Termites are such a nuisance. They damage structural timber, infest your garden and can even cause your home to become unstable. By under mining your homes foundation and eating your structural timber, Termites can cause cracks, broken structure and worst case scenario, cave inns! In this post, we will dive in to how they look, how to identify an infestation and best of all get rid of Termites in Johannesburg.

Johannesburg is home to quite a number of Termite species, some infest homes and some don’t. Its the ones that cause damage that you should be concerned about. These nasty nuisances can cause heartache and thousands of Rand’s in potential damages. Its always best to prevent an infestation rather that cure one.

So, how do you identify a termite infestation?

 

• First things first, you need to familiarize yourself with the area. Figure out weather your home of business in in a Termite area or not. If your staying in a area that’s prone to Infestations, you need to check weather you have any protection against a potential termite infestation. If your home of business has undergone a Soil Poisoning treatment or a Pre-Construction make sure if your still guarantee. If your not, if might be worth your wile looking into that. We happen so have Termite treatments that are long lasting and fully guaranteed. Prevention is always better than cure.

• The most common sign of a Termite infestation is the damage they cause. They do this by packing their chosen piece of timber with mud. They move around within the mud, cultivating the mold and cellulose they feed on. This mold is used to help break down the cellulose in their gut. This very same mold feeds of moisture and cellulose in wood. Termites also feed off cellulose. This is the most abundant compound to nature, its found in wood, cotton and pretty much any organic fibers in nature. All the feeding and cultivation causes damage. This damage is either visible by sagging or cracking. If you floor or roof is sagging or unstable, you may have a problem. Having bouncy floors may be fun at first but can indicate compromise wood. Cracking also occurs as a result of damage. Load bearing wooden beams crack once compromised.

• Mud tubes are made by Termites as a means to gain access to timber of their next desired meal. These will almost certainly be present along with an infestation. Ever noticed strange upright mud pillars, these are Termite super highways uses to carry your home away to their lair.

• Discarded wings are also a makeshift way to identify any Termite infestation here in Johannesburg. During the warmer summer months, Termites develop wings. They use these wings to find females, mate and establish new colonies. Once the dead is done, they discard their wings. Usually along the external perimeter of your wall or your windowsill. If you find an abundance of Termite wings, chances are the colony is not too fat away.

What do Termites look like?

Termites are small little Insects, similar in size to Ants. Workers average in size at about 3mm in length. They are bling with a soft body and range in color between grayish white, to a lite cinnamon color. They are mostly wingless, have straight antennae and 6 legs.

What attracts Termites to your home in Johannesburg?

The nature and biology of termites gives us insight as to what they need to survive. Their ideal habitat and what attracted termites to the greater Johannesburg area in the first place. To successfully get rid of Termites in Johannesburg you need to know what attracted them in the first place.

Termites are attracted to warm moist areas. The weather and ambient temperature Johannesburg hosts throughout the year provides the perfect breeding ground to there nuisance Insects.

• Termites love moist and warm soil. The warmth allows their metabolism to speed up. This ingresses the rate at which they breed. The high humidity provides moisture that prevents them from dehydrating.
• Termites feed to cellulose in wood. If you have an excess of fire wood, garden debris or pretty much any wooden items laying around you home or garden. Its recommended to get rid of it. To successfully get rid of termites in Johannesburg, you need to remove their sustenance. This includes getting rid of old timber, wood and any excess timber in your property.
• Termites prefer moist and undisturbed areas. This would include cluttered garden sheds. Sub floor spaces that have insufficient ventilation and even store rooms or basements within your home or business. Have proper sub-floor ventilation installed. Damp proof basements and tool sheds and ensure you garden has sufficient drainage.

Get rid of Termites in Johannesburg to prevent damage and costly repairs

Unfortunately Termites are a major Pest throughout Johannesburg and surrounding areas. DIY products prove useless and without the knowledge and equipment, one can not get rid of Termites in Johannesburg on your own. Fair play, one can always make living conditions in your home and garden unsuitable for unwanted inhabitants. This isn’t always possible though. Its during thee times that you need professional intervention.

Here at Johannesburg Pest Control we pride our in quality workmanship. We guarantee our treatments and assure you a clean and tidy, effective Termite treatment. If you live within the Greater Johannesburg area, please feel free to give us a call. Our quotations are free and have no obligation linked.

Weather you have Termites, Wood Borer Beetle or even normal pests such as Cockroaches or Ants, make us your first port of call.

How to get rid of bed bugs, its a tricky question. For the lay man I suppose it could be quite problematic. Hence the post with a few tips and tricks to help you keep dreaded Bed Bugs away.

In many South African cultures people think they are creatures of myth or legend. This is simply not true, Bed bugs are real and want to eat you at at night. Bed Bugs are simply very light sensitive and avoid any direct contact with mostly sunlight but hate artificially generated light as well. Bed bugs only feed at night and disappear just before sunrise.

In South Africa the question, how to get rid of Bed Bugs may be asked in B&B’s, hotels or even school or back packer hostels. These establishments house people from different fields of life, many being regular travelers and pick all sorts up from their travels. There is a common misconception that people believe bed bugs live in dirt and dust in your mattress. This is not true, they may thrive even in the most clean sanitary environments.

This how to get rid of bed bugs post provides good hints about Bed Bug prevention however it dos not do the job of a professional Pest Controller. Armature use insecticides simply do mot match up to Professional use chemicals.

How to get rid of bed bugs in most situations.

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius)  are nocturnal parasitic insects, that means they feed and move around at night. Usually the live around the head boards of beds. They hide away in the creases of mattresses or cracks behind headboards and side tables. These blood suckers are attracted to the heat and carbon dioxide you exhale while you sleep.

• Firstly as before mentioned in my “how to get rid of cockroaches” post, you need to ventilate your room. Make sure windows are opened and you room is ventilated daily. This releases any artificial heat that speeds up their metabolism and allows some sunlight in. Cut away excess foliage if necessary.
• You need to make sure all your bedding in clean and washed at a high temperature, this ensures the eggs of the insects are dead and washed off. The innards of bedding such as pillows and duvet covers should be hung out in the sun to ensure any hidden insects are disposed of. Sun will deter them and force them to look for alternative hiding hopefully not in your bedding.
• Empty dressing tables or linen storage places immediately surrounding your bed and launder any linen as well.
• Lastly, how to get rid of bed bugs will not be complete with out the actual treatment. Buy a good residual insecticide. Over the counter, odorless suspension concentrates will suffice. Mix it and use as directed on the label. Treat your bare mattress, head board, dressing tables, skirting boards and cornish. All wall floor junctions and wall ceiling junctions should be sprayed.

Please note: The tips and tricks in this post, “How to get rid of bed bugs” and those mentioned in: “how to get rid of cockroaches,” do not do the work of a Professional pest control operator.

If you believe you have an active Bed Bug infestation please consult you local Pest Control service like Johannesburg Pest Control. The tips mentioned above will only work on low level Bed Bug infestations and long term control or prevention. Over the counter pesticides do not match up to their professional counterparts.

How to get rid of cockroaches, Its a question asked by thousands every day. Some common pest cockroaches such as American Cockroaches and Oriental Cockroaches may be easy to get rid of. Pretty much all your indigenous roaches will keel over dead once they come in to contact to Deltamethrin or Alpha-cypermethrin. The same goes for the American or Oriental Cockroaches.

The problem lies with your German Cockroaches (Blattella germanica). As the years have gone by, Pest Controllers world wide have used pretty much everything including the kitchen sink to kill these formidable pests. All the failed attempts have made the German Cockroaches immune system somewhat like that of a marvel superhero’s. Residual chemicals and insecticides have been applied incorrectly so that the insects are exposed, unfortunately the exposure is barely enough to give them a cockroach equivalent to a cold. This low exposure to different insecticides over the generations have only made their immune system stronger.

Before i carry on with this post i have to mention, how to get rid of cockroaches tips to not do the work of a professional Pest Control or extermination Company such as Johannesburg Pest Control. These hints and tips are designed to maintain and or eliminate the remaining few cockroaches a bit quicker after a professional treatment has been carried out.

In this article i will give a little bit of professional insight into how to get rid of cockroaches. The cockroaches in question are the German Cockroach of course.

There are different aspects to the question of how to get rid of cockroaches namely:

• Housekeeping Practices:  There are simple everyday things one can do to deter cockroaches or stop them from thriving. You have to look at your house and general and change some general housekeeping practices. Make sure your dust bins are sealed and have lids on. Make sure your food cupboards are always cleaned and clear of open or split foods. Its also wise to store all opened foods in sealed containers. Pets food should never be left out over night and dishes should we washed and packed away.
• Light up your kitchen: Cockroaches are extremely light sensitive and opening the curtains or cutting away some foliage from in front of your kitchen window will do wonders. Not only will this allow some light in but it may also release some of the pent up heat and humidity from last nights cooking. Heat, humidity and darkness make a great place for German Cockroaches to set up shop.
• Throw away broken white goods: Cockroaches love hiding spaces, the more broken microwaves or fridges you have, the more harbourage you are providing for the cockroaches.
• Buy a crack and crevice insecticide: If you have done the above mentioned you would have successfully made your home partially inhabitable. The problem lied with the control method you use. Traps look good but are only for the average housewife that thinks they will trap all your cockroaches. They will not! Cockroach hotels look good and kill of a few cockroaches, these just make the manufacturers rich. Over the counter residual insecticides just activate the cockroaches causing them to run wild. Most over the counter insecticides affect insects nervous system. Crack and crevice sprays are great for flushing out those high risk areas that cockroaches love to hide.

How to get rid of cockroaches with a crack and crevice spray.

Firstly i have to say that this will only work if the above has been carried out correctly and you have a low level cockroach infestation. If you have a higher level of cockroach infestation you will have to contact a professional Exterminator or Pest Control company.

As mentioned above cockroaches such as German Cockroaches hide in dark cracks generally close to heat. Use your crack and crevice spray to flush out high risk areas regularly as in every 24 hours for at least 14 days. The following areas should have special attention given to them:

• Refrigeration motors, these include motors from freezers and the elements behind them as well. Use short bursts as directed on your tin of insecticide. The heat caused by these items cause all sorts of Pest Control problems.
• Cupboards or drawers directly next to any item in your kitchen that generates artificial heat. This could include Ovens, dishwashers, microwaves or even extractor fans.
• All the hinges of your cupboards, some modern hinges create great hiding spots for cockroaches.
• Crack in tiles, cracks next to electrical sockets and the gap between the wall and your cupboards are also great places to hide.

You still have the question of how to get rid of cockroaches? Use a professional Pest Control service!

The above is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the question, how to get rid of cockroaches. All the hints and tips mentioned above do not do the job of a reputable Pest Control Company. The tips are designed to aid and maintain an already controlled situation. If you would like more insight or read “how to get rid of bed bugs” please feel free to browse through our informative website.

If you have the question how to get rid of cockroaches and need a professional Pest Control company please give Johannesburg Pest Control a call. Free quotations and obligation free quotations are only a call or email away.