Book Here

The post Rodent Prevention appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

Our team at Quest for Pest were recently called to a property in the Northern Gold Coast suburb of Ormeau Hills. The family had seen what they thought was a mouse. We conducted a thorough inspection including roof void and yard. We confirmed the presence of roof rats. The juvenile roof rat is sometimes mistaken for a mouse due to their size.

It is important to identify the rodent species prior to baiting as rats and mice have very different feeding habits.

Rodents are mostly hidden pests, if you have seen 1 or 2, there is always a much higher hidden population. They don’t like being out in the open so you will usually hear them before you see them.

The main issues with rodents are:

• Health risks, they carry harmful diseases and parasite
• Property damage, they love sharpening their teeth on your precious wiring. Approximately 30% of house fires are caused by rodents chewing wiring in the property
• Food waste, if they have eaten some of your food, they have had to crawl over that food so the whole kitchen could be contaminated.

Rodents are prolific breeders, being sexually mature at 2 months for rats and one month for mice. They each have numerous litters per year and given a favourable environment, they will multiply rapidly.

To ensure you don’t have a re-colonisation a comprehensive control strategy is required otherwise you could expect re-infestation in 2 – 4 months.

Some of the things you are looking for are small holes along with a dirty rub mark. Small droppings similar to gecko droppings without the white point.

• You can reduce your risk by cutting grass and foliage around the house. Spraying for weeds if necessary.
• Removing rotting vegetables from vegie patches
• Emptying bins regularly
• Keeping up maintenance of the building, eliminating access points
• If you have a compost bin, make sure it is rodent proof

If you think you have rodents or would like to reduce your risk, please give us a call for an assessment and treatment.

The post Rodents appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

Termites are more active in the warmer wet months of the year however that doesn’t mean they aren’t around and won’t be out foraging for new food sources all year round.

Here are some of the things you can do to reduce your risk:

Reduce moisture around the building by attending to the following:

• Fix leaking taps, even a drip is enough to attract termites
• Improve site drainage, make sure water drains freely away from the house
• Fix leaking gutters & downpipes, especially if cracked where they meet the ground
• Ensure hot water system & air conditioning drip pipes are connected to the nearest downpipe or drain

Reduce wood around the site by:

• Picking up & removing dead wood, sticks & tree stumps
• Replacing wooden retaining walls & fences with non-wood material, e.g.: metal or concrete
• Clearing vegetation adjacent to the building. Often roots can crack a concrete slab
• Keep firewood stacked off the ground & away from the building. Check the wood regularly for termites

Keep your weep holes clear from the surrounding soil

• Reduce soil levels if necessary

Keep up to date with recommended inspections, usually 6 to 12 monthly.

It is extremely important to maintain your inspections to reduce the risk and minimise damage to your home.

Sometimes we can become complacent after previous inspections have been termite free. Most people who find termites in their home are those who have not kept up with their inspections.

Consider your inspections as log-book servicing for your home. All our inspections are carried out to Australian Standards and include an electronic written report.

We can also provide a quote to install chemical termite treated zones and/or bait stations in and around your property.

The post How to reduce termites around your home appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

If you are going to control your home ant problem, you will need to use non repellent insecticides. You need to apply a treatment which ants will not recognise as a dangerous poison.

The other way to treat for ants is to use a bait which is designed to be taken back to their nest and eaten. Externally when applying non repellent insecticide, it’s not important to know if the ants are sugar feeding, fat or protein feeding ants, because they will walk over the insecticide not knowing it’s a poison.

If you want to keep ants from coming into your home, you’ll need to spray around the home’s perimeter and treat its foundation creating a boundary to keep them at bay. This is especially important around doors and windows.

When applying inside your home, the safer option of treating ants, if they are localised in a small area, such as a cupboard, kitchen bench or single space you can use a bait effectively. Most ants inside a home are sugar feeding and with the range of baits on the market it can be a quick fix.

Depending on the type of ant you may find your infestation requires a more commercial approach at which point we highly recommend giving us a call so we can offer advice and solutions (along with a quote to take care of the problem for you). Please be mindful when using baits and sprays yourself to keep them away from children and pets.

If you need help with ants, or any other pest, why not get in touch with us?

The post How to control an ant problem appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

While annual termite inspections and pest control treatments are a must for all Australian properties there are also ways to reduce the amount of pests you are attracting in your home environment. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Most homes offer a warm, cosy environment with access to food and water. An attractive home for any pest. Home pest control is always a joint effort between then home owner and professional pest controllers. Get the most out of your treatments will make them last longer and keep your family safe and healthy.

• Declutter shelves to make them easy to clean and reduce pest hiding places.
• Seal, put away and tidy food. Clean up scraps and grease.
• Seal and fill gaps and cracks from leaking pipes.
• Clean bins and sinks often.
• Remove cardboard boxes – they are ideal dark caves where bugs will congregate.
• Keep your yard, lawn, garage and shed neat and tidy to reduce hiding places.
• Wash out bins regularly.
• Remove rotting foods from vegetable garden beds – over ripe tomatoes, potatoes and onions are commonly infested.
• Wash out mops and cleaning goods and keep them dry.

If you have ongoing infestations even after following these tips please contact us. Often an investigation will reveal the cause of the problem and we can devise a plan to eradicate the problem.

For personalised help with your pest problems, get in touch.

The post How to keep your home free from pests, bugs, and insects appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.

Reduce your encounters with rats and mice by ensuring your property has a very low risk and non-inviting environment for them.

• Some properties are invaded in autumn every year as rats and mice seek shelter in cooler weather. Others may be invaded when nearby areas are developed. If you are aware of a potential influx, contact your Pest Manager to introduce a program before the event.
• Pet food is a major attraction for rodents. Ensure that all pet food is never left outside overnight and by storing in metal containers.
• Your home should be inspected for potential entry points, concentrating on gaps in the wall, such as weep holes, doors and windows and penetrations for plumbing and electrical services.
• Trim all tree branches away from the house. Remove ivy and trellises from walls.
• Do not store timber or debris up against your home.
• Repair leaky taps and remove other water and moisture sources.
• Rodents develop territories and have a social hierarchy. Not all will have equal access to baits. The most dominant and aggressive individuals tend to be the oldest and largest male members of the colony. Treatment programs must be designed to control the colony, rather than a few individuals.

An adult house mouse produces 50 to 100 droppings and up to 3,000 micro-droplets of urine per day, a rat about 40 to 50 droppings per day or 15,000 droppings and 15 litres of urine per year. Not a visitor you want anywhere near your home!

Rodents may die in inaccessible places such as wall cavities. Odours from dead mice are seldom a problem but rats, because of their larger body weight may cause a problem. We may be able to find, access and remove the carcass or apply odour absorbing products to offer relief but as always, prevention is better than cure! Contact us about our baits, traps and treatment packages.

The post Rats and mice appeared first on Quest 4 Pest Gold Coast and Logan.