The Oriental Cockroach

 

The Oriental Cockroach 

The oriental cockroach, also known as the water bug or black beetle, is a large species of cockroach, adult males being 18–29 mm and adult females being 20–27 mm. It is dark brown or black in color and has a glossy body.

Origin: The origin of the oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis Linnaeus, is uncertain, but it is thought to be from Africa or south Russia. It is a major household pest in parts of the northwest, mid-west, southern United States, Australia etc.

Are they dangerous?  While they do not bite or sting they do feed and live in areas that harbor dangerous bacteria, such as sewers, garbage disposals, dumpsters and bathroom areas. The oriental cockroach will carry the bacteria on their body and contaminate your food and food prep areas, the bacteria can cause vomiting, fever and diarrhea.

 How do I eliminate them? 

• Caulk all penetrations through ground level walls.
• Stop water leaks, screen equipment overflow drains, and take overflow water away from buildings; keep drain traps full or capped.
• Remove rotting leaves from window wells.
• Move garbage cans out of preferred moist habitat.
• Ventilate moist spaces.

Generally speaking, control measures should concentrate on the outside of the building and points of entry. This is called a "perimeter or barrier" treatment.





Brought to you by Proven Pest Control. Serving New South Wales as a guaranteed, trustworthy business and will eliminate your pests of concern at an affordable cost.

Common Spiders in Australia

Spiders In Australia

Australia has some highly venomous spiders, including the Sydney Funnel-web, its relatives in the family Hexathelidae (mouse spider), and the Redback Spider, whose bites can be extremely painful and have historically been linked with deaths in medical records. Most Australian spiders do not have venom that is considered to be dangerously toxic. No deaths caused by spider bites in Australia have been substantiated by a coronial inquest since 1979, but Proven Pest Control have been helping to prevent this even more.

Redback Spider 

The Redback spider is a species of a highly venomous spider believed to only be found in Australia. The redback is one of the few spider species that can be seriously harmful to humans, and its liking for habitats in built structures, gardens, sand pits, outdoor furniture etc. has led it to being responsible for a large number of serious spider bites in Australia. Redbacks are not found inside unless you have walked it in or brought it in on something. Some people may only experience redness, swelling, and itchiness in the area of that bite, and others may experience nausea, diarrhoea, dizziness, sweating etc. This is why it is important not to take that risk and call Proven Pest Control now.

The Funnel-Web Spider

Funnel-web spiders are spiders that build funnel-shapedwebs, which they use as burrows and to trap prey. Three distinct spider families are known as funnel-web spiders, but they are all quite different. Some species are among the most deadly spiders in the world, while others are not harmful to humans. These spiders have a dangerous bite. While they are highly venomous, the male is 6x more toxic than the female. The following bite symptoms are: Intense pain at area of the bite, nausea and abdominal pain follow - the body also secretes heavily in several areas, profuse sweating is usually obvious, along with excessive saliva production, heavy coughing is also common. Virtually all major hospitals in Australia carry an effective anti-venom. Provided a pressure/immobilisation method has been applied soon after the bite and medical attention sought quickly, a few days in the hospital is the usual outcome with complete recovery. Do not move the victim as it spreads the venom. ALWAYS call an ambulance. To avoid this risk, call Proven Pest Control.

The White-tailed Spider

White-tailed spiders are spiders native to southern and eastern Australia, and so named because of the whitish tips at the end of their abdomens. Body size is up to 18mm, with leg-span of 28mm. The bite of a white-tail spider may cause burning pain followed by swelling and itchiness around the site of the bite. Ulceration and rotting of flesh was proven a myth many years ago.

Proven Pest Control in a guaranteed, trustworthy business and will eliminate your pests of concern at an affordable cost.

KNOW YOUR PEST - Ticks

Brought to you by Proven Pest Control Hawkesbury

The 'Paralysis tick', the 'grass tick., the 'seed tick', the 'shell-hack' tick, and the 'bush tick', are just some of the many names by which lxodes  holocyclus is known  Of all the 75 or so tick species in Australia, this one particular species dominates in terms of its ill effects and is the species that most commonly bites humans. 

The Paralysis tick occurs along the eastern coast of Australia, from north Queensland to Melbourne, and possibly into Tasmania. The species is most abundant in moist native forests, where its main hosts, bandicoots, tend to frequent. Ticks belong to the Arachnids, which includes the spiders Sr mites. All ticks are external parasites requiring blood for development. 

The Paralysis tick belongs to a group known as the 'hard' ticks, which are flattened when unfed and swell up during blood feeding. All stages of the Paralysis ticks are ovoid in shape, with a deep brown colouration, becoming almost black during feeding in the juvenile stages and grey in the adult female. 

There are four stages within the lifecycle the egg, larvae (sometimes called 'grass or 'seed' licks), nymph and adult ('bush', 'scrub', 'shellback' or Paralysis` tick), the larval stage of all hard ticks has six legs, while the nymph and adults are eight legged. 

The stages tend to be seasonal; larvae are more abundant during late summer and autumn, the nymphs during late autumn and winter, and the adults in spring and early summer. The complete life cycle will take around a year to complete.

      We Service the following areas in the Hawkesbury:

Kurrajong	Bligh Park	Mcgraths Hill	Mulgrave	Oakville
Pitt Town	Richmond	Vermont	Wilberforce	Windsor

The adult female can lay large numbers of eggs, up to 2,500. The tiny six-legged larvae that emerge will search for a host by climbing the nearest vegetation and waiting 111.110 a warm-blooded animal brushes past. This host searching behaviour is known as 'questing. Contrary to popular belief, ticks rarely climb very high in the vegetation for risk of desiccation, and are thought not to drop out of trees. 

However, they can wander over the body for some hours before attaching and often end up on the head. Larvae tend riot to move far in the vegetation from where they hatch and so many can be present in a small area. This is why multiple larval bites are common, and tens to even hundreds may occur on one person. Unfed, the larvae are roughly 0.5mm in length and will enlarge to around 1,5mm alter 1-6 days of blood feeding. 

As there is high level of mortality between this and the next stage, encounters with larvae are more likely than with any other stage. At the end of Feeding, they will drop off the host randomly and moult into the nymphal stage. The 1-1.5mm nymph will feed for 5-7 days, before dropping off the host similarly and moulting to become an adult male or female.

The adult is the final stage and the two sexes show a marked difference, both in appearance and behaviour. The adult female, which is 3-3.rnrn in length when unfed, will blood feed for around eight days (although up to 21 days in mid-winter) before dropping off to lay eggs and die. The male Paralysis tick tends not to blood feed on humans (but will parasitise the female) and hence, is of little medical concern. 

The Paralysis tick is distinctive in having the fore anti hind pair of legs being much darker in colouration than the middle two pairs (in the nymphs and adults); this feature helps to distinguish the species from the closely related lxodes cornuotus. All ticks have 'hypostomes.; a mouthpart with backward pointing barbs that helps maintain attachment to the host. In the Paralysis tick, the hypostome is especially elongated (excluding the adult male, which is short). However, there are other closely related Ixodes that also posses elongated hypostemes. 

This means that identification to the species is difficult and requires experience and appropriate taxonomic keys. Detailed descriptions are beyond the scope of this paper and it is always advisable to confirm the identity of any suspect tick with a Medical Entomologist experienced in identification.

Brought to you by Proven Pest Control. Serving New South Wales as a guaranteed, trustworthy business and will eliminate your pests of concern at an affordable cost.

7 Tips to Transform your Backyard for Spring

We Supply Pest Control in the Hawkesbury

With spring here, there is no better time to reawaken and rejuvenate your backyard in preparation for the warmer seasons ahead. 

Follow these 7 simple steps.

Reviving the garden can be an enjoyable activity for the whole family. You can transform the outdoor space and inject a new lease of life over the course of a weekend, preparing the family’s favourite space for the upcoming barbecues and endless evenings of entertaining.

“After months of being stuck indoors in the cold, getting back into the garden is one of the most exciting things about spring,” explains landscape expert and Adbri Masonry brand ambassador, Jason Hodges.

“Longer days and extra sunshine provide a perfect opportunity for a backyard makeover that will make your outdoor space the ideal destination for relaxing and spending time with your family in spring.

“Australians love spending time outdoors, particularly when doing so in the comfort of their own backyard. A spruced up backyard is the perfect spot for making memories during spring and into the warmer summer months.”

Here, Jason Hodges offers 7 top tips for transforming your backyard in time for spring:

1. Build a veggie patch

Spring is the season of new life and marks the perfect time to raise and grow little ones of your own - herbs and veggies that is! Raised garden beds are the perfect way to grow vegetables, herbs and even fruit to share with family and friends. 

Building your own raised veggie garden is simple. Allocate space which will receive enough sun, mark out your area and then install a raised garden wall using dry retaining wall blocks. Bring in quality soil and then plant your favourite produce. A veggie patch is a great way to make use of forgotten corners of the garden to grow your own groceries.

2. Create a zoned garden

Zones in the backyard can create defined areas for eating, cooking, lounging or whatever is required. Define zones using fencing, plants or materials such as pavers, grass or gravel to help each area stand on its own. A zoned garden will appear bigger and each area will have its own purpose.

      We Service the following areas in the Hawkesbury:

Kurrajong	Bligh Park	Mcgraths Hill	Mulgrave	Oakville
Pitt Town	Richmond	Vermont	Wilberforce	Windsor

3. Add furniture and accessorise

Selecting the right furniture is imperative to achieving the desired look and feel and maximising the time spent in the backyard. Start by considering your lifestyle and how you anticipate the room will be used. 

Lounges and deep seaters are perfect for those who like to relax whereas dining settings are best for those who love long family meals. Include some decorative elements to add personality to the space.

4. Enhance the look of the lawn

Replacing old or damaged turf is a quick way to enhance the look of your home. Healthy turf will bring a bright, fresh appearance to your outdoor space and this simple project gives a great finishing touch. 

Aerate the lawn with a garden fork and remove any debris. Fertilise if required and sprinkle grass seed over any bare spots. For a more dramatic, neat finish, add garden edging.

5. Pressure clean paved areas

Transform old into new again in time for the entertaining season. Bring your driveway or any paved area back to life with a power wash. 

It’s quick and easy to do and will not only improve the appearance but with pressure cleaning you may also remove any oil or moss and restore the slip resistance of the surface.

6. Introduce a water feature

Adding a water feature to the outdoor space can enhance the aesthetic appeal of the area. There are some fantastic water feature options on the market today. Water features can also serve a functional purpose such as blocking out noise from traffic or neighbours and add a peaceful ambiance to the garden. A stone feature wall will add some texture and make a water feature pop making the greatest impact.

7. Add creative lighting

With longer, warmer days around the corner, spring is the perfect time to start using the outdoor space into the evening. Lighting allows you to utilise the backyard all year round as well as after the sun goes down. With a huge variety of lighting options to choose from, you’re sure to find something to compliment the style of the backyard.

For great rates on pest control, call us today on 1300 08 25 52

                                    Or visit our website at: http://www.provenpest.net/