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.
You can contact Bob on 0407 065 413 or visit 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. Read more..
