Insects love the hot Australian summers. They thrive in the heat, which can be very annoying when they disrupt our enjoyment of the weather. Getting outside and enjoying the sun is an Australian summer tradition, but dodging bugs often comes along with it.
Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. The right pest control technician can help keep your home pest free all summer long. Let’s take a look at some of the pests and insects that you can often expect to see during summer, and how you can keep your family safe.
1. Cockroaches
Gross and germ-ridden; cockroaches love to get inside homes during the summer months. They become more active as they seek dark, warm, and moist places to live and reproduce. Unfortunately, this often means your bathroom or kitchen is their target.
Cockroaches are bacteria-ridden pests that can carry a wide range of diseases. They can also increase the risk of childhood asthma. During summer their focus is on breeding, so keep an eye out for eggs, or nymphs, as these will develop rapidly and grow into an infestation.
2. Fleas
Fleas thrive in the hot summer. As animals become more active during the warmer months, fleas readily hitch a ride and don’t leave without a fight. This can be a big problem for you and your furry companion as you are enjoying the outdoors together.
Fleas feed on animal blood, leaving painful bites, and diseases. These pests can cause a lot of discomfort and stress for you and your pets. To avoid them you should regularly clean your pet with flea soap, tidy up your yard, trim back bushes, and keep wildlife away from your home.
3. Ticks
Ticks are particularly hazardous. They target both humans and pets, biting and burying their way into your skin. Just like fleas, ticks become more active during the summer months, enjoying increased animal activity.
Unfortunately, ticks cause a lot of health problems, and for your pets, could be fatal. Ticks have been linked to the increasingly diagnosed Lyme’s Disease. As well as this, they cause rashes, allergies, anaphylaxis, and other conditions in humans. If your dog is bitten by a paralysis tick, then the bite could be fatal.
Ticks can be hard to spot, especially on our furry friends. Be sure to check behind their ears and between their toes.
4. Mosquitoes
These classic outdoor dinner party invaders love the summer. Mosquitoes are the worst part guest, biting everyone and spreading disease. While initially appearing during the spring, mosquito populations are at their heights in the summer. Their eggs will have hatched, and young mosquitoes will have become fully grown.
We all know of the itchy red welts that mosquitoes cause when they bite us, however, they can deal far more damage. Mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous pests in the world in terms of the number of diseases they spread. They are known to spread diseases like Dengue fever, Malaria, Zika virus, and much more.
To prevent mosquitoes, you can do the following:
- Clear out bushes and overgrow vegetation. Mosquitoes love sap, and vegetating provides this.
- Drain away still water and containers that can hold water to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs near your home.
- Keep windows closed at night to ensure that mosquitoes don’t get in. If you need to keep windows or doors open, buy a screen to prevent them from getting inside.
- Place a screen across vents and chimneys to stop mosquitoes from entering.
- Make use of Aeroguard or other mosquito repellents if you need to go outside.
5. Ants
With over 1300 documented species of ants in Australia, it is highly likely that you have seen these little pests out and about. In the wild they offer great ecological benefits, however, when they are invading your home, this benefit becomes moot.
Summer is a big season for ants. With lots of food out and about, they are busy scavenging and collecting food for their colony. They are also busy protecting themselves. Summer brings along some big storms, which force ants out of their homes.
Unfortunately, when they invade our homes, they can cause a lot of problems. The biggest problem is food contamination. To avoid an ant invasion you should:
- Clean up your barbecue area.
- Clean up food crumbs and dirty dishes in the kitchen.
- Rinse off plates straight after eating, rather than leaving them in the sink.
- Keep food in airtight containers.
- Cover kitchen bins.
- Keep an eye on your food at picnics.
6. Flies
Flies are both annoying and covered in disgusting germs. They feed indiscriminately, landing on anything that they can get their hands on. Germs from these food sources are then collected on their furry bodies and spread to the next thing they land on. This can be a major health hazard, as food can easily become contaminated by these pesky pests.
Summer is the time of year when flies are the most active. They breed and multiplicate very quickly in warm weather. Due to this, their population can get out of control very quickly. To keep flies away you should:
- Keep food in sealed containers.
- Clean food and drink mess up as soon as they happen.
- Pick up pet poop.
- Get fly screens or keep doors and windows that don’t have a screen shut.
- Rinse dishes rather than leaving them in the sink.
7. Rodents
Rats and mice become particularly active during summer as they look to prepare for the next winter. Taking advantage of the availability of food, and the warmer weather, rodents will begin scavenging. They will steal and destroy anything to get materials for their nests. Leaving them be will just result in you needing to spend your summertime repairing your home from all the damage they cause.
Unfortunately, the danger from rodents doesn’t end with property damage. They introduce fleas and dangerous bacteria into your home. Rodents will chew their way into your food, contaminating it with harmful bacteria.
Rodents also breed quickly, which means that taking back control of an infestation once they become entrenched can be challenging. Some things you can do to keep them out of your home includes:
- Seal holes and cracks that rodents are using as an entry point. Rodents, especially mice, can fit through the tiniest of holes.
- Store food in plastic, metal, or glass containers so that it can’t be breached by rodents.
- Cover your bins.
- Vacuum and wipe down surfaces regularly to get rid of food crumbs.
8. Bees
Bees become active in the spring when flowers are blooming. They continue during the summer, collecting pollen for their hive. These fuzzy bugs are very important to the ecosystem, assisting the reproduction cycle of most plants. Australia is also filled with many native species of bees that are essential to the ecosystem.
However, this is all well and good until you have a hive in your backyard. With a hive comes some risk to your family or pets of being stung. This is a big problem if someone in your household is allergic to bee stings.
If you do have a nest in your home, it is best to get a professional who can relocate it to protect your family and the bees.
9. Possums
Possums are extremely cute native animals when you see them in the wild or in a zoo, less so when they have created a nest inside your home. These critters love to get inside your walls, into your roof, or under your deck. When they find an ideal spot to make their nest, they will proceed to create an absolute mess, with their faeces, noise, and scratching. Whenever they randomly decide to start a fight you will know about it, as they screech and bang into your walls. They are certainly the worst kind of roommates.
To protect your home from possums you should:
- Cover your bins.
- Screen low decks to keep possums away.
- Trim branches back to stop possums from getting onto your roof.
10. Red-back spiders
One of Australia’s most deadly spiders (the other being the funnel web), red-backs can be commonly found in gardens and homes across the eastern coast. These poisonous spiders are very dangerous to humans and pets. Parents should keep an eye out on children when they are playing outside, to ensure they avoid these spiders.
Red-backs love hiding in vegetation, beneath rubbish, and behind items left in the backyard. Hot, rainy weather will often push these spiders to escape the outdoors and enter your home. If you are bitten by a red-back it is important that you seek healthcare immediately, they will be able to administer the readily available anti-venom.
11. Wasps
Wasps love the hot weather, building nests, and multiplying throughout the summer. Delivering a painful sting, wasps can cause a lot of problems for your family and pets. When they become established and build a nest next to your home this problem multiplies. A single nest can hold thousands of wasps at the height of summer.
If you do find a wasps nest it is best to get in a pest control technician to deal with them safely.
Conclusion
Summer is the height of pest activity in Australia. Insects, rodents, arachnids, and marsupials all thrive in hot weather. Populations are flourishing with many having been born or hatched in the spring, reaching adulthood by summer.
To keep your home protected it is best to renew your pest inspections each year. This way a pest control technician will be able to keep your home’s protections up to date, and potential issues.
Reach out to Pest Gone Pest Control for a detailed pest inspection.