Redback Spider sitting on the wall

Redback Spiders are found throughout Australia, and are common in disturbed and urban areas. Lately in the Shoalhaven region, we have been treating a lot of Redback spiders, as it’s one of the most requested pests right at the moment. Nowra, especially, appears to have a large amount of redback spiders right now.

These pictures of Redback spiders were taken at a property in Worrigee. Redback spiders usually tend to make their webs in a way that offers protection from above. For example – under the lip of a pot plant, under toys and other items that might be in the yard, under chairs and tables to name a few.

It’s important to realise that they don’t just make their webs at ground level.

Some of the biggest examples that we’ve seen are in gutters on homes. Please ensure that when you clean out your gutters, whether you have seen Redback spiders at your house or not, you wear gloves.

Redback spider in web

How do we treat for Redback spiders?

The first thing we do when treating Redback Spiders is an inspection.

This inspection is aimed at finding as many Redback spiders and their hiding places as possible. Once all the treatment areas are determined, we methodically treat the external of the home, roof space, wall voids and under the home where possible. These are the main areas where these spiders will live.

With this, and all of our treatments, we are proud to offer our Guaranteed Gone promise – if the pests come back, so do we! This means that if we treat your home for these spiders, and they come back at any time within the service period, then we will come back and re-treat until they are gone, at no extra cost to you. We can’t do better than that!

There are a few things you can do around the home to reduce the chance of Redback spiders calling your place home also.

Redback Spider over the ground

• The best thing you can do is obviously have a pest control treatment. Not just for the spiders, but for other insect’s including cockroaches, ants and the like. If there are less insects around than there is less food around for Redback spiders.
• Reduce clutter in areas like garden sheds, garages and items stored outside the home. Redback spiders love to hide in amongst clutter, as not only are they protected from predators, but their food sources, such as insects and small lizards etc. also like to hide here amongst the clutter.
• Check under, in and around your children’s toys and play areas. This won’t keep spiders away, but it will greatly reduce the chance of a bite from one of these nasty spiders. If your children’s toys have been sitting in the yard for a few days, have a quick look under them before they start playing. Where possible, don’t leave your children’s toys outside.
• Reduce vegetation close to the structure.

If you suspect you may have Redback spiders, or any other pests around your home or business that are causing you concern, contact Amalgamated Pest Control Shoalhaven.

Call 1300 860 970 today!

During these colder months, there is a belief out there that there’s no need to have a pest control treatment done on your home at all, as it’s winter and there are no bugs around.  In reality, there are some pests that aren’t too concerned with the weather outside, because it’s inside that they make their homes.  Inside, where humans like to use heaters to keep warm.  Inside, around your kitchen where there are warm electrical appliances such as fridges, dishwashers and the like.  Inside, where there is plenty of food and water at their disposal.

One pest that will infest your home this winter are German Cockroaches.  The vast majority of German Cockroach infestations occur in kitchens or indoors where humans live. They seek out cracks and crevices to hide, normally close to a food and water source, preferably in areas providing warmth where they will hide themselves during the day.

This means the early stages of an infestation usually goes un-noticed. If you are seeing them in the day time, it usually means the infestation is well established. This cockroach can live up to its full breeding potential through the winter months, making it a significant winter pest. Infestations usually start in an area such as a kitchen, where food and water is abundant, and move out from there.

German Cockroaches under the sink

This photo shows a common place that German Cockroaches love to hide – below the kitchen sink. In cupboards such as this, there are almost always cracks and crevices for them to hide, and very often the household bin may even be in these cupboards.

The only way to prevent cockroaches from living here is to effectively treat all of these cracks and crevices using the techniques that we here at Amalgamated Pest Control use, which is what allows us to provide a 12 month service warranty for this pest. If they come back, so will we.

Once populations become too large for the kitchen, they spread out, and if not managed will infest the whole home, taking up hiding places in living areas and bedrooms. This photo below was taken from the bedroom of a home that had a large infestation. You can see that they have made the gap between the blinds and the timber their home.

For German cockroaches to spread into areas other than the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, the infestation needs to be very well established. If you are seeing them in bedrooms, living rooms and the like, you will need professional help to bring the already well established population under control.

German Cockroaches above the blinds

The ability of cockroaches to affect the health of humans is well known, and is the foremost reason why we do not want them in our homes. Something that is not as well-known is their ability to damage and break electrical appliances. Electrical appliances provide a dark, warm and protected place for cockroaches to live and breed, which is why they often seek out items such as televisions, fridges, toasters, alarm clocks and other similar products.

This television pictured here was ruined by German Cockroaches, as they damaged the electronics and the television had to be replaced.

German Cockroaches infesting the television

German Cockroach Prevention Tips

• Seal any cracks and crevices in your cupboards and other areas that German Cockroaches may want to hide, take out their hiding places.
• Ensure your rubbish is in tightly sealed garbage bins. Empty the inside garbage regularly.
• Clean regularly, wipe down surfaces to clean crumbs straight away. Deny them as much food as possible. Pay attention to ovens, stoves, benchtops, tables and chairs, sinks etc.
• Sweep and Mop the floor regularly. Remove sticky residues from the floor. Ensure that when you do mop the floor you do not leave any excess water. You need to deny them any water, as they can live for a long time without food but only several days without water.
• Store food in sealed containers.

When all else fails, call Amalgamated Pest Control for your Guaranteed Gone Solution to German Cockroaches. Our 12 month Service Warranty on cockroaches means if the pests come back, so will we.

With the colder months upon us, there is one unwelcome house guest in particular that is waiting to get into a nice warm home to raise their families.  Rats and Mice will attempt to enter homes from now and continue throughout winter.  This time of year is what the Pest Control industry refers to as ‘Rodent Season’.  The fact is, rodents are breeding all year around – they breed just as much in summer as they do in winter.  The difference in the colder months is that now our homes provide a fantastic warm place for rodents to continue to live during winter.

External conditions are starting to become less attractive for Rats and Mice.  This image shows a Norway Rat (often simply called a brown rat) about to enter a home.  These rats prefer to burrow, but have actually started to nest within the home due to the weather getting colder.  These are warm blooded mammals, and the warmth of an insulated roof space or cavity is much more appealing than a hole in the ground outside in the cold.

Norway rat entering home

Just like humans, rodents like to live in warm environments.  Rats and mice find their way into a structure through small holes, make their way through the wall cavities and exploit almost any area inside your home.  The roof void, wall cavities and other confined voids in and around your home make excellent nesting areas.  Apart from being a nice warm place to nest this time of year, once in your home food and water is more easily accessed, often directly from your very own kitchen.

Apart from the obvious threat of disease, rats will also cause a lot of damage.  Rodent’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime, and if they do not continuously gnaw to keep them in check, their teeth will become too large and essentially useless to them.  Interestingly, the name Rodent comes from a Latin word which basically means to gnaw.

Wall damage from rats

Some of the damage caused by these pests will be noticeable and repairable, like this hole made in a wall by rats, giving them further access to wall cavities and other areas of your home.

Some damage, however, is a lot harder to spot, like these internal electrical wires that have been chewed back to bare copper.

In cases like these, you will most likely not notice anything at all until there are problems with your power, or even worse, a potential fire. Remember, rats and mice will always be gnawing on something, and it’s well documented that they have been the cause of many fires.

Electrical wiring damaged by rodents

There are things that you can do around your home that will help make your property less attractive for rodents to live.

1. Ensure all of your household garbage is in tightly sealed bins which rats and mice cannot access. This helps to restrict their access to food as much as possible. Rodents are opportunistic feeders – while they have their preferred food sources, they will still eat almost anything.
2. Alter your building so that Rodents cannot gain entry. Look for access holes that rats can use, such as where pipes enter buildings, gaps under external doors, etc. Sealing these and other similar points will make it harder for rodents to enter. Using a gutter guard can also be helpful to stop them entering the roof via the gutters.
3. Trim excess trees and shrubs from around the perimeter of structure especially trees that overhang the roof. This will both take away harbourage areas and make accessing the roof a little bit harder for them.

When all else fails, other control measures will need to be implemented. Here at Amalgamated Pest Control, we are the experts at assessing all of your options and presenting the available solutions to you.

What will you do for me?

If we are called to your home because you suspect or know you have a rodent problem, the first thing we will do is conduct a full rodent inspection. We look at all areas of known activity, internally and externally, including the roof void and the sub-floor. This inspection allows us to identify the rodent species, any nesting areas, travel routes, and where they are getting food and water from.

With this crucial information, we can than implement a control strategy best suited to the problem and the property. We will also provide you with important recommendations on things you can alter or fix to manage the environment and make it less appealing to rodents. Once management has been implemented, we will keep coming back to check the bait/trap placement until the problem is controlled. We will also point out all the proofing measures that can be undertaken to keep rodents out in the future.

Remember – if the rodents come back, so will we.

If you even think you may have a rodent problem, call us here at your local Amalgamated Pest Control today.