New Zealand's Most Hated Pests!

Aotearoa is home to a variety of creatures that we adore; the cheeky fantail, the tuatara, and the curious Hector's dolphin – to name a few. But alongside these national treasures are the creepy crawly critters that make their way into our indoor spaces and set up camp. Unlike our cousins across the ditch, New Zealand doesn't have any spiders that bite humans, apart from the white tailed spider. You may have had the misfortune of being bitten by one of these little guys, but if not, you'll have heard of someone who has. Perhaps you've been rudely awoken in the night by a fleeting tickle of a cockroach franticly looking for that half eaten chocolate bar under your bed. Good luck getting back to sleep after that! And isn't it such a nuisance when you stroll onto your porch in summer, to find a family of wasps have decided to build a nest in your roof. These insects have a habit of bugging you – and we're here to do something about it. 

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How to get rid of White Tailed Spiders

Back in 1886, a curious white tailed spider decided to do his first OE, and jumped on a ship across the Tasman, arriving in the land of the long white cloud. Since then white tailed spiders have become nightmare fuel for kiwis. Now, there are not many of us who like spiders, and certainly spiders that bite! It may surprise you that our fear is thought to be built from fiction, rather than fact. The chance of a white tailed spider biting is pretty low, you'd really have to grind their gears to get that reaction out of them. And even if they do pierce you with their fangs, the venom they project isn't thought to cause you any problems. The bite itself will probably hurt, but poisoning hasn't been proven. If you have been bitten by a white tailed spider and this has resulted in a lump or ulceration, this is more likely an infection of the bite – not the bite itself. These spiders prefer natural habitats underneath logs, leaves, and tree bark. So when they end up inside, they revert to hiding inside shoes, in clothes, and in bedding – which is why biting can often occur. Read more here about How to Get Rid of Spiders

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How to kill Cockroaches

How do these speedy, long-legged critters always creep up on us? Sitting on the edge of your glass of water while you sleep, waiting for you to wake up and take a sip – they must get a kick out of it. The roaches you find terrorising your home are likely American or German, who have decided the kiwi lifestyle is more for them. They love camping out in dark, damp places, which includes your pantry – handy for when they feel like snacking on your open packet of Tim Tams. However, if they haven't located your food stash, these little buggers can survive without food for months – and without water for 4 weeks! If you thought cockroaches couldn't get any more foul – they're so keen on eating food, they'll still go for it once it's been processed by a digestive system. As you can imagine they can carry a range of diseases through your household – so your instinct to scream and kill these insects upon discovery is a good one. You may have heard not to squash them – and this isn't because their eggs will spread. It's because this can tempt other cockroaches to come out of hiding and eat their splattered mate. Goodness, is there anything a cockroach won't eat? Read more here about How to Get Rid of Cockroaches. 

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How to get rid of Wasps and Wasp Nests

New Zealand has a variety of native wasp species that are not harmful and keep to themselves. Unfortunately, we also have pest species that have made their way over, and have given us quite a few reasons to fear them. Firstly, they sting us – and they're easily aggravated to do so. The venom from a wasp sting can cause allergic reactions and in the worst case anaphylactic shock. If they manage to sting you in your mouth or throat – this can get pretty serious with swelling versus airways. And try all you might to avoid wasp colonies – it's pretty difficult to do so when they decide to build their nests on your roof. Getting rid of these can be daunting, with the possibility that the colony will swarm and attack with their stingers. Not only do wasps pose a threat to human health, but they are also a big predator of our native birdlife and bees. Poor old honey bees, we all know they're struggling to thrive on our ever-changing planet. So it doesn't help that wasps are around – once a wasp gets into a beehive, they cause such a ruckus. Stealing honey, eating the young, and even killing the fully grown bees – they're criminals of the insect world. The bees just don't have what it takes to fight them off – it can take five bees to kill one wasp – so they're screwed if a wasp swarm attacks their hive.

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If in doubt – Call the Experts in Pest Control

If your home becomes infested with insects and your can of fly spray just isn't cutting the mustard, give us a call, and we'll sort it out for you. Our team of Pest Control Experts are proud associates of the Pest Management Association of NZ – which provides them with current skills and equipment to meet your needs. They use the best practice possible to keep you and your whanau safe, assessing each pest control case individually to select the best method.

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For other pest control related tips, please check out our articles on How to get Rid of Bugs and How to Get Fleas Out of Your Carpet.

Read our Guide to Pest Control in new Zealand

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