Find some of the most common crawling insects in australian households in this guide …

or touch base with us to find out how we can help.

WHAT COULD IT BE?

GERMAN COCKROACH

  • German cockroaches can be between 12-15mm Long. They usually have a light amber-brown colour with 2 dark parallel stripes on their head.

  • German cockroaches will eat any food a human can eat, but they do prefer foods high in starch, such as potatoes, rice and cereals.

  • You will usually find German cockroaches in warm, damp and dark places. Cracks and crevices close to food sources such as a kitchen pantry, behind and under a stove, under kitchen sinks, on cupboard hinges and in cupboards. Under, in and behind drawers, these are all high traffic areas. They also like to hide in the mechanical workings of toasters, microwaves, fridges, freezers, modems, and other electrical appliances with cavities. 

  • Common cockroaches can form a health hazard to humans, carrying many types of bacteria, viruses and diseases. They contaminate food and leave droppings, cast skins, egg cases and dead cockroaches throughout the premises. They leave a foul odour when an infestation is substantial.

  • German cockroaches can lay 5-8 egg cases with each case carrying around 30 - 40 eggs.

    They remain in nymph form for approximately 6-12 weeks and have an adult lifespan of 4-6 months.

  • Remove food scraps left out overnight. Wipe clean kitchen surfaces, clean in cupboards, behind drawers, stoves, vacuum and mop floors behind and under fridges and stoves. Remove garbage bins and kitchen compost bins regularly.

  • IPS provide a number of services to assist with eradicating cockroaches that can be found right here. Or get in touch and we can work on a resolution together.

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OTHER COMMON COCKROACHES

Australian households play host to a number of different cockroach species, so if the German Cockroach doesn’t seem to fit the description you could be dealing with one of the following:

  • Australian Cockroach,

  • Oriental Cockroach,

  • Brown Banded,

  • American Cockroach,

  • Smokey Brown Cockroach.

But you don’t need to know what your pest is before getting in touch, we can help you with that.

IPS provide a number of services to assist with eradicating cockroaches that can be found right here. Or get in touch and we can work on a resolution together.

NEED HELP?

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millipedes

Did you know that millipedes are actually more closely related to lobsters and crayfish than insects? We wouldn’t recommend feasting on the little critters though. 

With their seemingly millions of legs, these little guys will often be found hanging out in damp areas like your bathroom or clothes you were going to “put away later”. You may also find them hanging out in sliding glass doors/windows or any damp space. But they are particularly rampant after heavy rainfall and can often venture inside your house. 

While millipedes won’t bite, they can emit a smell that can irritate your eyes or skin and can be a nuisance in large numbers. 

IPS provide a number of services to assist with eradicating millipedes that can be found right here. Or get in touch and we can work on a resolution together.

NEED HELP?

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earwigs

Earwigs can come in a variety of colours like brown, black, yellow and red, but they are fairly distinguishable by their two pincers on their rear. They’re about 2cm in length and can sometimes sport a pair of wings. 

Contrary to popular belief, the name “earwig” derives from the words ‘eard’ meaning soil and ‘wicga’ meaning insect, so they don’t actually have a penchant for crawling in to your ear. 

Like millipedes, you’ll typically find them in damp areas of the house and they like to feast on damp/rotting material. 

IPS provide a number of services to assist with eradicating earwigs that can be found right here. Or get in touch and we can work on a resolution together.

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ants

  • There are 1,275 ant species currently known in Australia and the most common ones found to be a nuisance in South Australia are:

    • Black house ant,

    • White-footed ant,

    • Carpenter ant (Sugar ant),

    • Coastal brown (Big-headed ant),

    • Meat ant and

    • Inch ant.

    Some of these ant species can be harder to eradicate than others, this is due to the colony having multiple queens or even multiple nests. Some ants can bite, while others can sting and yet some do neither and are just a nuisance. 

  • If you have an ant problem in or around your house there are a few things you can do to help reduce their numbers. Removing excess food scraps in and around the home will help to remove their food sources. While some ant species prefer sugar for their diet, others prefer protein. So try to clean up all the crumbs that may be on the kitchen counter or on the floor. Pay special attention to keeping your bin clean and changing it out regularly.

    If the cleaning doesn’t help remove the problem, then you can contact us to help. There are various solutions depending on what type of ant is causing the issue and where it’s located. 

    Spraying around the outside of your home with a targeted ant spray will stop them before they enter your home and will return the joy of your backyard to you and your family. 

    Granules can be used when the source of the nest or various nests can’t be found outside. 

    Gels can be applied to spot areas indoors for targeted treatment if they are causing an issue in the kitchen or bathroom. 

    A dust can also be applied to the roof void if they’ve set up shop up top and are coming from above.

    IPS provide a number of services to assist with eradicating ants that can be found right here. Or get in touch and we can work on a resolution together.

NEED HELP?

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carpet beetles

They’re exactly as they sound and most likely what’s responsible for the mysterious damage that has suddenly appeared on your expensive wool rug. But they can actually indulge in many other fabrics that derive from animals, so keep an eye on that expensive leather Chesterfield.

You may notice you’ve got them if you see emerging patches of damage to your carpet in low traffic areas, such as under couches or if you start seeing beetle like creatures on your windowsills. These are adult carpet beetles trying to get to the sunlight. But in their younger form, they’ll typically hide in the shadows.

IPS can provide spraying services to assist with the eradication of this pest species. 

NEED HELP?

Contact us for a no obligation