Ants:
There are many different species of ants in South Africa. Ants are a nuisance and can carry disease organisms.
We generally do a two-part treatment 7 to 14 days apart. The first treatment consists of a bait treatment. The second treatment we use a residual spray.
Bed Bugs:
Signs of bed bugs are small to reddish-brown faecal spots on the surface and live exclusively by sucking blood. Where low standards of hygiene are present, bed bugs are prevalent. A female lays about 250 eggs in her lifetime. Bed bugs hide in beds, bedding, skirting’s, behind wallpaper, and wherever their human host sleep. The bed bug bite leaves a very itchy large whitish lump on the skin.
Mattresses, box springs & upholster should be treated. Bedding should be washed in hot water.
Fleas:
Fleas attack warm-blooded animals including humans, dogs, cats and rodents. They feed on blood immediately after they hatch. A flea can jump up to 40 cm horizontally. A female lays up to 1000 eggs in her lifetime and lays eggs after each blood meal. An adult flea is up to 3 mm long. A bite is very irritating and causes red bumps on the host. Tapeworms can be transmitted by infected fleas and also murine typhus and tularaemia.
We will suggest the use of SABS approved pesticides to eradicate fleas including fumigation and residual sprays combined.
Fishmoths or Silverfish:
Fishmoths are thin, wingless, and covered with silvery greyish scales. They are about 12 mm with three long tails. They are destructive because they eat materials. They are active at night and live in damp cool places such as behind skirting boards and in garages and basements.
We will generally use a residual spray to control those pests. Most insecticides do not destroy eggs, so a second treatment may be necessary about 30 days later to destroy newly hatched juveniles.
Mites:
The most common mite in the house is a dust mite. Many people are allergic to the faeces and excretions of dust mites. Mites feed on humans dead skin called dander. Mites are found in bedding, curtains and most fabrics.
Mites are treated with residual spray (insecticide).
Rodents (Rats & Mice):
Depending on the species, rats can grow up to 20cm in length with a tail of 20cm and can weigh up to 500 grams. A female will produce up to 10 litters per year with an average of 8 per litter. An adult rat eats about 30g of food and drinks 30ml of water daily. Rats can enter a bathroom through the water seal in a toilet or through roofs, doors and windows. Rats are active at forage at sunset. Mice, on the other hand, choose to forage and are active just before sunrise. Rats and mice gnaw, burrow and climb as well as swim across water. Rats and mice are a major health hazard as they may transmit Murine typhus fever, bubonic plague, Weil’s disease, ratbite fever, Salmonellosis and infection due to bites.
Control is mainly needed for Norway rats, roof rats and house rats.
We will use a rodenticide bait to control rats and mice. The activity should cease in roofs etc. in approximately 7 to 18 days.
Termites:
Every year termites cause extensive damage to wooden floors, skirting’s, cupboards, timber and roots. Some signs to confirm termite infestation:
Tiny white mushrooms growing on walls. Wood sounding hollow when tapped. Dirt tubes appearing onto walls. Shed insect wings appearing on the floor.
We will drill and inject insecticide around the perimeter of a structure to eradicate and destroy subterranean termites.