The Most Common Pests in South Africa
A’Africa Pest Prevention understands the importance of protecting your operations, supply chain and brand reputation against the risk of pests. You can rely on our responsive risk management solutions, which range from pre-construction termite protection consulting, fumigation and residual disinfection.
A’Africa Pest Prevention provides fast, safe and effective pest control solutions to protect your residential or commercial property against infestations of these and other risks:
South Africa’s sunny climate is the perfect environment for a variety of ant species, that travel far and wide in search of food. While they are generally clean insects, they can enter your home and access your food cupboards.
Ants thrive in sunny climates, that’s why, when summer rolls around, you will find them on your patio and even in your kitchen.
Signs of an infestation: It’s easy to spot a long trail of ants moving through your home, or clustering around food sources. They may also leave small piles of dirt or soil in dark places.
Risks: While garden or black ants don’t typically carry diseases, they do travel some distance in search of food, and they may move through unsanitary areas before they land up in your kitchen.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a range of fast and effective pest control methods that target specific ant species that are safe around your family and pets.
DIY: Ants are attracted to sweetness and proteins, so it is important to cover up any foodstuffs and to wipe up any sticky residues. If you’re able to track the entry point, seal that off to prevent more ants from entering your property.
Did you know that bed bugs could travel with you? That means that if you visit a hotel with an infestation, you could bring them home with you.
Bed bugs, while invisible to the untrained eye, feature in the nightmares of many a traveller. Have you ever woken up to bug bites and blood droplets on the sheet? Then it is time to call the experts.
Signs of an infestation: Bed bugs carry a sweet, sickly scent and leave behind small, dark spots from faecal pellets and excreta. It can be hard to spot live insects as they are only 4-5mm long. However, you may notice blood spots after they visited their host for a feeding.
Risks: Bed bugs bite people and leave behind excrement and shed skin that can lead to allergies and asthma.
Control Measures: Bed bugs are one of the hardest pests to get rid of. However, A'Africa Pest Prevention offers an effective bed bug detection and treatment programme that can be tailored to your unique requirements.
DIY: Bed bugs infest even the cleanest of establishments, which means that keeping your home clean is not enough of a deterrent. The best course of action is regular vacuuming of bedding and upholstery (cleaning the vacuum cleaner after every use) and regular bed bug inspection and treatment.
Disease-causing cockroaches multiply at a rapid rate, so it is important to get rid of them fast.
Cockroaches are dirty insects that have been linked to several diseases in humans, such as gastroenteritis, asthma, eczema, dysentery and salmonella poisoning. They are very resilient and breed at a rapid rate.
Signs of an infestation: You can usually see live cockroaches in damp, dark areas of the home. Other signs of a cockroach infestation include smear marks, cockroach droppings, eggs, shed skin, and unusual odours.
Risks: Cockroaches spread diseases and contaminate food products. Effective, professional cockroach treatment is especially important in hotels, food service establishments, hospitals and schools.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention provides a range of effective, non-toxic products that are applied to areas that are most likely frequented by cockroaches.
DIY: Cockroaches are after food, shelter and water, which is why they hide out in warm, damp areas. The best way to keep them at bay, is to deny access to food sources.
Properties with pets or those that are surrounded by livestock, foxes, or rabbits. Bites can lead to a rash or uncomfortable itch, and pets may be allergic to flea saliva.
Even if you don’t have pets, the people who rented the property before you may have kept cats, dogs or rabbits. Fleas are parasites, and their populations thrive in South Africa's climate.
Signs of an infestation: You may see live fleas on your pet, and fleas may leave dirt on your carpets, rugs and pet bedding. You and or your pets may also itch or develop a rash.
Risks: Apart from rashes and allergies, fleas are not dangerous.
Control Measures: If you have pets, it is important to keep a regular defleaing schedule.
DIY: Keep fleas at bay by vacuuming your home regularly, and by using essential oils. Be careful though, as animals are allergic to essential oils.
During the rainy season, the foliage - particularly around standing water - creates the perfect breeding place for mosquitoes, midges and gnats. What can you do when these unwelcome visitors arrive at your braai?
When the rainy season arrives in South Africa, people start preparing to wake up to the buzzing of mosquitoes and itchy bites several times a night, especially in properties that are near water sources. Mosquitoes and midges develop into adults within less than ten days.
Signs of an infestation: Mosquitoes don’t hide their presence. They buzz and bite, no matter how hard you swat.
Risks: Most mosquitoes are more of a nuisance than a risk, except in Malaria prone areas.
Control Measures: A’Africa Pest Prevention employs certified technicians who are experts in the biology of mosquitoes, midges and gnats. We offer a range of treatments that are safe for your family and household pets.
DIY: You can prevent mosquitoes by using insect repellant and covering up any exposed skin and by covering any gaps in walls, windows and doors.
They cause significant damage to household items that are high in cellulose or fat content. They will feast on foods found in the kitchen, or on stacks of books or newspaper. They sometimes attack living plants, vegetables and fruits.
Earwigs can quickly infest a garden and home if they are not promptly removed. These fast-moving, slender, brown or black outdoor insects have two pairs of wings and forceps or pincers that protrude from their abdomen. Their pheromone trail allows large numbers of other earwigs to follow them.
Signs of an infestation: Earwigs typically bite ragged holes into leaves, and scatter excrement around. They are especially common after rainy weather.
Risks: Earwigs may look intimidating, but they don’t spread disease, carry poison or harm humans. However, they cause significant damage to household items that are high in cellulose or fat content. They will feast on foods found in the kitchen, or on stacks of books or newspaper. They sometimes attack living plants, vegetables and fruits.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a range of fast and effective pest control methods that target specific earwigs without posing a risk to your plants, around your family and pets.
DIY: Prevention is the best course of action. There are several DIY methods to prevent earwigs, including creating a bird-friendly garden, creating oil pit traps, and using alcohol to control earwig infestations.
Silverfish feed on household items that contain cellulose and starch. Most people have lost precious photos, books or paintings due to silverfish infestations.
The most common textile pest in South Africa is the clothes moth (fish moth), which thrives in our humid coastal regions. Inland, carpet beetles are more common. When a textile pest infestation is established and left untreated, it can cause a lot of harm.
Signs of an infestation: It is important to regularly inspect stored products, such as knitwear and blankets. You may notice shed skin, wings, and fecal matter or stains on your goods.
Risks: In addition to the financial loss caused by damaged goods, there is the emotional cost of losing valuable and sentimental goods. Textile pests can damage fabrics, books, furniture, upholstery, art and woodwind instruments.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention is your trusted pest control expert, offering years of experience in the biology and removal of textile pests.
DIY: There are several ways in which to prevent textile pests from damaging stored goods, such as using mothballs and essential oils. Regular dusting and vacuuming can also remove allergy-causing eggs, larvae and shed skin.
Small colonies of termites often go unnoticed until they cause damage to building structures.
Termites usually only make their physical presence known after summer rains, when swarms of flying alates are drawn to light sources. In most cases, that's an indication that a mature termite colony (white ants) is nearby.
Signs of an infestation:
- Harvester Termites form subterranean tunnels which in seriously infected areas become interconnected in a large network. You can identify the nests by holes in the ground surrounded by mounds of soil and patchy sections of lawn.
- Subterranean Termites cause damage to wood, causing it to sound hollow when tapped. Other signs include mud tubes in crawl spaces, wooden beams and exterior walls, as well as bubbling paint and discarded wings.
Risks:
- Harvester termites can do serious damage to lawns in particular and flower beds because they feed on dead and living plants like grasses, leaves, twigs and seedlings and a single queen can lay up to 25 000 eggs per day.
- Subterranean Termites: Most often, people don’t realise that they have a termite infestation until it is already well established through property damage.
Control Measures: An annual termite inspection performed by a pest control expert can ensure that the infestation is found before it causes any issues.
DIY: Since termites are not typically found in the open, it is important to clean any dark and humid areas in your home thoroughly.
When the braai fires start to light up during summer, flies are drawn to our homes. These disease carrying insects pose serious health risks, which is why it should be dealt with promptly.
Flies enter all types of properties, including homes, businesses, restaurants and even offices, creating quite a nuisance. Since they multiply fast, a fly problem should not be left uncontrolled.
Signs of an infestation: Seeing a few live flies around your home does not necessarily signal an infestation. However, you may notice small clusters of dark spots around difficult-to-clean areas and in the upper wall surfaces of rooms. Maggots may also be present in your home.
Risks: Flies spread diseases that can cause a range of diseases that pose serious health risks, such as parasitic worms, cholera, dysentery, and Salmonella.
Control Measures: Identifying the fly species is very important in treating a fly infestation. Knowing the species will provide valuable insights into breeding sites to treat the infestation at the source.
DIY: You can help prevent a fly infestation by keeping your home as clean as possible, covering food, compost and rubbish bins. Clearing away spills, cleaning gutters and drains, and installing fly screens are all good ways to keep flies at bay.
Rats are known to transmit a variety of diseases and can cause damage to your property and contaminate your food. Rat control is especially crucial in homes and food services establishments.
Once rats gain access to a property, they can be quite persistent, posing risks to humans, domestic animals and the property. Since they breed rapidly, it is important to deal with rats at the first signs of a rat infestation, before it becomes a bigger problem.
Signs of an infestation: The most common signs of a rat infestation include droppings, scratching noises, rat holes, foot prints, and nests.
Risks: According to the Center for Disease Control, rats are directly linked to numerous serious diseases. They can also cause damage to property when they create nests in your home’s insulation, or chew through walls or floor joists. Rats tend to burrow, which can undermine retaining walls and undermine hill sides. When they chew on electrical cables, it can lead to fires.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention technicians can assess your situation and provide reliable solutions that are effective in the long term. We offer a range of rodenticides that are suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
DIY: Apart from sealing off entrances, you can get rid of these persistent rodents by using rat poison. Do however consider the fact that domestic pets or small children could gain access to the poison.
Mice have been a problem since they arrived in South Africa with the first European settlers. Due to their active breeding habits and gnawing habits and spread of disease, they can be quite a nuisance.
Once rats gain access to a property, they can be quite persistent, posing risks to humans, domestic animals and the property. Since they breed rapidly, it is important to deal with rats at the first signs of a rat infestation, before it becomes a bigger problem.
Signs of an infestation: The most common signs of a rat infestation include droppings, scratching noises, rat holes, foot prints, and nests.
Risks: According to the Center for Disease Control, rats are directly linked to numerous serious diseases. They can also cause damage to property when they create nests in your home’s insulation, or chew through walls or floor joists. Rats tend to burrow, which can undermine retaining walls and undermine hill sides. When they chew on electrical cables, it can lead to fires.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention technicians can assess your situation and provide reliable solutions that are effective in the long term. We offer a range of rodenticides that are suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
DIY: Apart from sealing off entrances, you can get rid of these persistent rodents by using rat poison. Do however consider the fact that domestic pets or small children could gain access to the poison.
Certain bird species can be a nuisance in residential and commercial properties, and can even cause disease and property damage.
Birds can enter homes and commercial properties through damaged roofing or loading bays, and lead to property damage and the spread of disease. Proactive bird control measures can help ensure that your business is protected against the risks posed by pest birds.
Signs of an infestation: It’s usually easy to spot the signs of a bird infestation, which might include birds settling on ledges and roofs. You might also notice feathers and other nesting debris, droppings and you may hear bird noises. If birds nest in store rooms, stock may be damaged due to fouling or pecking.
Risks: Birds carry a number of diseases, including salmonella, psittacosis, fowl pest, E.coli, fungal infections, and bird mites that can bite humans.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a variety of tried and trusted bird deterrents that deliver long term, effective results. A technician will provide a solution based on the bird species, location, access method, and area of application.
DIY: The best way to avoid a bird infestation is to remove access to food sources and nesting sites.
These pests, which include a number of beetle species and moths, feed on keratin, a natural protein found in feather, leather, animal hair, silk, mohair, wool and other textiles made from animal products. As such, they pose a risk to any fabric-based goods and foodstuffs.
The most common textile pest in South Africa is the clothes moth (fish moth), which thrives in our humid coastal regions. Inland, carpet beetles are more common. When a textile pest infestation is established and left untreated, it can cause a lot of harm.
Signs of an infestation: It is important to regularly inspect stored products, such as knitwear and blankets. You may notice shed skin, wings, and fecal matter or stains on your goods.
Risks: In addition to the financial loss caused by damaged goods, there is the emotional cost of losing valuable and sentimental goods. Textile pests can damage fabrics, books, furniture, upholstery, art and woodwind instruments.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention is your trusted pest control expert, offering years of experience in the biology and removal of textile pests.
DIY: There are several ways in which to prevent textile pests from damaging stored goods, such as using mothballs and essential oils. Regular dusting and vacuuming can also remove allergy-causing eggs, larvae and shed skin.
Not only are bee stings painful, but some people have severe allergic reactions. The good news is that there are ways to safely remove bees from your property.
Bees are crucial in nature, as they pollinate plants and their numbers are decreasing around the world. However, bees can also be dangerous, especially when they build hives in homes, schools and other places where they sting children or people who are allergic to bee stings.
Signs of an infestation: Bees are usually docile and solitary, or part of small groups. However, during certain times of the year, bees do tend to swarm.
Risks: The main risk that bees pose, is potentially fatal stings to people with allergies.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a range of fast and effective pest control methods that safely remove bee colonies as well as any remnants of the combs or honey that may attracts migrating bees in future.
DIY: Whenever you treat bee infestation in your home or building, please avoid using poison to kill them. Bees should be relocated to an area where they pose no threat to humans. If you remove the hive, it is still important to hire professionals to treat the structure or container properly in order to remove the attraction it holds for bees.
Moles heaps and can spoil lawns, fairways, sportsgrounds, formal gardens, turf and flower beds. As moles tunnel through the soil, they cause damage to roots and young plants. When they expose debris and stones that can damage lawn mowers and other machinery.
Garden moles typically move into gardens from banks and woodlands adjacent to your yard. Since they are good swimmers, water does not prevent them from migrating in search of insects and worms.
Signs of an infestation: Moles heaps on fairways, and formal gardens are typically the only sign of mole infestation.
Risks: Moles heaps and can spoil lawns, fairways, sportsgrounds, formal gardens, turf and flower beds. As moles tunnel through the soil, they cause damage to roots and young plants. When they expose debris and stones that can damage lawn mowers and other machinery.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a range of fast and effective pest control methods that target moles without posing a risk to your family and pets.
DIY: Most people use old wives tales to get rid of moles, such as pouring castor sugar down the tunnels, or flooding the tunnels with a hosepipe. There is no scientific support for these methods. Instead, reducing weeds and moss that are food sources for earthworms can help reduce food for moles and encourage them to migrate elsewhere.
Scorpions range from weakly venomous to highly venomous, depending on the species. Their venom attacks the nervous system of the person who is stung.
Scorpions are typically nocturnal insects that thrive in hot, dry regions. Found in mountain pine or rain forests, caves, savannahs and grasslands, there are several species in South Africa. They have a lengthy gestation (ranging from two to eighteen months) during which females bear up to 35 young scorpions, who can live anywhere from 3-15 years.
Signs of an infestation: Scorpions seek shelter in the shade, and are typically found in warm, shaded areas of the home.
Risks: Scorpions range from weakly venomous to highly venomous, depending on the species. Their venom attacks the nervous system of the person who is stung.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a range of fast and effective pest control methods that target specific scorpion species that are safe around your family and pets.
DIY: There's no long-term remedy that keeps scorpions away. The best course of action is regular home maintenance and pest control. However, keeping the lawns mowed, and clutter, stones, woodpiles, trees and bushes away from the home can make some difference.
Some spiders are venomous and can pose a threat to people and pets.
Spiders typically enter homes during autumn in search of warmth for the winter. Most people are afraid of spiders, but generally, it's best to just leave them alone. It's only really an issue when your infestation involves some of South Africa's more dangerous spiders.
Signs of an infestation: The first sign of spiders is usually their webs, although some live in burrows, while others inhabit crevices.
Risks: Some spiders are venomous and can pose a threat to people and pets.
Control Measures: A'Africa Pest Prevention offers a range of fast and effective pest control methods that are safe around your family and pets to target specific spider species.
DIY: The best ways to prevent spider infestations is to deter all insects by keeping your home well-lit and ventilated. Vacuum regularly and remove noticeable webs. Fill in any gaps around pipework and under doors, and keep garden bags, firewood and compost piles away from your property.
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