Friday 5 October 2012

Spring is officially here.........according to the bugs

There's been a definite change in pest problems.


Less rats and mice and a lot more flying insects.


The top three pests last month were;

  1. Rodents
  2. Fleas
  3. Wood/native cockroaches

It's only early days but we've noticed a big change in calls about bugs. It's shaping up for a big month for;
  1. Wasps
  2. Flies
  3. Fleas

These are definitely warm weather pests.........so the team at Bug king would officially like to welcome in the spring season.

Our top two recommendations to keep your home pest free this Spring/Summer;

  1. Treat for flies now to control the population before the weather gets any hotter and the flies really start to breed.
  2. If you've got pets and you're planning a holiday, get a flea treatment before you go. This will ensure you're not attacked by hungry fleas when you get back.

The team at Bug King/Chimney King



Thursday 13 September 2012

It's almost borer season

October is the adult borer flight season


So what! Well if you think you've got borer, now's the time to sort it out and break the borer life-cycle.

If you've got borer you're going to start noticing new holes, dark brown beetles and sawdust very shortly. This is because borer flight season is almost upon us.

Borer will happily bore away inside untreated timber throughout the year but you'll only really notice them from October-ish onwards. This is when the mature larvae pupate and emerge from your newly painted timber as adult borer beetles.

If you're seeing borer damage in visible timber it doesn't necessarily mean you've got a borer infestation. This could be old damage that has been treated in the past, however if you are seeing sawdust on flat surfaces it's more than likely that you have an active infestation.

Borer top view

Borer side view
DON'T PANIC! It is treatable. If the borer infestation is in the ceiling or sub-floor spaces a professional can apply a one off treatment that will kill the borer larvae in the wood before they have a chance to pupate and emerge as adult beetles (broken life-cycle = no more borer).

If you're seeing borer holes in timber inside your home the remedy is a little different. We can't treat the timber directly as it won't soak into the wood due to the paint and varnish but we can exterminate the beetles as they emerge from the wood and break the life cycle (broken life-cycle = no more borer). Unfortunately this means you'll need to get treatments sprayed on wooden surfaces throughout the home for the next four years to confidently eradicate the infestation. The good news is this is also an effective fly and spider treatment.....so no creepy crawlies over Summer for at least four years. Yayyyyyy.

So if you think you've got borer and need a professional opinion, don't hesitate to call the team at Bug King  for some friendly advice.

The team at Bug King/Chimney King

Wednesday 11 July 2012

The top pests for June are...

It's the middle of winter and the flies are gone.


But that's seen an increase in....


Number 1: Rodents
Rats and mice are moving into the home because it's getting bloody cold and wet out there.

Look around the neighbourhood, can you see trees touching the roof of your neighbours home? There's more than a 50% chance that they've got rodents in the ceiling and don't even know it.

Number 2: Wood/native cockroaches
It's the cold and rain again, or it could be because you've just had a trailer load of wood delivered for the fireplace. Wood + disturbed habitat = outdoor cockroaches in the home.


Number 3: Ants
Amazing little insects but not so adorable when they're crawling all over the kitchen. Again it's the weather that's driving them inside. They want what we want, a nice dry, warm home.

All these guys would probably prefer to be outside....but not when it's cold and wet and there's plenty to eat inside.

You know the drill....give the team a call if you're having problems with any of these pests and we'll make sure they stay outside where they belong.

The team at Bug King / Chimney King