Our Blog Posts & Articles

You’ve just bought a house. You want to demolish the house and rebuild it from the ground up. You’re now confronted with the decision of what materials to use and what style to opt for in your ideal home. The materials you wish to use to create your home will be a deciding factor. Ultimately, the choice will be between wood, brick, and steel. Steel is frequently employed in the building of skyscrapers, towers, and other inventive constructions. But what about creating your own house?

For a variety of reasons, steel may and should be utilised in the building of residential dwellings. To be clear, this is not to argue that wood or brick should be avoided when building a house. Rather, this is intended to highlight the benefits of using steel in situations when cost-effectiveness and time efficiency are critical. Following that, here are six reasons why steel should be utilised in home building.

Need Steel Processed & Supplied for Your House Needs

Do you require steel supplies? For custom builds, look no further than Galvin Engineering’s experts. Although we’re in the business of pest control, Galvin Engineering are a great local Brisbane steel processor and are able to custom make any materials you need for your project. They’re also great at CNC machining and fabrication of all kinds of metal. So check out Galvin Engineering if you’re looking for someone local in Brisbane who can get the job done.

6 Benefits of Steel in Residential Construction

1. Long-term viability

First and foremost, we must do all possible to reduce wasteful waste, particularly in the building industry. Steel is the world’s most recyclable material, so you’d be doing your part by choosing it. That being said, a product that is infinitely recyclable allows the home to contribute to future homes with no needless emissions waste and avoid it from resting in a landfill for the foreseeable future.

2. Longevity

Although steel is sustainable, there is a frequent notion that it is a poor product. Steel, on the other hand, is a near-perfect material for building a house due to its durability. Steel requires less repair and maintenance, which means that whether you are a homeowner or a landlord, you will save thousands of dollars over the life of the property.

3. Cost-effective

This, more than any other factor on this list, is why steel is superior to other building materials. People assume that steel is more expensive than wood, however, this is not true, not only in terms of material cost but also in terms of efficiency. Steel is extremely energy efficient when properly insulated and designed. Steel also saves time when it comes to construction. Steel is well-known for simplifying building foundation design, which contributes to speedier construction time and significant cost savings. Steel’s lesser weight provides for lower transportation expenses as compared to other building materials, which reduces project overhead.

4. Adaptability

The last thing you want when creating a house is limitations. You want to let your imagination run wild, and steel allows you to do so. Working with steel while creating a home is an architect’s and designer’s dream since it can be moulded and sculpted in any way, for the outside or interior. Steel, on the other hand, provides a structurally robust construction that allows architects to push the boundaries of their ideas, allowing your home to be completely unique.

5. Resistant to Natural Disasters

Aside from the property itself what is more valuable while owning a home? Mind at ease. And you’ll be able to get it with steel. Steel protects a home and everyone inside it more than any other building material due to its capacity to endure earthquakes, severe winds, blizzards, and, most critically, fire. It will also save you money in the long run because insurance companies like metal constructions because of the benefits and safety measures they provide.

6. Space

To return to the adaptability of steel, it can utilise space better than any other structural material. This may be used to enable for the structure’s thinnest shell and smaller support beams that are just as robust as wood beams. This is especially useful in highly populated places when space is limited and not readily available. In addition, depending on your aesthetic preferences, you may replace brick walls with steel, allowing you to make the most of your property.

Consider steel as your best option now, whether you’re building a new house or trying to buy one. Steel’s construction and cost-saving potential are not to be overlooked; it is a fantastic material that far too few homes take use of. Don’t allow that happen to you. Use this knowledge to ensure that the location you name your everlasting home can endure being around indefinitely, as steel can.

BORER IN AUSTRALIA

PESTFREE offers pest control services for all three species of borer (sometimes known as bora or woodworm) and other wood boring insects that affect AUSTRALIAN timbers. Larvae of the beetles eat their way through the interior of wood before emerging via flight holes as adults to mate and begin the life cycle over again. All untreated timbers can be attacked.

PESTFREE technicians will survey the extent of infestation and apply penetrating treatments with natural insecticide, which persists in the wood, killing insects as they emerge, and preventing re-infestation for at least ten years or more in normal circumstances.

PESTFREE technicians have had over 20 years experience in borer control and hold Approved Handlers Certificates, and University Diplomas.

BORER (Bora)- WOOD BORING INSECTS

Borer is also known as Bora or woodworm. There are up to 7 species of wood- boring insects in AUSTRALIA that might attack the timbers of your home or other buildings. The most common of these is the Common House Borer (Anobium punctatum) also known as Woodworm/FURNITURE BEETLE.

A close relative, A lavomaculatum is rarely distinguished from the Common Borer and may be the more common in Canterbury. The life cycles of these insects are similar. Adult females lay up to 100 eggs on bare timber or in old flight holes. The eggs hatch after 4-5 weeks and the larvae bore through the wood, eating it and using yeasts in their stomachs to help break down cellulose in the wood. After 3-4 years the larvae pupate in a chamber near the surface, then 4-8 weeks later the adults exit the wood by eating their way to the surface. The adults fly to find a mate and begin the life cycle over again. The females lay their eggs on bare wood, in the case of painted weather boards this will be the flight holes created by emerging adults. The flight holes are approximately 2mm in diameter for Common Borer and 3-4mm for native borer. It is important that a thorough survey is carried out to ascertain the extent of any infestation. It is frequently the case that a few flight holes are visible on the exterior of painted weather boards, however when the boards are examined more closely the interior of the timbers are badly damaged and many flight holes are present on the interior surface.

Two-toothed longicorn (Ambeodontis tristis (Fabricus)) is a much larger wood boring beetle that can be found attacking construction timbers. The flight holes are much larger, up to 7mm in diameter and often oval. The larvae of this beetle can attack harder heartwood and because of their larger labyrinths they can severely weaken structural joists and beams.

Borer larvae prefer the softer sap wood timbers to eat and damage. It is often seen in weatherboards or floor boards that some are heavily attacked and others untouched. The untouched timbers are likely to be harder heartwood. It is also the case that attack is more likely on the south side of a house and in the floor boards and joists. This is because borer prefer the cooler damper areas where the relative humidity is higher.

Borer Timber Protection

PESTFREE provides timber protection treatments with a guarantee of protection. Surface saturation with Tim-bor® (sodium octoborate) solution is environmentally friendly, odourless and long lasting. Treatment of timbers to remove borer infestation is the same for whichever species is present. Exposed timber can be treated with insecticides that penetrate the wood and will protect it for 10 years or more. Usually the floor timbers are attacked because of the high relative humidity in the sub-floor.

PESTFREE can treat these exposed timbers to eradicate the borer and protect the timbers. Weatherboard homes in AUSTRALIA are not always pre-treated and are often infested where the softer, non-heartwood timber has been used. Weather boards are more difficult to treat as they are not usually exposed. However, weather boards can be protected by injecting the flight holes made by emerging adults.

The penetrating treatment will kill larvae within the boards and prevent adults reinfesting the boards via the exposed wood of the flight holes.

Fumigation with methyl bromide will eradicate infestations but is usually only practical for pieces of furniture or properties that can easily be completely sealed. Methyl bromide has no residual action, so, following fumigation, treatment of the timber with residual insecticide is required to protect the wood from further infestation. Where fumigation with methyl bromide is not possible or practical, control is by treatment of exposed timbers and injecting of flight holes with residual insecticide as above.

Some treatments are solvent based and require it to penetrate the timber (i.e. Kerosene or Diesel) these materials are highly flammable and could have insurance implications should a fire occur after a borer treatment. They also are mixed with organophospate insecticides that have been taken off the market in other countries due to their carcinogenic properties. The manufactures of solvents do not recommend that they are sprayed into confined spaces such as roof and subfloor cavities.

Tim-bor® is water based and not flammable, it is safe for you and your house.

Formulated with a concern for the environment, Tim-bor is used for the control of carpenter ants, drywood termites, wood decay fungi and wood boring beetles. As water soluable borate powder, Tim-bor diffuses into the wood and acts as a wood insecticide, fungicide and preservative. Tim-bor won’t break down over time like most organic compounds, therefore offering longer lasting protection. Best of all, Tim-bor is virtually odorless and has no known resistance.

Timbor is a natural insecticide and fungicide that is widely used as wood preservative and protectant. It is composed of nearly pure sodium borate, a mined crystalline form of boron with comes from the earth itself.

Lepisma saccharina

Appearance

• 1/2″ long. Torpedo shaped with 3 long bristles at end of abdomen.
• Wingless with long antennae.
• Silverfish — Silver–grey colour.

Lifecycle

• Eggs laid in crevices.
• Adults live for 1–3 years.

Habits

• Run quickly.
• Silverfish favour moist, warm conditions.
• Feed on food debris, starches and gums and are active at night.
• Minor pests of kitchens, libraries and commercial premises.

Feral Cat

Felis catus

Appearance

• Similar to a domestic cat, but when in good condition the feral cats displays increased overall muscle development, which is noticeable around the head, neck and shoulders
• The average body weight of the male feral cat is from 3kg to 6kg, while that of females varies from 2kg to 4kg

Lifecycle

• Cats can begin breeding when they reach puberty, which occurs when they are between four and twelve months old. Gestation period is 58 to 65 days and the average feline litter contains six kittens

Habits

• The feral cat is most active at night, with peak hunting activity occurring soon after sunset and in the early hours before sunrise
• Feral cats are now found in most habitats on mainland Australia, Tasmania and many offshore islands, although not in the wettest rainforests
• Feral cats survive without any human contact or assistance, hunting animals to survive
• The feral cat has caused the extinction of some species on islands and is thought to have contributed to the disappearance of many ground-dwelling birds and mammals on the mainland (source: Department of Environmental and Water Resources)

Termites or “white ants” as they are popularly called in Australia is a major pest issue for property owners. Nothing quite compares to termite infestations in terms of potential for damage and destruction. As a matter of fact, at least 1 of 3 residential properties in Australia is believed to be harboring such destructive pests or at least had a past history of termite attacks. Termite property damage in a year can property damage that is more expensive than the one’s caused by storm, flood and fire put altogether.

Some of the damages caused by termite infestations include:

• Damage to wooden furniture
• Weaken wooden foundations making properties unsafe to dwell in
• Do extensive building damages as they build nesting areas underground, within walls or on roof interior

What’s more is that property damage attributed to termite infestations are not covered by most insurance programs. Thus it is vital to prevent and eliminate all traces of termite infestations in and around your property before significant damages are done.

Signs of termite infestations:

• Mud leads resemble tunnels which are used by termites to infiltrate your property
• Paint or plaster blisters
• A hollow sound when you tap what seems to be wooden solid structures
• Unusual power failures as they often chew through electrical wirings
• Mud particles protruding from wooden structures like timber
• Sagging of wooden doors, floor and ceilings

Protecting your home from termite infestations

• Avoid storing wooden pile or debris near your property
• Avoid erecting any wooden structure directly on the ground as termites can easily get to them
• Termites love humidity so secure your plumbing drainage and air conditioning units for possible leaks
• Clear the area surrounding your property free of vegetations to aid in detection and ease of inspection

The task of actually eliminating termite infestations is best left to seasoned and reputable professionals. Pest Free Brisbane can also help you implement preventive measures to ward off the presence of termite infestations effectively preventing the problem from reoccurring.

Detecting termite infestations

Early detection and prevention is the key to the best termite pest control solution for property owners. After all, the best way to solve any problem is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Our pest controllers can certainly help you do just that with the help of the latest and most effective tools and technology for termite detection which includes:

• Termiscan which is essentially a portable thermal imaging device that can be used to effectively detect the presence of termite infestation hidden underneath timber and other wooden structures like walls, floor boards etc. It saves you the trouble of having to do a visual confirmation of these pests which often requires a fair amount of drilling, disassembly and outright damages to walls, floors and ceilings.
• Moisture meters to check for high humidity. Termites thrive well in hidden areas with high humidity.
• Timber sounding equipment can be used to check wood density and detect hollow areas hidden within that are sure to be caused by termite infestations.

Eliminating and treating termite infestations

Here at Pest Free Brisbane, we provide various solutions for effectively eliminating and preventing termite infestations. This includes the use of chemical solutions that are odorless and environmentally safe. These chemical can be applied to trenched areas and soil or directly into the termite colony for maximum effectiveness.

Baiting systems can also be used and installed in areas surrounding your property. These systems attract foraging termites, feed on the bait treated with a special solutions designed to slowly kill and eliminate termites as the foragers return to the colony and spread its effects.

Cockroach Lifecycle

Did you know that the lifespan of a cockroach can reach a couple of months to more than a year? Reproduction basically revolves around the female fertilizing eggs encased in a capsule like container called oothecae. Each of these capsule like encasements can contain as many as eggs and a female cockroach can produce as many as 30 of these enabling these pest to multiply their numbers at a staggering rate within a short period of time.

Signs of cockroach infestation

Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures and like to keep to themselves so you typically see a few of them crawling in and around your property. That certainly doesn’t mean that their presence is a minor one, it is likely that you have hundreds more taking shelter in dark hard-to-reach areas.

Tell-tale signs of cockroach infestations

Fecal residueFoul odor especially in dark and damp areasBody parts usually limbsCarcassesOothecae or egg cases
Cockroaches are extremely hard creatures and adapt well to residential or commercial properties. They are often found in dark, warm places with good humidity which includes:

Kitchen sinksCrevices and cracksToilets, showers and hot water systemsSubflooring and roof voidsWall interior
Cockroaches can feed on any organic material like cardboards, food leftovers, fabrics and any dead or decaying organic matter just to mention a few.

The dangers of cockroach infestations

What exactly makes cockroaches a serious pest problem that needs to be exterminated? Aren’t they a minor nuisance that we’ll just have to live with? Nothing can be farther from the truth though; cockroaches are certainly capable of so much more. For one thing, they are known to transmit or spread diseases as they contaminate sanitary and food preparation areas. Their fecal droppings and secretions can also cause foul odor causing breathing problems from many people. Not to mention the fact that they can cause property damage as they ruin wallpapers, book, fabrics and wirings. Thus cockroach infestation is certainly an issue that no property owner should ignore.

Sure you can kill off a couple of cockroaches here and there but that’s just literally scratching the surface of your cockroach problem. It would certainly be in your best interest to entrust the task to an experienced and reputable expert.

Exterminating cockroach infestations

Our pest controllers here at Pest Fee Brisbane are all very proficient and experienced in the best and most effective solutions for eliminating all traces of cockroach infestations in and around your property. They start out with a detailed inspection of your property identifying problem areas and assessing the extent of the problem as well as the actual species of cockroach you’re actually dealing with in order to come up with the most effective and suitable solutions

Cockroach pest control treatments typically involve the following

Checking the interior of skirting boards and spraying it with cockroach pesticideGelling of cupboards and shelves in problem areas like the bathroom and kitchen roomDusting subflooring and roof voidsAppliances such as refrigerators often serve as a good nesting area for cockroaches – its parts are gelled, sprayed and dusted.Spraying of guttering, window frames, external foundation walls and the surrounding soil with chemical treatment designed to eliminate and ward off cockroach infestationsSheds, garages and other outbuildings are sprayed inside out.Provide you with valuable tips for preventing cockroach infestations from reoccurring which includes eliminating all possible sources of food and water.
Chemical cockroach treatments

The chemical treatments that we use here at Pest Free Brisbane are odor free and safe with a low toxicity hospital grade. Our Brisbane pest controllers make use of synthesized pyrethroids consisting mostly of permethrin which is a natural insecticide derived from Daisy plants. Thus you can be sure that the cockroach pest control treatments that we offer here at Pest Free Brisbane are environmentally friendly with guaranteed effective and long term results! Call us today for a clean and cockroach-free home!

Kinds of cockroaches commonly found in commercial and residential properties

German Cockroach Usually stays indoors and thrive in warm and humid places near possible sources of food such as the kitchen and laundry room. You’ll also usually find them near water heaters, stoves and refrigerators
Australian Cockroach This type of cockroach prefers the outdoors feeding on plants or decaying vegetation. You’ll usually find them underneath wood piles and tree barks. They can also inhabit sub floorings and sheds.
American Cockroach Likes to dwell in dark and warm places with high humidity making them a common sight in subfloors, sewers and wall interiors. They are common pest concern in restaurants, food stores and other establishments with large areas for food preparation
Brown-banded Cockroach Prefers indoors and likes to stay in dry areas making them a common sight in old book cases, light fittings and storage rooms
Oriental Cockroach Prefers to stay outdoors and cold damp environment. They often inhabit drainage systems and sub floorings.
Smokybrown Cockroach Prefers the outdoors feeding on vegetation. Often attracted to strong light sources during the night. A fairly common sight in plant nurseries, wooden piles, wall interiors and gardens

Having pests at home is the very last thing you need in case your home is to be a secure and comfortable place for you as well as your family to reside in. Unfortunately, most, if not all, property owners do have this problem. As what is noticed, the mice are one of the typical pests infesting in houses.

The use of a mouse trap is the earliest method to eliminate mice at homes. It has worked for many people already and it’s in fact a good thing save for the proven fact that one mousetrap will still only be set for just one mouse at any given time. So then if you wish to trap more mice, you’ll have to set more than one mousetraps.

Nevertheless, there are various approaches to catch mice aside from the trap-the-mouse-and-snap-its-back method.

You have to learn to determine various ways on how to guard your house from mice. There are in fact two techniques you can think about, these are the prevention and termination.

Avoidance

Prevention is certainly better than cure. Terminating mice can definitely cause much disturbance and a huge amount of cash to shell out. Yet you can do away with the inconveniences and expenses by means of preventing mice from getting their way into your house.

The following are the things that you possibly can make:

• Mow your lawn regularly. Mice find it quite alluring to go around lawns that are thick. They are not into trimmed lawns in the contrary. Thus, in order for your house to decrease the risk of having mice, then constantly cutting your lawn grasses will greatly help.
• Don’t stock woods, debris, and also trashes.
  Mice commonly loves to stay on spots wherein they could be hard to see. Thus is it vital that you constantly remove wood piles as well as trashes at your home.
• Tightly close your trash bins and don’t keep food spoils. Apparently, mice can easily detect foul odour from trash bins and spoiled foods. As a matter of fact, they actually like it. They’ll keep coming back to your home if your trash bins don’t have tight lids.

Killing

Now, in case you already have an existing mice problem at your home, the least that you can do is make an effort to exterminate them. Even-though it’s quite impossible to terminate all of them at a single try, its way better than getting rid of nothing at all right? Here are a number of ways to get rid of mice:

• Use soda pop. Not everyone knows this but mice actually love soda. To make use of this soda, spread some teaspoons of soda on areas where mice are often seen. The carbon content will intoxicate any mouse who drinks it.
• Place poison pellets near mouse holes and areas where mice usually dwell. This is an absolute method to get rid of mice. Hence, these dangerous pellets should not be reached by kids so strict precautionary measure is fairly important.
• Get a pet cat. As what’s known by everyone, cats are always on the search for mice. Having a cat doesn’t just bring a furry and also adorable creature at your house but additionally a warrior in getting those mice out.

So these are simply a number of the numerous ways you might want to consider on how to protect your home from mice. Keep in mind that mice at home don’t only cause distress, they could also be hazardous to health. Regular building & pest inspections can also reduce the likelihood of infestation.

Collared Dove

• Fawn gray in color with a distinctive black band behind the neck
• 10 ½ inches in length

These doves can yield at least 2 broods in a year. Incubation lasts at least two weeks and their offspring spends about 15 days in the nest. These birds feed on grains and seeds and they usually nest in canopies and trees.

Gulls

There exists a wide range of species of gulls and only a few of them are actually considered pests which includes the Herring gull and the greater Black-backed gull. Accurate identification of gulls can be difficult due to seasonal changes. These birds only produce a single brood in a year with 2-3 eggs per clutch. Incubation can last for 25 days and their offspring can spend more than a month in the nest. Gulls are omnivorous in nature and forage a great distance away from their roosting sites. You’ll typically find them nesting in buildings and cliffs.

House Sparrow

• Only 6 inches in length
• Males possess a distinctive grey crown on their heads while females sport a plain and brown appearance.

House sparrows can live for as long as 4 or 7 years and stick around for at least 5breeding seasons which usually lasts from Spring to Summer yielding as many as 3 broods each year with at least 4 eggs per clutch. House sparrows have this habit of using the same nest each year which can result to a massive buildup of nesting materials. They are considered a serious commercial pest as they often contaminate or ruin packaged goods.

Feral Pigeon

• Usually bluish grey in appearance
• Stands approximately 12 inches in length

Feral pigeons can produce as many as 3 broods in a year with at least 2 eggs per clutch. Incubation period lasts for at least 17 days and their off springs spend more than a month in the nest. These birds are a popular sight around cities feeding on seeds and food scraps.

Black Garden Ant

Lasius niger

Appearance

• Workers 3/16″ long.
• Queens 5/8″ long.
• Dark brown–black in colour.
• 1 small segment at waist point (pedicel).
• No sting present.

Lifecycle

• Queens overwinter in soil. Eggs are laid in late spring. Larvae hatch 3–4 weeks later.
• Larvae feed on secretions from the queen’s salivary glands until the first worker ants emerge.
• Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging.
• Fertile males are produced later in the season.

Habits

• Foraging worker ants follow well–defined trails around food sources. Sweet foods are preferred but high protein foods will also be taken.
• Swarming characteristics – mating between queens and fertile males takes place on the wing mid to late summer. Males perish after mating.
• Nest locations – often outdoors in soil and below paving slabs on the sunny side of buildings. Nest locations can be identified by the presence of finely powdered soil around nest exit holes.

Black House Ant

Ochetellus Spp.

Appearance

• Shiny & black.
• 2-3 mm long.

Lifecycle

• Larva hatches out of the egg as a white grub which is narrower towards the head. They are fed by the adults.
• The larva pupates and appears creamy-white, looking similar to an adult. Sometimes they have a protective silk cocoon around them.
• The adult emerges with the three defined body sections: head, thorax and abdomen.
• The length of time between the egg stage and ants emerging as adults can take 6 weeks or more; it depends on a variety of factors such as the species of ant, the temperature and the availability of food.
• Fertilised eggs become female, unfertilised become males.

Habits

• Black House Ants nest under bark or in decaying timber.
• They infest homes and buildings in search of food and water; they are especially attracted to sweet foods but also eat the honeydew which is secreted from sap-sucking insects.

Carpenter Ants

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Appearance

• Workers – 1/4″ long.
• Queen – 1/2″ long.
• Blackish colour most common but can also be black and red.
• 6 legs.

Lifecycle

• Swarms appear in the Spring.
• The colonies of carpenter ants can live from 3-6 years.

Habits

• Locations – both moist and dry wood, but prefer moist, eg wood dampened by water leaks.
• Internally – excavate galleries in wood with a smooth appearance.
• Externally – sometimes hollow out sections of trees.
• Visibility – hunt for food mainly at night but also during the day in early Spring / Summer. Signs include sawdust, wet wood, or unusual noises coming from the walls.
• Feeding – primary food is honeydew, also eat plant secretions, fruit juices and insect remains. They do not eat wood. In homes they are attracted to sweet substances, fats, grease and meats.
• Contact – rarely come into contact with people, but if they do will try to escape. They cannot sting.

Pavement Ant

Tetramorium caespitum

Appearance

• Dark brown or blackish.
• 1/8″ long.
• 6 legs.
• 2 spines on the back.
• 2 nodes on petiole.
• Grooves on head and thorax.
• Thorax uneven with 1 pair of spines.
• 12-segmented antennae with 3-segmented lub.
• Winged ants are often mistaken for termites.
• Lifecycle
  • Visible Spring and Summer.
  • Have been known to emerge any time of the year in heated structures.

Habits

• Feeding – eat almost anything that humans eat, and also pet food.
• Visibility – seen entering houses looking for food, most often at night. May move through pipes and electrical wires.
• Nesting – in lawns or under stones, wood, or boards. Mounds built along sidewalks, baseboards, and near foundations in clusters. Colonies found near water.

Black Garden Ant

Lasius niger

Appearance

• Workers 3/16″ long.
• Queens 5/8″ long.
• Dark brown–black in colour.
• 1 small segment at waist point (pedicel).
• No sting present.

Lifecycle

• Queens overwinter in soil. Eggs are laid in late spring. Larvae hatch 3–4 weeks later.
• Larvae feed on secretions from the queen’s salivary glands until the first worker ants emerge.
• Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging.
• Fertile males are produced later in the season.

Habits

• Foraging worker ants follow well–defined trails around food sources. Sweet foods are preferred but high protein foods will also be taken.
• Swarming characteristics – mating between queens and fertile males takes place on the wing mid to late summer. Males perish after mating.
• Nest locations – often outdoors in soil and below paving slabs on the sunny side of buildings. Nest locations can be identified by the presence of finely powdered soil around nest exit holes.

Fire Ant

Solenopsis spp

Appearance

• Queens 5/8″ long.
• Workers 1/8″-1/4″ long.
• Coppery–brown on the head and body, with a darker abdomen.
• Solenopsis has a very distinctive two–segment antennal club, which is most visible in the front view of the female reproductive ant.

Lifecycle

• After swarming from the nest and mating, the queen searches for a suitable spot to lay her eggs. Once found, she can lay up to 125 eggs in late Spring.
• Larvae hatch within 8 to 10 days, and the pupal stage lasts for 9 to 16 days.
• Larvae feed on secretions from the queen’s salivary glands and broken down wing muscles until the first worker ants emerge. After this first batch of larvae moult into workers the queen’s role returns to egg laying – she can lay up to 1500 per day. Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging.
• Fertile males are produced later in the season.

Habits

• Foraging workers diet consists of dead animals, including insects, earthworms, and vertebrates. Workers also collect honeydew and forage for sweet food, proteins, and fats.
• Swarming characteristics – mating between queens and fertile males takes place on the wing mid to late Summer. Males perish after mating.
• Nest locations can be a mound of up to 40 cm or next to objects found on the ground, e.g. logs.
• If aggravated, these react aggressively and can inflict a painful sting, resulting in a pustule some 48 hours later.
• These ants are a major agricultural and urban pest, destroying crops and invading residential areas both outdoors and indoors.

Green Head Ant

Rhytidoponera Spp.

Appearance

• 5-6mm
• Black with metallic green head
• Distinctive appearance and odour

Lifecycle

• The ant’s life cycle passes through egg, larva, pupa, and adult phases

Habits

• Typically nests in small colonies under paths and among rockeries
• They live in bushy and urban areas
• Feeds mainly on materials of vegetable origin
• Rarely enters houses
• Can inflict a painful sting to humans

Bulldog Ant

Mymecia Spp.

Appearance

• 18-20 mm
• Tends to be red or black

Lifecycle

• When a Queens starts to nest she digs a small chamber to lay her eggs in. There is one Queen ant that lays all the eggs and one or only a few males that are just there to mate with the Queen
• The ant’s life cycle passes through egg, larva, pupa and adult phases
• Almost every ant is born female. The eggs hatch into small grubs, which grow into a particular caste (most are workers, then soldiers)
• The Queen Bull Ant leaves the nest at night to forage and supplement the food supply for her progeny (baby bull ants)
• The Queen may live for several years

Habits

• Very aggressive (if a nest is disturbed, there will be a massive outpouring attack)
• Typically nest outdoors in soil or under logs or rocks and they build quite an extensive tunnel system
• Located mostly in bushy areas (they seldom enter buildings)
• They can inflict a very painful sting to humans
• The stinger does not remain in the victim, so the Bull Ant can sting repeatedly
• They feed on other insects and things such as honeydew from scale insects or plant nectar
• Each ant belongs to a specific caste and has a specific job to do (there are worker ants, soldier ants, the Queen and the Male – who mates with the Queen)

Silverfish

Lepisma saccharina

Appearance

• 1/2″ long. Torpedo shaped with 3 long bristles at end of abdomen.
• Wingless with long antennae.
• Silverfish — Silver–grey colour.

Lifecycle

• Eggs laid in crevices.
• Adults live for 1–3 years.

Habits

• Run quickly.
• Silverfish favour moist, warm conditions.
• Feed on food debris, starches and gums and are active at night.
• Minor pests of kitchens, libraries and commercial premises.