"Normally our busiest season will start from November through to March/April," he said.
"It's been a little bit slow to start this season and [colder than usual] weather has played a role in that.
"As the weather warms up the insects will multiply and people will be ringing us more."
He said a lot of jobs they were doing at present were for people being proactive - such as spraying around the house to prevent insects over summer.
Summer is the season for cockroaches and other insects, pest control professionals say. Photo NZME
Foster, who has 25 years of experience in the industry, said insects were cold-blooded and needed warm conditions to get active.
"If you think of anything that is cold-blooded - which means it does not generate heat internally - it generates heat from external sources.
"As those external heat sources increase they become more active and reproduce faster."
Julie Trott, manager of Napier-based Pest Control Specialists Limited, said their company was getting a lot of calls.
"We are really busy, we are about three weeks in advance at the moment."
She said their most popular service was for their general treatment.
"We do general treatments which is flies, spiders and your Gisborne cockroach," she said.
"And we do a lot of ant work in Hawke's Bay and borer work."
She said borer beetles were currently in flight and were common in older homes, such as on Napier Hill.
Trott said changes to the industry in recent years meant every pest controller had to be registered to work with the relevant chemicals and products.
She said she had noticed a drop in the number of pest control companies in Hawke's Bay, which may be a result of the rule change.
"Choice is not as abundant as what it used to be."
Flick Pest Control, based in Napier, also confirmed business had been picking up during recent weeks, which was common for this time of year.
Top tips to avoid unwanted insects:
• Avoid piles of grass cuttings in your backyard, which can attract flies
• Rake up dead leaves and dispose of them as they can attract cockroaches
• Keep your home clean
• When buying second-hand appliances, give them a good clean as they can carry cockroaches
• Call a pest control expert to spray outside your home.
