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Dbug Dictionary

Ants
More than 1200 species of ants can be found within Australia. Each has different a preference for diet and habitat. Some are attracted to sweet foods, some to damp areas. They have diverse nesting habits, meaning you can expect to find ants in any area of your property. Common, low-risk species include Black house ants, Carpenter ants, Coastal brown ants, Pharoah’s ants and White-footed house ants.

Ants with a painful sting that pose a risk to humans include Bull ants, Green-head ants and Singapore ants.

But perhaps the biggest threat to look out for is the Argentine ant. It is an introduced, invasive species whose colonies only continue to grow and overrun environments unless specifically treated.
Treatment
Effectively treating ants requires professional identification of their species. This is because lasting treatment relies on knowledge of the ants’ behaviour to locate breeding colonies, remove all food sources and apply the right spray or dusting.
Bed bugs are bloodsucking insects that live in the seams and crevices of your mattress, clothing, furniture and luggage. They mostly feed at night, their bites causing irritated red spots to appear on the skin. Bed bugs are also extremely resilient and can lie dormant for up to a year without feeding. This makes infestations very difficult to eradicate.
Treatment
It’s very unlikely that you will cure a bed bug infestation with a single pest control treatment. The eggs, nymphs and adults each require a specific treatment, conducted within a tight timeframe, or else they will return again and again. A typical treatment cycle involves isolating and cleaning infested clothing or bedding, heat and chemical treatment to kill active bed bugs and physical removal of all eggs through vacuuming or adhesives.
Native Australian bees are an essential part of our ecosystem. They pose almost no risk to people, being very reluctant to sting intruders. However, introduced species are different. Species like the European honey bee can and will sting if you are near their hive. This is especially dangerous for animals, children and those with bee sting allergies.
Treatment
If you have a bee problem on your property, the best treatment is professional removal. Contact a pest control expert to safely relocate the hive and the rest of the bees will follow. It’s also important to then treat any pests that the bees may have attracted, as bee larvae and sweet honey are tempting treats for a host of more aggressive insects.
Australia is home to many kinds of borers. These small beetles nest and feed on timber, whether it’s trees, floors or walls. You’ll know if you have borers on your property, as you’ll see visible holes in your timber structures or furniture, as well as the dust-like droppings they leave behind (known as ‘frass’).
Treatment
Left untreated, borers can cause significant structural damage–similar to termites. However, if caught early, borers can be flushed out with specially formulated insecticides. This can effectively kill adults and larvae, so you can repair any damage without concern of a repeat infestation.
Of all Australia’s beetles, Carpet beetles may have the worst reputation. They are small and darkly coloured, less than half a centimetre in length, and are easily introduced to a property through groceries and picked flowers. Once inside, they love to chew on animal products, which often means destroying the beautiful carpets, furs and silks in your home.
Treatment
To mitigate carpet beetle infestations, you should vacuum and dry clean your woollen items regularly. If possible, it’s also best to store silks and other at-risk items in sealed containers. Any infested items should be thrown out immediately and a pest control expert called to stop the carpet beetles from spreading to other areas.
If you live around any kind of vegetation, it won’t be long until you see a caterpillar on your property. There are thought to be thousands of different species of caterpillars, with most of them being relatively harmless. However, there are still a good number that will cause damage, destroying gardens or even causing severe allergic reactions.
Treatment
With so many different species of caterpillars, the first step to treatment is identification. Once a professional knows what they’re dealing with, they can choose an appropriate treatment. The chemicals used and the way they are applied will depend largely on the food and habitat of the caterpillar.
When we talk about cockroaches as pests in Australia, we are normally referring to two distinct types: The American cockroach and the German cockroach.

The American cockroach is the larger species. These are the big brown terrors that you’ll find outdoors. These are around 4cm in length and are, unfortunately, able to fly. They mostly live in sewers, gardens, garages and roof and wall voids.

German cockroaches are smaller, around 1cm in length, but cause much more serious infestations. They are commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms, in any warm, damp gap.
Treatment
For some infestations, especially in the case of German cockroaches, professional pest control is the only reliable solution. But even after such a treatment, cockroaches can reappear without proper hygienic practices. To keep these pests gone for good, you need to keep all food preparation areas spotless. That means no uncovered foods and no unwashed spills. In addition, moisture buildup also needs to be avoided. Fix any leaking taps and keep kitchens and bathrooms as dry as possible.
Crickets are nocturnal insects, closely related to grasshoppers, known for their iconic chirping. Different species have different chirping patterns, but they all have one thing in common: they can keep you up all night! They are often found hiding in wall cracks and crawlspaces, and they are attracted to lighting.
Treatment
Insecticidal baits and sprays are the go-to treatment for crickets. These can be applied strategically to home perimeters and areas near outdoor lighting, preventing crickets from getting comfortable and starting up a racket.
Intro
Earwigs are long, skinny garden insects with a large set of pincers on their abdomen. They aren’t aggressive, but will use these pincers if threatened, leaving behind a nasty mark! Earwigs mostly feed on soft plant parts, leaving jagged, chewed holes in seedlings, flowers, ripe fruits and roots.
Treatment
Control of earwig populations requires the application of targeted insecticides to affected areas. They will often hide under rocks and bark, so garden beds will need to be comprehensively and carefully treated to ensure the earwigs don’t return.
Fleas are tiny, reddish-brown parasites that affix themselves to the skin of pets and people, causing severe discomfort and itchiness. If left untreated, they will lay eggs on their host, which can then be spread onto carpets, bedding, lounges–all around your property. After 4-weeks, these eggs become fully grown adults, ready to feed. Though they are wingless, fleas can jump incredible distances, making it difficult to contain an outbreak.
Treatment
Effective flea control requires a two-stage application. One treatment kills nymphs and adults, while the other treatment kills all eggs. If either application isn’t applied, the fleas could easily repopulate and explode in numbers again.
Despite being a symbol of Australian summer, flies can be both a nuisance and a carrier of disease. The most frequent infestations come from three main species: common house flies, drain flies and fruit flies. All three species can lay thousands of eggs that hatch within 48 hours, so treatments need to be very thorough to be effective.
Treatment
Using direct pesticides is a losing battle when it comes to fly treatments. To effectively control fly populations, breeding sites need to be dusted, sprayed or removed. Once this is done, the female flies will have nowhere to lay their eggs and will be forced to move on from your property.
Lice are a species of insect parasite that prey on mammals. They are broadly separated into two groups: biting lice, which feed on the dead cells, secretions and bacteria of the skin, and sucking lice, which feed on the blood of its host. Most species target cattle, but a small number rely exclusively on human hosts.
Treatment
Both kinds of lice are susceptible to topical surface treatment. This means that a controlled pour-on or spray product should be enough to eliminate infestations in targeted areas. It’s also recommended to discard any clothing or bedding that are infested with lice, to prevent repeat outbreaks.
Millipedes are generally a beneficial insect–when outdoors! They are slow-moving herbivores that help to decompose plant material. They can be unwanted guests inside your home, but they won’t cause any major harm. However, they can easily be confused with the fast-moving centipede, an insect with fewer legs but a seriously painful bite.
Treatment
Safe control of millipedes is easily achieved through a comprehensive, professional perimeter spray. As long as all entry points are covered, they will be warded away from entering your property for 6 months or more.
Mosquitoes are flying, blood-sucking insects and one of the most notorious carriers of vector-borne diseases, including malaria, Ross River virus and Dengue fever. Even when not transmitting disease, their bites can cause painful irritations on the skin.
Treatment
Treating mosquito infestations is mostly about prevention, rather than extermination. It’s hard to fully remove mosquitoes from an environment. Instead, installing flyscreens and removing stagnant water is a good way to keep them away. There are a few highly specialised treatments available, but all must be conducted with the assistance of a professional pest control expert.
Rats and mice are well-known and much despised around Australia. They cause considerable damage to buildings, chewing through electrical wiring, structural supports and furniture. As natural scavengers, they’re drawn to almost any kind of food and water, contaminating areas with their urine, feces and saliva, as well as spreading fleas and ticks.
Treatment
Pest control for rats and mice requires an ongoing sanitation plan. Methods for controlling populations utilise traps, baits and rodenticides, depending on the severity of the infestation, to root out nests and discourage further breeding.
The Indian meal moth, also known as the pantry moth, commonly infests dry food items, such as cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Signs of an infestation include webbing around dry food products, sticky or lumped grains and a foul odour coming from your foodstuffs. Plus, if you see any caterpillars or grubs inside your pantry, that’s a strong sign you’ve got pantry moths.
Treatment
Firstly, it’s important to tightly seal all food that is stored in your pantry. Any dried goods that have webbing or other signs of pantry moths should also be discarded. A pest control technician can then salvage what’s untouched in your pantry with the careful application of pesticide gels.
Intro
Silverfish are small, silver-coloured insects that thrive in damp, high-humidity areas both outdoors (under rocks, burrows) and indoors (bathrooms, wardrobes, etc.). They will eat almost anything, chewing through wallpaper, glue and cardboard. For this reason, they can be especially destructive once they get inside a wardrobe or garage.
Treatment
There are over-the-counter treatments for silverfish, but these will only kill roaming adults. To exterminate an active nest, a combined treatment will need to be applied. This will kill both adults and eggs, bringing pesticides to the source and wiping out silverfish nests.
Intro
Slaters are technically crustaceans, being more closely related to shrimp than any insect. They live outdoors in damp areas, usually hiding under pots or mulch. Despite being a scavenger, they can cause problems for your garden by feasting on plants and seedlings.
Treatment
To get rid of slaters, you need to monitor undisturbed, damp areas in your garden. Regularly turning your mulch or moving pots out of standing water can help to discourage slaters from nesting. For more serious infestations, you can use slater traps to collect and dispose of large numbers overnight.
Australian spiders come in all shapes and sizes. Some create intricate webs, like the St. Andrews Cross spider. Others create no web at all, like the Australian huntsman. Most species are non-aggressive, preferring to hide in quiet areas rather than confront people. This behaviour is why they love to inhabit ‘unlived’ areas, like warehouses and newly constructed homes. It’s important to treat such buildings before moving in, especially if dangerous species like red back or funnel web spiders have taken up residence.
Treatment
General spraying for spider infestations is only superficially effective. It will remove visible pests, but it won’t get into their hiding or breeding spots, and it won’t affect species that roam during the day. Effective pest control for spiders requires a thorough inspection and full interior/exterior treatment, making sure that every crack, seam and wall or roof void is covered.
Ticks are bloodsucking parasites that can be found in hot, bushland areas. They thrive in Australian conditions and are easily transmitted from wildlife to pets to people. They feed by piercing the skin with a feeding tube, latching onto the body until their abdomens become engorged with blood. While the initial bite isn’t painful, it can cause symptoms of swelling, muscle pain, headaches and fever.
Treatment
Targeted pesticide treatments are available for ticks. Following such a treatment, it is recommended to check yourself, pets and other residents for ticks daily, as the pesticides used may cause dormant ticks to more actively look for hosts.
Intro
Weevils, sometimes referred to as ‘flour bugs’, are tiny beetles that infest pantries and cupboards. They lay their eggs directly into dry foods, which are unable to be seen by the naked eye until they hatch. This is why you might buy a perfectly good looking bag of rice, only to find it crawling with weevils a week later.
Treatment
Getting rid of weevils requires a multi-step approach. First, you’ll need to inspect all food items for signs of infestation. Discard any contaminated items and then thoroughly vacuum your pantry to suck up any loose food or weevil eggs. Finally, protect affected areas with the application of specialised pesticide gels to hinges, corners and crevices.
There are a many species of native and introduced wasps in Australia. They’re typically red or yellow in appearance, and can be anywhere from 10-30mm in length. They are social insects, building large nests in sheltered areas, usually under eaves or in trees. Unlike bees, wasps can sting repeatedly and will aggressively defend their territory. You should seek medical attention if you are stung by a wasp, and you should seek a pest control technician if you have a wasp infestation.
Treatment
To deal with a wasp infestation, a professional technician will need to identify the species. Native wasps are less threatening than introduced species, so less extreme measures are needed for removal. The technician will then locate the nest, or nests, and remove them from your property. Following the removal, a general treatment should be applied to the area to protect yourself from other pests that were attracted by the wasps.