Through the Lease Agreement
It’s the first step of establishing the party responsible for the pest control issue. Some tenancy terms, conditions, and agreements have clauses on pest control. You may have noted this when you were moving into the property. Now that a problem has risen, you can revisit the lease agreement to ascertain the pest control clause’s presence or absence.
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Residential Tenancies Act
If the tenancy agreement doesn’t solve pest control issues, consider the Residential Tenancies Act of 1997. According to the act, the tenant is expected to responsibly care for the rented premises and ensure reasonable standards of cleanliness.
From RTA, problems emanating from uncleanliness such as failure to dispose of rubbish, attracting rodents should be the tenant’s responsibility. The tenant should seek Pest Control in Australia. However, an outbreak of infestation unrelated to cleanliness is the landlord’s responsibility. Examples of such a situation include termite invasion.
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Tenant Responsibilities
Pest invasion such as pet-caused fleas is the tenant’s responsibility. Tenants should also store pet foods appropriately to prevent the attraction of rodents. Use baits properly where necessary.
Upon the completion of your first property condition report, investigate the property for maintenance and cleanliness issues. Check for issues such as ants, spiders, and cockroach invasion. If you’re moving from a property and you had pets, you’ll undertake flea treatment control. If you suspect the problem of fleas, talk to a pest exterminator.
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Responsibilities of Landlords
Property owners are responsible for handling pest and vermin control measures. They control termites, rats, and mice. It became the tenant’s responsibility if the latter played a role in the pest infestation. If there’s evidence that the tenant failed to dispose of wastes appropriately, the pests’ problem becomes the tenant’s responsibility.
Each part has a role to play in ensuring preventive pest elimination mechanisms.
You Should Take Pest Control Seriously
The problem of pests is among the significant issues that property owners and tenants face in Sydney. There Are several categories of pests, and each comes with its own set of problems. The landlord and tenants should work closely with one another to ensure that their properties are free from pests.
You can eradicate pests using Pest Control in Australia products such as sprays, traps, and baits that you acquire from the local stores. However, the long-term solution requires that you talk to a professional pest control service provider for tips. Safeguard your property by enacting a pest control mechanism to eliminate pests.
When talking about professional pest control in Australia, you’ll surely hear about ABC Pest Control Sydney. This company has been best-recommended by the Sydneysiders for effective pest extermination and prevention. You can visit their website for a range of pest control services that they offer. Likewise, you can have a look at their customer testimonials on Google My Business.
