Archive of Pest Control Tips and Advice from Sanctuary Pest Control and Management

Some Common East Coast Australian Ants that are Pests

The black house ant, white footed house ant and the coastal brown ant are the main pests that will invade your home. Most often they will nest in the wall cavities of your home, foraging outside to feed and bring food back ot the nest.

You have most likely discovered loose grit at the bottom of skirting boards. Window frames and under light fittings. This debris is the result of the ants throwing out their rubbish such as dead ants and unused food. While currently classed as a “nuisance pest” they are becoming an economic pest due to their ability to pack out a power point, fridge and air conditioner motors and smoke alarms with their nesting habits and materials.

We can safely treat these ants with an external treatment that targets just the ants and give at least a 3 month warranty on treatment with many treatments lasting up to 6 months and still counting.

Rats around the fridge

You may have noticed increased rat or mice activity on your property or in your home in the colder months because rodents seek out warmer shelters to nest and to breed.

They are, after all mammals like us. Once they get settled they can breed at an alarming rate: for the rat approx. 5 - 10 young per litter; 3 - 6 litters a year with a gestation period of about 3 weeks and 12 - 16 weeks from birth to sexual maturity. That makes for a lot of rats. The damage caused by rats can be fire from gnawing electrical wiring, water damage from gnawing water pipes in ceilings and product damage in shops and storage facilities. Remember: most insurances do not cover damage caused by vermin such as termites or rats.

Pregnancy and child/baby friendly pest control

A question I am often asked is:

          "How safe are the treatments for me as I am pregnant    
            and have a small child as well?"

As I have a wife and two young children I can relate to those concerns and as such, only perform pest treatments that are consistent with the philosophy of Sanctuary Pest Management.

We have built our reputation on using the least toxic pest treatments available and satisfying the real concerns of expectant parents and their children. Whether the pests involved are ants, cockroaches, rats, mice, spiders or termites, we are able to offer a range of treatments to keep your home, you and your new family safe.

Using safely placed baits and thorough inspections we are able to minimise or eliminate any exposure to chemicals and we always look for and recommend environmental measures that can be taken to limit any infestation.

Spraying an insecticide is rarely required and if it is, only with your permission and rest assured, it will be solvent free, water based, have no odour, be non allergenic and target only those pests you want treated. It is important to note that if you have a pest problem, particularly cockroaches or rodents in the home, the diseases these pests can carry and deposit on cooking surfaces and bathroom surfaces can be much more of a health threat than our treatments.

Please call or email us and feel free to ask as many questions as you need.
Michael