BED BUGS

Bed bugs are flightless and are in fact accurately called Cimicids. These pests exist by consuming the blood of their hosts and feed every 3 to 7 days. Heat from steam kills bed bugs instantly and is particularly effective in infiltrating cracks, crevices, and other difficult areas, as more and more South Africans travel abroad and international travellers visit this country, so the chances of a bed bug infestation in South African hotels and homes increase. Bed bugs can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.

TERMITES

Each year, termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage. There are about 2,000 known termite species in the world. Termites have wings that they shed once they have found a good place to build a nest. Baby termites look like white, yellow, or clear eggs when they're inside the nest. Most species of termites live in underground nests; however, some species build elaborate mounds, above-ground nests, or mud tubes. Mounds are made from termite feaces, plant material and soil. Subterranean termites and damp wood termites require plenty of moisture for survival.

COCKROACHES

Cockroaches spread life threatening diseases picked up by scurrying around in decaying matter. Cockroach faeces can cause allergies and asthma, especially in young children. There are over 4,500 living species of cockroaches in the world. The 3 main species that are found in South Africa are the American Cockroach, the German Cockroach, and the Brown Banded Cockroach. Finding its main habitat is key to identifying the best methods of treatment to control the infestation. Dark humid and undisturbed areas such as subfloors, basements, kitchens, roof voids and bathrooms of homes. They also live outside in drains and sewers and can fly into your home when it gets warmer in summer.

RATS & MICE

House rats are generalist omnivores and so eat a wide variety of plant and animal material. They are serious pests in the natural world nature as they eat birds and beneficial insects, and to farmers as they eat a wide range of agricultural crops. They are vectors of many diseases, including the bacterium Yersinia pestis, an agent of bubonic plague. Despite its alternative common name black rat this rodent exhibits several colour forms. House rats are one of the world's worst invasive species because they cause a huge amount of environmental degradation. It is also frequently blamed for damaging food supplies and other goods and spreading diseases such as Lassa fever, leptospirosis, and hantavirus.

FLY CONTROL

House flies commonly live on a liquid diet, they lack the mouthparts needed to chew food, so instead, they must drink it. House flies will regurgitate digestive juices onto solid foods and these juices break down the food into small pieces, allowing them to use their mouthparts, called proboscis, to drink the meal. Because of this, their digestive system can move quite quickly, which means they defecate often. It is speculated that house flies defecate every time they land, even if it’s on their next meal! Due to their feeding and breeding habits (more on that later) house flies come into contact with a range of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E.coli. Because of this, house flies will often aid the spread of these bacteria passing them onto us by contaminating things, such as food and cooking utensils.

BEES

The African Bee also known as Apis Mellifera scutellate, is an aggressive bee with a hardy strain and capable of producing large crops of honey. The African Bee has more of a yellow stripped abdomen. Only the Queen bees are fertile and worker bees are infertile when the queen is present. The queens are prolific layers and during strong honey flows, the colony builds up rapidly However, worker bees can lay unfertilized, drone eggs. Ordinarily, bee venom is not toxic and will only cause local pain and swelling. The allergic reaction comes when the immune system is over sensitized to the venom and produces antibodies to it. Histamines and other substances are released into the bloodstream, causing blood vessels to dilate and tissues to swell.

SPIDERS

South Africa has more than 2230 identified spiders, and in the warmer summer months, chances are good you will encounter some of them. We all know that spiders are our friends – they eat flies and mosquitoes and other bugs that we do not particularly like. But unfortunately, some of these spiders could leave a bite that is not as friendly. You need to know your South African spiders, how to prevent bites and what to do when a bite does happen. Spider bites can be nasty, but rarely kill. But as with all venomous encounters, some people are more at risk for complications: the elderly, children, immune system-compromised and allergic people.

ANTS

Ants enjoy sunny, relatively dry climate of Gauteng. It is the perfect environment for the Pharaohs and Black ants (which are the most common species found) to thrive in. As homeowners, we would like to kill ants mainly because they are a nuisance, however, Pharaoh's ants can also carry disease. Residences with an ant problem often find ants infesting all types of food stuffs, especially sweet foods. Ants mark their routes using pheromones which is why they walk in straight lines. If these pheromones are disturbed, the ants which are unable to find their way back to the nest will look to start a new colony elsewhere. Trying to kill ants in an incorrect treatment can see a second colony forming and their numbers doubling.