Rotorua Tokoroa Taupō Pest Control owner Derek Te Pata (left) and trainee Kerwyn Mitchelson. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Tokoroa Taupō Pest Control owner Derek Te Pata (left) and trainee Kerwyn Mitchelson. Photo / Andrew Warner
Creepy crawlies are never a fun thing to have pop out of the woodwork or scuttle around the home, and local pest controllers have been kept busy so far this summer.
Alpeco managing director Heiko Kaiser said the numbers of flying insects had been increasing heavily and they had beengetting many calls about spiders and cockroaches, as well as problems with birds.
"Wasps and bees are not as bad yet but are possibly coming after all this nice weather."
He said their pest control store on State Highway 5 had been busy too, with people popping in and buying all sorts of things too.
Kaiser said the company now did lots of predator-free work in Rotorua too, which was new for them.
So far they hadn't done as many wasp nests as last year, but many jobs were coming in for cockroaches, ants and fleas.
"This is my second year of doing pest control and it's come a long way. It's just going and going and going."
He said as well as pest control, he did external and roof treatments, chimney sweeping and glass restoration.
Rotorua Tokoroa Taupō Pest Control's Derek Te Pata (left) and Trainee Kerwyn Mitchelson. Photo / Andrew Warner
Proactive Pest Solutions Ltd owners Rhiannon Mitchell and Joel Dunn said they began their business in May and they had worked right through Christmas and New Year.
"We are really pleased with the community support and the number of jobs we've been doing at the moment."
She said there were lots of whitetail spiders and cockroaches now it was warming up, and they had addressed a few wasps but this was quiet compared to normal.
"We are expecting more wasp nests.
"Fleas are a big one, which start popping up now as everyone comes home from holidays, and ants have been pretty big at the moment."
Rotorua Pest Control owner Neil Olive said every business was different and at Rotorua Pest Control it was pretty steady and right on track, with nothing unusual happening.
He said the wasp season was just beginning.
"We are very lucky I think, considering Covid. The insect world doesn't know about it and I just think it's a normal season. It could get busier, who knows."
He said it was also the beginning of the fly season and flies would be coming into homes because they could smell food.
"Blow flies are going to come out now and there have been a lot more mosquitoes."
Positive Pest Control owner Murray Avery said the flies were starting to come now so people were beginning to spray them, but did not realise that spraying internally would not stop flies from coming indoors.
"The flies are coming in so I am now getting phone calls for them."
He said recently he had been getting the odd job about fleas and calls about wasps were starting to increase.
"It's like the whole cycle happens every year.
"The insects are there all year round, in winter some will hibernate. You can't get rid of them, all you can do is control your environment."
How to keep flies away • Keep windows and doors closed. • Fit flyscreens • Cover food and clear it away if spilled. • Ensure all waste containers have tightly sealed lids. • Clean up after pets • Ensure drains are kept clean and free of debris to reduce fly breeding sites.
How to keep cockroaches away • Eliminate food sources and clean up food preparation areas. Empty the rubbish daily, • Rinse cans, bottles and plastics before putting them in recycling bins. • Declutter the floor or bottom of cupboards. • Varnish or paint wood shelves - to seal them, and wipe them clean regularly. • Seal entry points.
