A Guide on Perth Winter Pests at Home – Mould and More
As winter heralds in, a breed of roaming rodents and pesky pests make their way into our homes. Or so they will try. And you will want to be prepared for them this year. Prevention is better than cure. Colder weather on the outside means warm comforts indoors, hence our pesky friends begin to appear to enjoy the comforts of our homes. While we enjoy the mosquitos and bees mostly hibernating (and definitely the infamous Aussie flies), it would be worthwhile engaging in a pest control strategy.
Mould
A microscopic, multicellular organism, found in association with water, mould reproduces sexually and asexually. They can be airborne and transferred through human movement from one room to another, causing allergy-like reactions in our bodies.
If you have a persistent mould problem at home, invest in a dehumidifier and ensure that wet areas are well-ventilated.
Here are 9 steps to get rid of mould: https://www.timeconti.com.au/blog/eliminate-mould-9-ways
Rodents
Like humans, rodents seek warm and cozy corners to call home over this wet and cold season. The best way to prevent them from entering your home is to ensure that your defenses are up – ensuring that you make it difficult for them to enter your home in the first place. Be vigilant in early detection and rapid elimination as one little mouse can end up multiplying into a full blown infestation if left ignored.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small oval-shaped and flat insects, that can grow up to 5mm long, changing colour from cream to brown as they mature. While they need to feed on the blood of warm-blooded creatures to grow, they are resilient and can live for up to a year without feed.
And while most bugs become less active in winter, the opposite is true for bed bugs. Not only do they like the indoors, but they also tend to spread and multiply in winter. Signs of a bed bug infestation include:
- regularly waking with bites
- bed bugs on your mattress, bed frame and other furniture
- brown spotting (bed bug faeces) or blood spots on your mattress
- a musty, sweet smell with large infestations
You will need to use a good HEPA vacuum cleaner or wash all your linens (bedspreads and curtains) with water over 60 degrees, or otherwise freeze them for 24 hours in a plastic bag to get rid of bed bugs.
Cockroaches
It is said that cockroaches are among the few creatures to survive a nuclear disaster and are extremely hard to eliminate from the environment. However, continuing good hygiene practices will help reduce the presence of these pests at home.
Spiders
Australia is home to some of the most venomous eight-legged creatures on the planet. These creepy crawly 8-legged arachnids often are harmless and actually help to reduce the insect population, however, some of the deadliest spiders are found in our country.
A simple approach to prevent these spiders from entering the home is to use preventive insect repellent barrier sprays around the doors and windows of your home.
Termites
Termites are active throughout summer and winter although they seem more visible in spring. In Australia, termites cause more damage to homes than storms, fires and floods, combined.
Although commonly known as “white ants”, termites have no relationship with the “ant” family and have proven to be highly destructive to timber structures, collapsing houses in only 3 months. They move rapidly in their social groups and can cause severe structural damage. If you find any signs of termites, please report them immediately for swift action.
With awareness and preparation, we can keep these winter pests at bay.
