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Termites |
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Cockroaches |
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Spiders |
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Redback Spiders |
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Ants |
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Fire Ants |
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Rodents |
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Fleas |
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Bees |
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Wasps |
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Lice |
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Silverfish |
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Carpet Beetles |
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Clothes Moths |
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Wood Borers |
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Wood Rot |
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The common name for
numerous species of social insects that can damage
wooden structures such as furniture or houses. Of
about 2000 known species, most are distributed in
tropical countries and some inhabit the temperate
regions. Termites are sometimes referred to as
'white ants' because of their creamy coloring and
ant-like appearance. There are over 350 species of
termites in Australia of which some 20 species can
damage timber in houses. In nature, they assist in
the recycling of organic matter and nutrients back
to the soil.
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There only 6 families of cockroaches found worldwide,
consisting of 4000 species. Australia has representatives of
5 of these families but with only 428 species present. Half
of a the cockroaches in Australia can be found in the
Blattidae family which includes both the native and
introduced species. Go to our links section to find out
more about the families of cockroaches.
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Spiders are invertebrates with a two part body (cephalo
thorax and abdomen), biting chelicerae and silk glands that
discharge through spinnerets. They have 4 pairs of legs and
additional pair of short appendages (pedipalps) beside the
chelicerae. Eight is not only the number of legs spiders
have. The original spiders and most still have eight eyes
and if that is not enough spiders still live today which
have the original complement of eight spinnerets.
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Almost too familiar to need description, mature female
redbacks are jet black spiders with a variable red stripe on
the back of their spherical abdomen. Their tough, untidy
webs are usually near the ground with the spider hiding in a
shelter in a corner, often guarding her round woolly egg
sacs. Immature females are smaller, usually brown with
whitish markings. Males are rarely seen; they are small and
brown with red and white markings.
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Ants are social insects which live in nests. The nests vary
in size depending on their age and the species of ant. They
are generally found in the ground, in wood or under rocks,
although ants can also nest in walls, fireplaces, under
paths and in buildings.
Ants are a very successful insect group with over 1200
species occurring in Australia. All species can be
beneficial to the environment. Some eat insect pests such as
termites, their nests improve the soil, they quickly recycle
nutrients back into the soil and they are food for a wide
range of native birds, reptiles and other small animals.
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Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, is a serious new
pest which has been detected in Queensland, Australia. They
inflict a painful sting and if not eradicated will seriously
affect our lifestyle. They are the greatest ecological
threat to Australia since the introduction of the rabbit and
are potentially worse than the cane toad.
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In Australia, a
number of rodent species are agricultural pests. Two
species, the house mouse (Mus domesticus) and black
rat (Rattus rattus), were introduced around the time
of European settlement. House mice are found throughout
agricultural cropping areas, and around sheds and houses.
When conditions are favourable, their numbers can increase
to plague levels. Black rats are found throughout temperate
and tropical Australia in human-modified environments.
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There are 16 different families of fleas worldwide,
consisting of about 2380 species. In Australia 9 of these
families are represented with just 90 different species.
About half of the endemic species that occur in Australia
are found in the Pygiopsyllidae family. The Pulicidae family
contains many of the introduced fleas such as the cat, dog
and human flea, as well as some native species. Go to our
links section to find out more aboutout more about the
different families of fleas.
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Bees belong to
the insect Order Hymenoptera, which includes wasps, ants and
sawflies. In Australia there are four main bee families:
Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae. Many of
these bees are solitary nesters, while others may share a
nest. Others are fully social species. Although some bees
sting, they are not considered to be pests as they play an
important role in the Australian environment as key
pollinators of many native plant species.
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Wasps are a
diverse group of insects. In Australia alone there are over
12,000 species, ranging from the tiny diapriid wasps, which
are barely visible to the naked eye, to the spider and
cicada-killer wasps, capable of taking large prey. Most
wasps have carnivorous larvae that feed on other insects and
spiders. The adults provide food for them by capturing prey
or by laying the egg on or near the food source, which might
be an egg, larva or pupa of another insect.
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Lice are small, wingless insects that are
parasites of birds and mammals. They are usually less than
10 millimetres in length and are rarely seen without the aid
of a microscope or magnifying glass. Lice are short lived
and usually host specific.A few species of lice have adapted
to live and feed on humans, such as the head louse (Pediculus
capitis), the eggs of which are commonly called nits and the
body louse (Pediculus humanus).
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There are only 4 families of silverfish found worldwide,
consisting of about 370 species. In Australia just 2 of
these families are represented with 28 species present.
The 2 Australian families are easily separated from
others found throughout the world as the Nicoletiidae
family are eyeless and the Lepismatidae have only small
compound eyes. Go to our links section to find out more
about about the families of silverfish.
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Carpet beetles damage fabrics, furnishings and clothing that
contain wool, silk, hair, bristles, fur, or feathers.
Synthetic items are resistant to attack, but mixtures of
synthetic and natural fibres can be damaged. The natural
habitats of carpet beetles are nests of birds, rodents,
insects, and spiders. The beetles are pollen feeders and can
be found in large numbers in flowers; they can be brought
into the house in cut flowers.
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Although less common than carpet beetles,
clothes moths are commonly experienced in similar
environments to carpet beetles, namely woollen materials,
felt, fur and other materials of animal origin.The two most
common species of clothes moths are the case making clothes
moth (Tinea pellionella) and the common clothes moth (Tineola
bisselliella).
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Wood borer are insects which damage wood
by tunnelling at the larval (grub) stage for food or leaving
an emergence hole on the surface of the wood after becoming
an adult (beetle). These emergence holes ('pin holes') are
quite visible and are usually the first signs of an active
infestation of wood borer.
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The fruiting bodies of wood decay fungi vary in size, shape
and colour. The type of fungi encountered by building
inspectors & pest controllers usually reside in poorly
ventilated sub-floors, below wet areas of the home, exterior
timbers and in areas that retain water in the soil. The
durability and type of timbers are factors along with the
temperature and environment. Destruction of affected timbers
varies with the symptoms involved.
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