Like “ants” these guys are broken up into three main categories:

The “Big Bastard” of a cockroach

The “I Could Have Put A Saddle On It” cockroach

And my favourite: the “Scream Loudly, Throw A Shoe At It And Run Away” cockroach.

Even as a pest controller I can relate to the last one except I can’t run away as it is my job!

The main ones we get on the Sunshine Coast that Shark Pest Control mainly deal with are the “Australian” and “American” varieties which are the large flying ones. The other main one we see mainly in food outlets and of course in our kitchens, bathrooms and laundries are known by a different nationality, “German” cockroaches. Seriously I didn’t make that up and there are others that may show up here and there but the first three are the main ones that we get here.

The first two love to breed in bark mulch, palm trees in your gardens and really love dark stinky places like septic tanks and drains. They fly around at night and love the sand under sub-floor homes.

The third type (German) are more complex and will live gregariously which means they like having “happy families” but don’t fly so they are less likely to be treated properly by just using general sprays. With that in mind:

TREATMENTS

The big cockies are easily controlled with the surface sprays and powders that we use at Shark Pest Control. This is due to the fact that they will fly, land and walk over a treated area then ultimately die as a result of the product. Remember you can’t stop them flying as they are attracted to lights at night and can easily run under most doors to gain entry into your home. The trick is that once Shark Pest Control has eliminated all of their breeding areas in your home with our treatment you will only have the visitors who won’t get a chance to set up a house in your home as our residual treatment will make sure of that. Part of being a “good pest controller” is understanding the breeding cycles and typical harbourage areas of pests and doing something about it rather than just doing standard treatments and hoping for the best.

The small (tiny to about 2cm long) German cockroaches are generally introduced at home by either working somewhere where they have them i.e. food shop, then bring your work home with you or inadvertently bringing an egg or cockroach home in a box where they like to hide in the flaps and corrugations of the cardboard or even a friend or relative bringing one over lets say in a fridge you borrowed or bought. Due to their prolific breeding and short breeding cycle spraying them with repellent chemicals will just kill a few and more eggs will hatch within 2 weeks generally and you are back to the start.

At Shark Pest Control we use a combination of gels (specifically designed to stuff up their breeding cycle before they lay again), non- repellent sprays and in some cases some serious work on your appliances like dishwashers, microwave oven and kettle to name a few. This is because this species also loves warm electrical areas where most standard sprays are not applied. The process can take up to a month or more if it is a bad infestation and may require your assistance by doing some serious cleaning and in some cases the blocking up of holes in walls if that is the case. In most cases a successful treatment will take around 2 weeks to see good results as this has to take into account the breeding cycle. Bombs and supermarket/hardware products will only slow them down for a bit so don’t waste your time and money.

Call Shark Pest Control for a free quote on your home or business if you are having issues with any of these cockroaches or anything else bug wise. Click here to email us or Facebook us or simply call 5473 9222

The post Common Categories of Cockroach: “Big Bastard”, “I Could Put a Saddle on It”, and my favourite… first appeared on Shark Pest Control.

Simple reason is it means lots of money in most cases to the pest company as some will scare the life out of you when it comes to termites. Let’s face it no one wants the home that you live in being eaten away from under you so you will do almost anything and moreover pay almost anything to make them go away, correct?

I will now explain a few facts about termites in case you don’t know and hopefully will assist you in making up your mind what to do starting with some “do’s” and “don’ts” if you find termites in your home or on your property:

1. Don’t PANIC!! And don’t worry as it might not be as costly to fix it as you first thought.
2. Don’t spray them yourself with fly spray or anything else you have in the shed.
3. Don’t disturb them more than you just did when you discovered them. i.e. DON’T break open walls to see how far they got.
4. Don’t bounce any ideas you have of treating them with anyone other than a qualified pest controller so not your mate who might know a bit about termites and not DIY.
5. Do call us at Shark Pest Control as we don’t charge to come and have a look to confirm what you have in case it’s not termites.
6. Do leave them alone.

That simple!

There are as many different ways, techniques and systems out there to treat termites as there are types of termites but something you must remember: they were here first and have been doing this for a very long time and no it is not personal they just see your home or structure as food and a funny shaped tree.

TREATMENTS

This totally depends on what the situation is and what sort of termite you have. There are over 320 species of termite but on the Sunshine Coast we deal with about 5 species. I won’t bore you with the technical names now as I can bore you with that when we meet to discuss what termites you have. Remember one thing not all termites are bad in fact the majority are good so I use an old adage “if you put birdseed on the ground you get birds” and if “you put timber on the ground you get termites” so remember that when putting timber anywhere near or on the ground if it hasn’t been properly treated.

Cost wise for treatments range from nothing (where there is no need to do anything because they are grass eating species) through to a few thousand dollars depending on the size of the property. Just remember I am sure you insure your car and your contents so why not do something that protects your biggest asset (other than your kids of course) as general house insurance will NOT cover termite damage.

We could go on and on about all the alternatives here but you will be snoring before too long and it will only confuse you in most cases so just let us know and we will come and have a look for FREE and then we can explain face to face what we believe is best for your situation.

ONE FINAL NOTE

It is very important no matter what that you have no less than an annual termite inspection or more frequently if you have been attacked before or you know you have a “high” risk home as this is the best way to deal with any issues that may help to prevent termite attack and reduce your risk. Putting your head in dark places and hoping it won’t happen to you is another “epic fail” move.

Call Shark Pest Control on 54739222 or Facebook us if you have any termite issues, would like to book an inspection in or just have a termite question as we are only too happy to help.

The post The Dreaded Termite – Treatment & Control – What are the Do’s and Don’ts? first appeared on Shark Pest Control.

“Bloody Ants”

“Rotten Mongrel Ants”

And the old favourite

 “Damn Ants”

It might seem like there is no hope of keeping them controlled and maybe you have been told it is impossible by friends or other “old school” pest controllers but we can promise you after a treatment from Shark Pest Control you will notice a massive difference and it is all in how we do the treatment and the product we use which separates us from the rest.

We will now explain a few ants and what they do but we won’t bore you with technical names so we will keep it simple:

The Big Headed Ant/Coastal Brown Ant/Singapore Ant/Ginger/Common Black Ant/Meat Ant/Green Ant/Ghost Ant and a bunch of others all have one thing in common with us:

They need water and food. Go figure, who would have thought?

Some of them will build in the cracks of your paving, inside pot plants and in the grass or garden beds. Some of these choose to gain access to your bathroom, kitchen, etc, by eating through the grout or silicon as they are mainly after water from the sink, shower, bath and even the kettle.

Other types of ants will have a giant nest sometimes far away and will travel in large numbers like a highway to and from your house and other houses back to the nest. On the Sunshine Coast this type of ant is a common problem that most people give up on after spending all sorts of amounts of money from the local hardware then even trying a pest company that just has no idea which makes it worse as you feel you have wasted your money.

TREATMENT FOR ANTS

At Shark Pest Control we guarantee our treatments using environmentally safe products that don’t smell and knock the ant nests out using the ants themselves to do the job.

NO we don’t use “Ant Cafes” (Little plastic boxes with some gel which is supposed to allow the ants a way of taking the product back to the nest.) It works sometimes once or twice then the ants figure it out and just ignore it.

NO we don’t walk around the yard with a little can or backpack and look for ant nests to spray directly as there is no way we can be sure of getting all of them and what about the nests that come from far away or just next door?

NO we don’t use ant sands and granules as they are very temporary and only kill some ants and not the source so basically within a week or straight after rain the ants are back.

At Shark Pest Control we use a non-odour product and we blanket spray the whole yard including driveways, patios, lawns, garden beds, and the ants simply walk through it without realising what it is and through a natural process pass it on to their mates and then the queen and that is all she wrote. It usually takes one to two days and rarely up to a week but the results will amaze you.

This a proven method that we have used interstate for over a decade and now have brought it to the Sunshine Coast as this is our home now.

Some ants actually live inside the home (ghost ants are an example) in some weird places like a sock drawer, inside a bag of chux under the sink or in an A/C unit and yes we get them too.

We hope this information has helped you make a decision and  if you would like to book a service in then please “contact us” by phoning 5473 9222 or via Facebook pm.

The post What type of ants are bothering you? “Bloody Ants”, “Rotten Mongrel Ants” or the old favourite “Damn Ants” first appeared on Shark Pest Control.

Rats come in basically two types on the Sunshine Coast:

“Nice Rats” and “Not Nice Rats” (excluding pet rats)

You might say all rats are not nice but the reality is some rats just pass through your yard looking for food and move on (they’re the nice ones) and the some like your home to make their home and have happy families. (They are the not so nice ones.)

We will focus on the latter. Rats as part of what they do mean nothing but damage, smell, disease and noise which makes living with them unsustainable. (That’s it.)

Mice other than pet mice do the same.

Treatment

This where things can get ugly for the mice and rats as there is no nice way of treating them that is more efficient than proper baiting.

I know this is where you say why not “catch and release” them or what is wrong with traps?

Ok, traps don’t always kill them but can maim them as do sticky pads which are a slow painful death. Catch and release is great if you are prepared to pay someone to do it regularly or you are prepared to go through the process yourself taking into account the time needed to service the trap. The downside with this idea is that rodents are cautious by nature and will figure out something is up as does happen from time to time when using baits as well.

Using baits from hardware stores and just thrown into the roof or put anywhere in the house or yard is a bad idea for lots of reasons:

1. Unsafe as pets or worse still children could find it.
2. You have no idea if it has worked or if any is left especially if you throw pellets or bags in the roof as you can’t see it.
3. Rats particularly, are hoarders so they will simply collect them up and take them back to the nest and drop some on the way back which once again could be found by a child or pet.

At Shark Pest Control we secure the baits in the roof space (where access is possible) so they can be checked and use where applicable “tamper proof” boxes to secure the bait. The products we use, in most cases, cause the rodent to leave the roof when dying as opposed to DIY baits which nearly always mean they will die in the roof or home and then smell something fierce.

Call Shark Pest Control on 54739222 or Facebook us if you have a rodent problem.

The post Nice Rats & Not Nice Rats – Do you know the Difference? first appeared on Shark Pest Control.

Webbing Spiders

Red backs, daddy long legs, wolf spiders, house spiders, etc

As part of our standard spray job we control “webbing spiders” by applying our surface sprays in all the areas they like to set up home on. A lot of pest controllers will do what is called a “low spray, spot spray” which basically means they spray the skirting boards and then spray a spider up high when they see it during the treatment.

This is “epic fail” stuff as spiders will simply set up home in all the other areas. Shark Pest Control will spray everything high and low, entry points like windows and doors and then with our “ghost buster” we do all external areas and entry points.

What this does is not only kill all spiders that make a web but also prevents new ones coming in for at least 12 months in areas protected from rain and areas that don’t get hosed off. This has been proven for over a decade on thousands of homes.

Click the images below for more information on the various types of spiders.

Non-Webbing Spiders

Ok, so these are mainly huntsman spiders and some garden spiders. Huntsman have to be the most scary spider as they are nearly always big, hairy, run quick and look like something out of a horror movie. The fact is that they are simply doing what their name suggests and “hunting” and as a result they find themselves in your home. Just so you know they do bite if you put your hand on one (in self-defence) but they won’t kill you.

Something that you need to know now is that no pest company on the planet can assure you that you won’t see them after a treatment as they run around on their tippy toes so any treatment will take time to kill them as they only touch the product very briefly as they travel over it. As they are very adept in getting into homes you will nearly always see them before they die even if your home has been treated.

After a Shark Pest Control treatment we will eliminate any that are living with you so you will only have to deal with the odd visitor, mainly in spring when they also hunt for mates.

Treatment

We have already touched on the treatment for spiders but added to what has been said we also apply a powder to roof spaces (if you have an access hole) which stops breeding in your roof (a common area for breeding), and also in window tracks (if applicable) to stop them crawling in. With both the external and internal treatments combined you won’t have webbing spiders and non-webbing spiders will be reduced to as few as possible, if any.

The post Spiders – How many Pest Control companies have an “epic fail” in Spider Control first appeared on Shark Pest Control.

This treatment is required sometimes when you actually have a tick or flea problem and sometimes as part of a lease requirement. Will cover both here:

LEASE REQUIREMENTS

These treatments more often than not are required as part of a vacating tenant requirement as a result of having pets on the property they have rented.

In this case Shark Pest Control will spray the yard and inside (if both are required so double check what is needed under your lease) and after payment will issue a receipt for you to give to the landlord/agent.

FLEA PROBLEMS

For those of you who have a problem with fleas that you want treated then you need to know that this will most likely be more than one service. Especially if the problem is outside and even more so if you have sandy soil. Keeping it simple fleas generally have a 3 phase cycle so one treatment generally won’t work unless it is a confined area where the problem is.

If the problem is inside then it depends on if you have a lot of carpet or a lot of tiles. Tiles are easier to fix as the product will adhere to the tile and stay there for a long time, whereas carpet absorbs the treatment so it won’t last as long.

Fleas by their nature jump and even before hatching from an egg will be immediately attracted to movement i.e. you or your pet walking past then they hatch and then jump aboard. This is where the treatment comes in as directly after the treatment we want you to make lots of noise and movement like throwing the ball for the dog as the young fleas will sense the movement, hatch and whilst their skin is soft land on the treated tiles or carpet and that will kill them quicker. You may still (most probably) need more than one treatment if it is a bad infestation so keep that in mind.

TICK PROBLEMS

Ticks are something similar but we generally don’t get the scrub tick as much on the Sunshine Coast but we do get the paralysis tick. The problem with ticks is they walk around and travel long distances so any type of treatment of the yard is only temporary at best as the products will only kill what is there on the day then will be absorbed into the ground or washed away by rain. The best protection for your pets is a good quality treatment from your vet and we also supply tick/flea collars (one per treatment free) as part of our service.

Treatment

For the yard we blanket spray the whole yard and for inside we do the same over all floor areas. We recommend that you flea/tick wash your pet on the day of the treatment and have ready some sort of protection for the pet, either our collar or a good quality product from the vet. Then jump up and down a lot to hatch the eggs, give it a week and see if another treatment is required. There is no simple way to fix fleas and ticks so if you have had the problem for a long time then expect to pay more to fix it regardless of which pest company you use.

Call Shark Pest Control on 54739222 or Facebook us if you would like a quote.

The post Ticks & Fleas – Do you have a tick or flea problem or need to get treatment for lease requirements? first appeared on Shark Pest Control.