It’s that time of year again.
The sun is shining and the weather is
warming, and if you haven’t seen them already, it won’t be long before
you’re swatting flies, running from wasps, screaming at cockroaches and
spiders, and hearing the familiar scratching of possums (or mice) in the
roof.
Husband and wife team Jenny Jordan and
Bob Waters, who have run A1 Pest Control Canberra for the past five
years, understand what it’s like. They’ve seen every creepy crawly in
the book, and their phones ring off the hook in the spring and summer
months.
“At this time of year you’ll want to be
on the lookout for mice, cockroaches and European wasps,” says Jenny.
“European wasps are a growing concern in Canberra. They build their
nests underground or in trees, at the entrances to houses and even
inside walls. And when they sting you, they don’t die. They go back and
tell the nest they’re under attack and then come after you. They’ve
evolved, so traditional methods of hitting them with boiling water or a
can of bug spray doesn’t really help. Off-the-shelf just isn’t strong
enough. Stay right away and call a licensed pest control specialist.”
Another pest to be wary of this season
is bed bugs. Jenny warns that when you head out on holidays or stay in a
hotel, bed bugs can ride on your luggage all the way home and then
infest your house.
“Once they’re inside your house,” she
says, “they’re really hard to get rid of. They hide in the cracks of
walls, in the ceiling, on curtains and in your mattress. They
anaesthetise the area where they will bite, so you don’t feel them
biting you. The only way you might know they are there is the tell-tale
spots of blood on the sheets or raised bites on your body. Eradicating
them requires more than treating one room – they just move to another
room. You have to treat the whole house.”
Bed bugs and European wasps are just two types of creepy crawlies that Jenny and Bob have been treating for years.
They started A1 Pest Control Canberra
together after Bob, an ex-security guard, had a terrible motorbike
accident in 2009. He came into contact with a car and spent six months
in hospital recovering. Once back at home, unable to return to his
security job and sick of watching Days of Our Lives, Bob took stock of
his life and decided to embark on a new challenge.
Jenny’s brother, a successful pest
control expert for over 35 years, suggested that Jenny and Bob could do
very well with a pest control business in Canberra. He was right, and
after beginning the accreditation process and registering A1 Pest
Control Canberra, Jenny (who has a marketing background) was already
fielding new client calls.
“I attribute much of our fast-tracked
success to the insights we were able to glean from my brother. He had
amazing tips and tricks to share that essentially helped us become
fantastic pest controllers in a very short amount of time.”
Bob is now fully accredited, licensed
and insured, and has come to love the pest control business. “There is
never a dull moment,” he says. “Every property is different, and clients
are often astounded by what I find lurking in the walls, under the
house and in the roof cavities. It’s always very diverse, and I love
helping people feel comfortable and safe in their own homes. I guess
that stems from my background in security.”
Their clients include a long list of
happy (pest free) home owners, new home buyers, renters, property
investors, builders, real estate agents, schools and government
agencies.
Jenny and Bob pride themselves on using
family, pet and environmentally friendly chemicals, and have recently
introduced thermal imaging technology to help with their initial pest
investigations.
“Thermal imaging is amazing,” says
Jenny. “It basically allows us to see through the whole house with the
click of a button. Traditionally you would walk through the house and
look for signs of infestation, tap walls and rely on your senses and
experience. Now we have science to confirm everything.
Thermal imaging allows us to detect the
body heat, movement and moisture of pests like termites anywhere in the
house. And while we’re at it we often pick up issues with plumbing or
maintenance and alert the owner. It’s very efficient.”
The company is now fully accredited for thermal imaging, and is also an approved Termidor treatment provider.
If you’re keen to have someone look
behind the walls and in the ceiling of your home, or you need termite
inspections, termite barriers, or European wasps, mice, cockroaches,
ants, bed bugs or any other creepy crawly taken care of, call A1 Pest
Control Canberra.
7 Hot Tips for Summer Pests in Canberra
Cover up: Wear shoes and gloves while gardening. Funnelweb, red back and white tail spiders love tunneling in dirt.
Seal food: Cockroaches vomit and excrete into unsealed food in pantries, which once eaten can make you very sick.
Keep it clean: Rats,
mice and cockroaches love open food. Try not to leave dishes out
overnight or food crumbs on the floor. They’ll smell it and find any way
to get in.
Cut grass: Fleas love long grass. Keep grass short to avoid infestations in the house.
Prune trees: Possums and rats climb from tree branches onto roofs. Keep trees cut back.
Rake fruit: Fallen fruit from fruit trees is enticing for pests. Rake it up regularly.
Get regular inspections:
Did you know most home insurance policies don’t cover termite damage? Avoid tens of thousands in possible damages by making sure these pests
aren’t silently ruining your home.
