Flying Termites: A List of Do's and Don'ts

Did you just spot an unusual insect flying around your home and are suspicious of it? While insects like bees and flies are often easier to identify, some are not as easy and could confuse you into thinking they are something that they actually aren’t.

Just like people often confuse bees and wasps, that is just the same with these pests! They are often mistaken for ants due to their similar appearance. However, ants are harmless to your property and home furniture as compared to termites.

Flying or not, termites are a threat to your property and home belongings especially if you have a lot of wooden items or wooden framework/structure involved in the architecture.
 
While it won’t do you any harm to mistake an ant for a termite, if the roles were reversed, you would be in much trouble! This is why we have compiled together a list of Do's and Don'ts to help you deal with a flying termite infestation the right way.
 
1.  DO: Be Alert & Proactive -

As we mentioned earlier, these insects are often mistaken as other harmless insects and the issue isn’t given much attention. However, if not dealt with seriously, termites can cause significant damage to the structure of your home by eating their way through other wooden items.

While most people are aware and careful of the tiny wingless termites, it is the flying ones that you need to be wary of too as they impact the infestation with their breeding habits. The flying termites are also easier to spot than the tiny ones hidden inside your home’s furniture.

2.  DO: Be Mindful of the Weather -

Flying or not, termites love moisture and darkness and it is during such seasons that they look for similar places to live in, feed on and breed. So if you reside in such a place experiencing similar weather conditions, you should always be mindful of the weather and how it is affecting your property.

If you do spot a flying insect during such weather conditions, then you most likely will need to get your home inspected for insects.

3.  DO: Accurately Identify Them -

identification plays a key role in determining the solution to your pest infestation. Therefore, you cannot afford to get mixed up between a flying termite and an ant. While it could get confusing due to the similarities.

There are a few differences that could help you differentiate between the two. For example, flying ants have slender abdomens, dented antennas, and longer top wings, whereas flying termites have a straight body and antennae and the front and rear wing’s lengths are equal. It is important that you identify them correctly so that you don’t end up treating a flying termite infestation as a flying ant infestation.

4.  DON'T: Opt for Temporary Solutions -

If there is one thing that you should know and remember always, it is that when it comes to infestations, there is more than what meets the eye. Even if you spot a swarm of termites and decide to spray them and eliminate them with an over-the-counter solution, the problem isn’t actually fixed nor are all the termites gone.

You would be left with the wingless pests hidden away, secretly munching on your favorite vintage hairdresser. So don’t opt for a temporary solution. Instead, go for an effective and long-lasting solution like professional pest control and removal.

5.  DON'T: Fill up the Exit Route -

Many who dealt with such pests considered and went ahead with filling up the escape route thinking they would suffocate and die. But the results would always be pests: 1 and humans: 0 because they would end up making new holes and exiting from there, doing so, they cause additional damage to your property. So don’t try to outsmart these pesky insects, just leave it to the experts and call a professional as soon as possible.

6.  DON'T: Give up Halfway Through the Job -

Spotting a flying pest is only the start of your inspection, next you will have to look for dead carcasses, mud tubes, a pile of something that looks like sawdust, scattered wings, etc. It is not only time-consuming but also a lot of hard work and challenging.

Hence, many homeowners opt for professional home inspections for a thorough and better understanding of the situation.

7.  DON'T: Feign Ignorance of Their Presence -

Although flying pests might seem harmless as compared to huge spiders, snakes, and rodents, they are still problematic insects that you best get rid of as soon as possible because if left untreated, they could cause a lot of physical damage, leading to financial losses.

So, just because they seem small and harmless, you shouldn’t ignore them and leave them as they are, but instead, act quickly and call a professional expert with experience and knowledge in treatment and get them removed as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
 

About the Author: Muzi Tsolakis is the owner of Protech Pest Control, Melbourne. The company is recognised for its effective termite treatment and for providing same-day inspections for pest and other rodent infestations.

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Protection & Prevention against Firewood Pests

Cold winter days are made worthwhile when you snuggle up with your favorite covers and loved ones near the fireplace. However, a good fire needs ample firewood and bringing that into your home could mean offering certain pests a free pass too!

So, how do you ensure that your fireplace warms up your home just for you and not unwanted firewood pests too? Read on to find out all you need to know.

Meet the Intruders

There are a number of pests that are likely to enter your home as you bring in your firewood. So here’s who you need to keep a lookout for:

• Beetles: Giant click beetles, like many other pests, are drawn to moist firewood and are known to lay eggs in them. These eggs can take up to two years to hatch! Fresh wood also attracts beetles - Ambrosia and bark ones that can stay for a very long time.
• Termites: You probably already guessed this one for their love for timber. These pesky creatures have direct access to the underground world and so they are easily able to infect timber that is touching the ground and moist.
• Carpenter Ants: Don’t be surprised if one of the insects using your timber as a bunking space are ants.
• Bees and Wasps: These pests are easily drawn to even dry wood as it offers them a pleasant home, to lay eggs in, for the winter

Look out for These Signs!

Now that you know who to look out for, here’s what to look out for when you inspect timber before bringing it into your property.

Check your timber for any kind of holes on the outside. If you see tunnels that seem like they are made of sawdust, you can expect the timber to be home to timber boring beetles. If you see mud-like trails instead, you may have picked up a log that is infested with termites instead.

You can also tap the timber to check for hollow sounds - that means termites have gotten a hold of it. You can also keep  an eye out for stripes or spots that may look odd or listen carefully to hear any clicking or living sounds from inside.

In case you notice any of the above, it would be best to avoid bringing in such timber and its pesky residents into your home and dispose of it instead.

Store Your Firewood Right

To make sure your timber isn’t becoming a residence for uninvited intruders- take a few preventive measures.

• Make sure it is dry before you bring it into your home, whether you are cutting the wood yourself or buying it.
• Store your timber off the ground by using bricks, concrete blocks, plastic pallets or other supporting pieces that are not made of timber.
• Store it at least 3 feet away from the walls of your home to ensure any bugs or insects do not bore into your walls.
• Ensure that your wood stored outside isn't stacked against trees that could get infected and permanently damaged by any transfer of pests.
• Avoid stacking your wood inside your home and bring wood into your home only when you’re about to burn it
• Inspect the timber before bringing into your home and wipe off any dirt or insects you see on it
• Check stored wood regularly even if it is dry as some pests are attracted to dry wood too.

What to Do and What Not to Do?

Here are some tips to help you avoid a firewood infestation problem:

• Store firewood at least twenty feet away from your house to avoid it getting infested by insects, ants, and mice
• Ensure decent airflow beneath the pile of wood to avoid built up; moisture
• Use the oldest wood first to ensure infestations are not building up
• To inspect logs, shake them, tap them together and take a good look at their exteriors
• Restack and arrange your pile regularly if it has been around for a while

Apart from This, Here’s What Not to Do:

• Don’t treat your firewood by spraying some pesticide on it as it will not kill the pests and will spread harmful toxins inside your property when you use your firewood
• Don’t buy your wood from non-local places as it can introduce new species into your property which is a new area
• Don’t store your wood inside your home as it can become a nest for rodents or a residence to a number of insects and pests
  

Use the tips above to keep your property safe from firewood pests. However, in case you are still faced with an infestation issue, call in the professionals immediately. Remember the sooner you do so, the better they will be able to help you control the infestation.

About the Author:

Muzi Tsolakis owns a pest control company, Protech Pest Control in Australia that specialises in all types of insect control and removal, especially bee control and termite control.

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The Easiest Tactics to Keep Mosquitoes Away From Your Home

 For most homeowners in Melbourne, the problem of mosquitoes is not too uncommon, especially during those hot summers that you can’t seem to bear without cracking a window open while being a feast to a swarm of mosquitoes!  Melbourne’s hot summers have every house owner or resident wishing they can just keep the mosquitoes very far away from their homes.

It has always been easier to prevent mosquitoes than to have to get rid of them or kill them so the most important way to ensure your home isn’t infested with more mosquitoes than you are equipped to kill, is to prevent them from being attracted to your home in the first place.

Keeping Mosquitoes at Bay:

Getting mosquitoes to stay away from your home does not need to be difficult; in fact, it can be quite easy when you understand how to make a few simple changes here and there to help you achieve a mosquito-free environment at home. So without further adieu here are a few ways to keep these pests away and achieve a more peaceful environment in your house.

• Maintain Your Garden: If you have a garden or even just some grass ensure that it is regularly trimmed and maintained instead of letting it grow. Overgrown plants and vegetation are the perfect hiding place for mosquitoes to get away from the scorching sun rays and prolong lifespan. A good way to make sure your garden is not overgrown is to keep a check on the grass length and cut it every time it exceeds 3" in height.
•  Say Yes to the Fan Plan: We all know fans help to cool down a room and make it instantly windier but did you know that they can keep mosquitoes away? Due to their weak wings, mosquitoes find it difficult to fly with the continuous wind provided by a fan and often rush out of the room because of the same. So investing in any kind of fan is a good choice to make to keep mosquitoes away.
  
  
  
•  Say No to Water: Well, not too literally! The only water you need to say no to is, excess waterlogged or standing in areas that it shouldn’t be in such as drains, buckets, etc. Standing water is a breeding den for mosquitoes and hence a major attraction for these little menaces. In order to confirm that you aren’t unknowingly inviting these pests into your home or onto your property, check to see if any such standing water sources exist and get rid of them immediately! 
• Let Birdbaths be Birdbaths: Bird baths can be a form of standing water and start attracting swarms of mosquitoes onto your property looking for a home to lay their much-detested larvae, This, However, is not necessary and can be stopped by regularly changing the water in the bird baths to ensure that they will still be bird baths and not the new breeding place for many homeless mosquitoes.
• Don't Let Them Take Over the Pond!: So yes Ponds do count as standing water and yes mosquitoes will start getting attracted to them; however, pond water cannot be changed so the only thing you can do to ensure that mosquitoes are not taking over your pond is to not let the pond water rest. The water in the pond will need to have some motion to repel mosquitoes from taking over it, which means that adding a fountain or a water agitator is not splurging, but maintaining your pond.
• Protect Your Pets: Not from mosquito bites, but from drinking mosquito larvae! The water in pet’s dishes can turn to be a type of standing water attraction to mosquitoes so it is essential to regularly change the water in your pet's dishes! Because let’s be honest sick pets can carve a hole in our hearts...and our pockets!
• Fine Mesh is Fine Protection: Fine mesh can be a great way to keep mosquitoes out of your home while still being able to keep windows are doors open especially during those hot summers. Having Fine mesh screens fixed to your windows and doors will keep mosquitoes and other bugs out of your house but allow the fresh flow of air circulation into your home.

Taking the time to ensure you follow these simple tactics can help make the process easier with practice. These will certainly help keep these bloodsucking pests away from your home. It is important to also know when the situation is not in your hands anymore and realise when you need professional help.

Once your home already infested horribly with mosquitoes it is better to give the professionals a call and seek their help to get rid of the same.

About the Author: Muzi Tsolakis is the proud founder of the renowned pest control company: Protech pest control that is one of the most efficient pest control companies that provides various pest control and removal services in Melbourne.

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4 Common Bad Habits that Invite Pests to Your House

Pests such as mosquitoes and cockroaches are hard to remove once they have made a home for themselves on your property. But why would they pick your house? The three main factors that are essential to pests are food, shelter, and water.

If your home provides that, then it would definitely invade the place. Cockroaches living on your premises will not only affect the health of your loved ones but also create an undesirable and unliveable atmosphere.

You may not intentionally want pests living in the house, however, there may be a few habits that may be attracting them. What could they be?

Here are a Few Habits that could be Considered as a Welcome Sign for Pests;

1. Piling Dirty Utensils on the Kitchen Sink All Night

If you are a midnight snack lover, this one is for you! Your midnight snacking routine shouldn’t end without you washing and clearing up the dirty dishes in your sink.

A kitchen sink full of dirty vessels will not only provide cockroaches with leftover food to munch on but it will also lead to them crawling all over your kitchen, which wouldn’t be hygienic and could cause an infection.

To avoid a cockroach infestation or attracting cockroaches, keep your kitchen sink, table and dishes clean and inside the cabinets.

2. Leaving Your Full Trash Bin Uncovered

Rodents and cockroaches are a few pests that love the sight of an uncovered and overflowing trash bin. It not only provides them with a variety of food items, but it also allows them to explore as much as they want! Since mosquitoes are known to spread various diseases, such as Dengue, Malaria, etc. having them flying around your house will only result in a family member getting sick. Keeping your trash bin covered will also prevent any odour problems as well as prevent any of the pests inside the trash bin from escaping and entering your kitchen.

Keep in mind that if a cockroach rummages through your dustbin and then enters your kitchen, covered in dirt and bacteria, and crawls over your utensils, it would make the food and vessels unclean without you even knowing about it.

3. Hanging Your Dirty Clothes on the Bedroom Door for Days

Did you know? Mosquitoes love resting in dirty clothes as they like the human odour and sweat smell. This is why hanging dirty clothes behind your door or leaving your wet or dirty towel could attract more mosquitoes. The more you have around, the higher the chances of you or your family member getting infected.

To prevent getting an infection and a pest infestation, avoid hanging your dirty towel or clothes on your bedroom door or laundry basket and keep away your freshly laundered clothes at once.

4. Stacking away Unused Items at Home

Less clutter is much better! Hoarding old magazines, newspapers, or boxes, will only attract more cockroaches to your house. Cockroaches love hiding among the clutter and munching on cardboard or paper items, this is why if you don’t get rid of the extra clutter, it could lead to an infestation.

Hoarding a lot of items, also provide the perfect hideout for cockroaches, making it difficult for you to see any early signs of an infestation. You can avoid a cockroach infestation by inspecting your storage rooms, attics, and garage every once in a while to check on your stored items and see if there has been any cockroach activity. Get rid of excess clutter as much as you can and for the items that you choose to still keep with you, ensure that you store them securely in sealed boxes.

In a nutshell, it is always best to take extra precautions and maintain hygiene within and around your premises. Adopting good habits, practicing good self- hygiene, as well as the maintenance of cleanliness of your property, can ensure a pest-free environment which will prevent the chances of you or your family member getting infected or with a pest infestation.

About the Author: Muzi Tsolakis is the owner of Protech Pest Control, known for their efficient Mosquito Control services and Pest Control treatments in Melbourne.

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What Do You Know About Possums?

Source: https://www.protechpestcontrol.com.au/blog/possums-infographic

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Tips to Keep Possums Out of Your Roof

Screeching sounds in the night, missing food, overthrown garbage cans – do these symptoms sound familiar? Well if you answered yes, you probably have a possum infestation at home.

Possums are quite pesky and do significant damage to your home and property. Their control and removal demands immediate attention. There are several ways in which you could go about for treatment against the possum removal and control of an infestation.

They may be larger than other pests but the good news is that there is a solution and better still if all fails there are reliable professionals who will deal with the matter.

Since your home is not meant to house possums, they naturally become an enemy to your investments as well as your peace of mind.

There’s a saying that goes, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer’. Of course not literally, but you will have to be acquainted with their behaviour and habits.

This way you will be able to take more successful measures for their removal and control. It only becomes an infestation when the situation gets out of control.

However, to start with, here are some tips of how to safeguard your home and roof in particular from possums.

Learn Important Tips to Safeguard Your Home and Roof from Possums

Where to find Possums?

If possums have found your home to be suitable it’s because of 2 reasons – food and shelter! You know how some people actually begin their day at night?

Well possums are like those people – nocturnal! They love the dark and when I say love I mean to the point that they hate the light.

Now think like a genius and tell me - which is the darkest place in your home with the least amount of human activity? The roof right! And that’s exactly where you will find possums!

Considering that most Melbourne home-owners use the roof for storage and only visit the spot from time to time, it becomes paradise to these pests.

Do All Kinds of Possums Head to the Roof?

Well, the most commonly found possums are Brushtail and Ringtail possum. No points for guessing that they probably get their names from the way their tails are.

They both are known to nest in the hollows of trees WHICH I might mention is dark and cosy – just the way they like it! Since urban areas lack these kinds of trees, they search for the next best thing – a place that is dark, comfortable, and quiet, with the least amount of human activity to disturb them. So in answer to your question – yes you’re likely to find any one of the types hiding out in your roof.

What Can I Do With Them?

Obviously you don’t want them to continue with the chaos they are causing. But at the same time you cannot harm them since they are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. So the next best thing to do for their control and removal is relocation.

You need to take measures to firstly trap them and you can release them within 50m distance as they remain within the property after sunset on the day of capture.

Measures to Take for Their Control and Removal

Think of it this way – why do you enjoy staying at a place? It’s because the place has everything you want, right! So if you have a possum or possum family residing in your home, it’s because your home is easy and comfortable to live in and has everything the possum needs.

Here are Some Tips to Tackle the Problem:

• Seal all garbage bins tightly so these pests cannot rummage through it.
• Place tree guards on tall trees near your home so possums can’t get onto your roof using trees.
• Do not leave the pet food container open and store/throw away leftover pet food.
• Ensure no trees are leaning into your home.
• Use traps in the roofs.
• Spray seaweed smelling repellent near any possible entry points.
• Build a possum box outside in a tree so that they will head there instead.
• Do not let piles of leaves lie around in your garden as they can act like comfortable nesting spots.
• Patch up any holes on ground level or any loose tiles so that the possums can’t use it as entry and exit points.
• Make use of an Ultrasonic Possum remover in the roof to track any activity. However ensure that the ultrasonic rays aren’t blocked by any objects in the way.

Possums are critters that will destroy your property and steal food from you as well as  your pet.

Once your residence becomes their place of safety and provision you might as well be sure that they’ll be breeding and taking over. Before you know it, you’ll be facing a full-fledged infestation! And that’s not even the worst of your problems!

Did you know that under certain circumstances possums do deliver an extremely painful bite in a bid to save itself! I’m sure you don’t want one, in fact nobody would! Besides being attentive and following the above measures there are certain treatments you can resort to.

However, these are best executed under the guidance or by a professional pest control service. An expert will be familiar and up to date with solutions to the problem. And most importantly they will know how to rid your home without harming the possum, which is of utmost importance.

About the Author:
Muzi Tsolakis heads Protech Pest Control. With their skilled experts and the latest technology, their pest control services rank among the most premium for possum removal in Melbourne. For any pest inspection services of your home or office you’ll be happy to have them on board.

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Most Common Pests Found in Commercial Building & Premises

Source: https://www.protechpestcontrol.com.au/blog/common-pests-found-in-commercial-premises

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