Creepy crawlies plague the Bay

Warm weather has brought with it an infestation of bugs and big business for those who kill them.
The most prolific pests in the Western Bay at the moment are cockroaches, spiders, fleas, bed bugs, ants and flies.
Demand for exterminators has steadily increased since the pest season began in late October.
And as the warmer weather continues, pest control expert Doug Kerr is keeping busy.
Mr Kerr, director of Bugs Or Us - It's Your Choice, says his staff are going to about 18 jobs a day - a 50 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.
"Normally at this time of year we would be looking at letting one of the [staff] off but there's no sign of that this year," Mr Kerr says.
"We're looking [at] two to three more weeks of high night-time temperatures, and while the temperatures are still warm, the bugs are still out there."
While the peak pest season is around Christmas and New Year, Mr Kerr says there is still "a lot of activity".
Common complaints are about wasps and fleas while cockroaches seem to cause the most distress, he says.
Stuart Marshall, owner/operator of Bugs @ Bay Pest Control, says cockroaches carry diseases and illnesses that are potentially harmful to humans.
"They are extremely dirty and they tend to go from a grubby surface to your clean kitchen, bringing their germs with them," Mr Marshall says.
"They are long living and breed prolifically ... and they're not easy to get rid of.
"They live in the retaining walls [of your house], they live outside in the parks and reserves and trees and migrate to your home when it's warmer."
He says people are not to blame if there are cockroaches in their house.
"Cockroaches will come inside no matter how clean the house is."
Neil Courtman, from The Fly Man, says spiders are another nuisance, with white tail spiders particularly prevalent at this time of year.
"The spiders come inside and then you get the white tails chasing the spiders, because they live on the spiders," Mr Courtman says.
Fleas are also common at this time of year and are often brought inside by the family pet, he says.
"Fleas are harder to deal with because when you treat them you're often only killing the adults, not the larvae or the eggs, so you have to use a double dose of the chemical."
Tauranga SPCA animal welfare inspector, Jason Blair, says fleas live all year round but are more active in the warmer temperatures.
"You might find them on the carpet but they can't live without a host for too long.
"Humans will probably only get a bite or two but [fleas] won't live on people."
Mr Blair says the best way to deal with a flea infestation is to use a flea bomb and to wash the sleeping area of the animal.
He says people need to de-flea their animals once a month and use worming treatments every three months.
While there isn't much that can be done to eliminate pests, Mr Marshall says keeping the home clean and tidy could reduce the possibility of having fleas, flies and other bugs in their home.
"Make sure food is kept in a sealed container ... and obviously when disposing of rubbish, keep it at the back of the section away from the house.
"That doesn't make them immune from [pests] but it will make them less likely to have an issue with it."
Mitre 10 Mega worker Troy Sanders says pest control products have been selling well. The most popular are insect sprays, like Ripcord and No Bug Super, which sold for about $20.
Bunnings Mount Maunganui branch operations manager Tim McAulay says he has not noticed a spike in pest control products.
He says popular pest control products target ants, cockroaches and spiders. Automatic fly spray dispensers were also a top seller, he says.