Insects and Creepy Crawlies

Spiders
Spiders differ from insects in possessing 8 legs instead of 6 and only two main body parts, head and thorax. The thorax is a fusion on the thorax and abdomen found separate in insects. Spiders have multiple pairs of eyes, 4 pairs of legs, mouth parts and silk spinning spinnerets.

A. White tailed spiders are found in most areas of New Zealand, and are common in urban dwellings. They are readily identifiable by their cylindrical or cigar like body shape and the presence of a white or grey spot on the end on their abdomen. Immature whitetails may have two pale spots either side of the abdomen. They are active hunters, preying upon other types of spiders, and may be found roaming inside houses, especially in warmer weather.

B. Katipo (Red Back) Spiders are very rare in New Zealand and are found only in Central Otago and near east coast beaches.

C. Other spiders including Gray House Spider, Orbweb Spider, Slater Spider, Daddy Long Legs and Jumping Spiders are harmless although they often induce fear and loathing in people. A good identification key for spiders can be found at www.landcareresearch.co.nz. Their webs can be unsightly and take effort to remove only to find the spiders have re-built them overnight. Whitetail spiders are hunting spiders and they eat other spiders. If a building is kept free of other spiders there is nothing to attract Whitetails.

• Spiders of all sorts can be controlled using residual surface insecticides such as NO Bugs Super or NO Spiders.

Ants
There are 20+ species of ant in New Zealand but only a few are regarded as pests. Darwin Ants, Argentine Ants, Whitefooted Ants and the native black ant are the most often encountered pestering us in and around our homes and other buildings. There are several species of ants that are regarded as potential invaders of New Zealand including Fire Ants and Crazy Ants. See the Landcare Research Website for more information.

A. Darwin Ants are small (2-3mm) brown ants that can form larger colonies in New Zealand than in their native Australia. Their trails of workers are usually only one ant wide. They have a pungent smell when squashed. Their nests are usually found outside on the warm sunny side of a building but they will forage for food inside the buildings.

B. Argentine Ants are a more recent import and pose a threat to New Zealand's wildlife as well as being a major pest to us by invading our buildings. Argentine ants look very similar to Darwin Ants (see above) however they do not have the pungent smell on being squashed and their trails are like 'motorways,' being several ants wide.

C. White Footed Ants look very similar to Darwin's and Argentines to the naked eye, however, they have pale ends to their legs when seen with a good lens or microscope. These ants can be difficult to control with baits as they do not feed bait directly to queens, larvae and other workers. They secrete a liquid that has been processed through their bodies.

D. Native ants rarely produce colonies as large as those of the invaders above but they can pester us in our homes in large numbers.

• Ants must be controlled with an integrated approach, using baits followed by insecticides and barriers. Use NO Ants bait, sprays, granules and barrier products as described.

Borer
Borer are beetles who's larvae eat wood.

A. Anobium punctatum known as the Common House Borer, Furniture Beetle or Woodworm and its similar looking native cousin Leanobium flavomaculatum are common pests in the timbers of New Zealand homes and other buildings. The larvae will eat their way through untreated softer sapwood timber for 2-4 years before pupating near the surface. The adult beetles then eat their way through to the surface forming a 2-3mm diameter flight hole. The adults are brown beetles ~3mm long. They fly off to find a mate before the females look for suitable bare timber or old flight holes to lay her eggs 50-100 eggs.

B.There are other wood boring beetles that can be found damaging timbers in buildings including the Two Tooth Longhorn borer beetle. These are much larger beetles and their flight holes are ~7mm in diameter and oval rather than circular.

• Treat any bare wood with Kiwicare NO Borer Fluid or NO Borer Concentrate. This insecticide will penetrate deep into the timber and will kill larvae as they eat the wood and prevent adults laying eggs on the surface. In normal circumstances this will protect the wood for many years.
• Inject flight holes with Kiwicare NO Borer Injection fluid. This comes in a handy aerosol supplied with a nozzle for fitting into the holes. The aerosol forces insecticide into the labyrinth created by the borer larva, killing any larva in the labyrinth or nearby. It also prevents adult beetles laying eggs in the flight hole.
• During each flight season (October-May) set off Kiwicare NO Borer Borafume Bombs in roof voids and sub-floor areas. These knock down adult beetles that would lay eggs on the exposed timbers and give protection to the surface of the timbers.
• Borer prefer timber that has some moisture in it. Ensure that your sub-floor is dry and well ventilated. Check for plumbing leaks and unblock all air vents. Check for leaks in the roof and if you have old terracotta or concrete tiles check that they are well sealed. These can act like sponges soaking up water and increasing the relative humidity of roof voids. Kiwicare produce a silicone terracotta sealant called NO Leaks that can be used to seal some types of tiles and walls.

Cockroaches
Cockroaches are flattened beetles, sometimes large. Species in New Zealand include American, German, Black, Gisborne and native bush cockroaches. Cockroaches can thrive in the hot humid conditions we create in our buildings. They feed on food and detritus and have been implicated in the spread of disease. The eggs and egg cases of cockroaches are often secreted in 'out of the way' places such that they are hard to treat.

A. American Cockroaches are brown with a narrow body and pale edges. They are found in and around buildings in the warmer parts of New Zealand.

B. German Cockroaches are dark brown to black with two distinctive black stripes on he head.

C. Black cockroaches are, as their name suggests, black. These New Zealand natives are found feeding on rotting vegetable matter in leaf litter and are rarely found in homes.

D. This Australian cockroach was first found in New Zealand in Gisborne. It has distinctive pale stripes down each side. It is often found in bark chips and sometimes enters the home.

E. The native bush cockroaches are found in dark damp locations in the bush are almost never infest homes.

• Cockroaches around the home, restaurants, shops and offices etc. can be controlled with a combination of NO Cockroach bait, spray, trap and fumigator products.

Other Beetles
There are more species of beetle in the world than any other creature. Other than the cockroaches mentioned above few come into our houses or other buildings and they are not regarded as pests. However, when larger beetle do enter our buildings as casual intruders they are often mistaken for cockroaches. Treatment of the buildings with a residual insecticide surface spray such as NO Cockroaches or NO Bugs Super will help prevent these intrusions. Those who do not wish to use insecticide can use Kiwicare's Organic Insect Barrier product. The natural capsaicin (chilli pepper) oil acts as a barrier over which crawling insects will not cross.

Silverfish
Silverfish and Firebrats are an ancient form of insect. They are little changed from some of the earliest insects to evolve. They do not possess wings, but scurry around our buildings with a motion similar to that of fish from which they get their name. They live in damp areas or where cracks and crevices provide a micro-climate where silverfish can live without drying out.

These insects do little harm except that they damage paper products and may eat the edges of wall paper or books. Many people find them unpleasant to have around the house.

A. Silverfish are, as their name suggests a pale silvery colour.

B. Firebrats are similar to Silverfish but more brown and dull.

• Silverfish and Firebrats can be controlled by spraying areas where they have been seen with NO Silverfish and Carpet Beetle or NO Bugs Super surface sprays. Also try and dry out damp areas like underneath sinks or baths. Also check out roof voids, these creatures often find the warmth and insulation here attractive places to live. There may be large numbers of these creatures living outside and around the buildings. Spraying a barrier around the outside of the house can be effective in preventing them coming in.

Other Creatures
There are some other creatures that you might find invading your home, shop, office or other buildings from outside. Slaters (woodlice), millipedes, centipedes, earwigs, and others will move inside in search of food and shelter. These will not normally survive in our buildings but may cause consternation by walking across the living room floor.

A. Slaters or woodlice, earwigs and millipedes normally live in leaf litter, among decaying wood or cracks and crevices in stones or masonry. They prefer cool damp areas and only wander inside when there is pressure to find food or new harbourages.

• NO Insects Lawguard Prills can be spinkled and watered in on lawns, flower beds and vegetable patches* to control these insects and creepy crawlies.

*When using NO Insects Lawngard Prills around vegetables and fruit, do not sprinkle on the plants. Sprinkle on the soil between plants and water well in taking care not to splash edible plants.

B. Centipedes are hunters of insects and need cool damp areas, such as under rocks, pots or other places in the garden. They rarely come inside and will usually die quickly in dry conditions.

• The use of residual insecticide such as NO Bugs Super sprayed around the exterior walls can help to prevent these creatures getting inside. Kiwicare's Organic Ant Barrier may also be effective against these creatures. The natural capsaicin (chilli pepper) oil acts as a barrier over which insects and these creatures will not cross.

Booklice
Booklice are tiny pale insects only just visible to the naked eye. They feed on microscopic fungi that grow on starchy materials such as paper, cardboard, flour and cereals. As their name suggests they are often found on books.

• Booklice can be eradicated and controlled by using a combination of NO Bugs Bug Bomb and NO Bugs Super residual surface sprays. Books and other smaller items that cannot be sprayed can be sealed in a plastic bag and placed in a freezer for 24 hours.

Fleas

Adult fleas usually live permanently on their host. The female lays tiny eggs that fall off onto bedding and carpet. When the eggs hatch the larvae try to avoid light and feed on dust and detritus deep in the carpet or bedding. Dust in the home is largely made up of skin flakes from both us and any pets. The larvae pupate and will lie in wait of a passing host for up to two years. They are able to detect a host by heat and vibrations. The flea can emerge from the cocoon in seconds and leap onto the host.

A. Cat fleas are the most likely to bite humans.

B. Dog fleas are less likely to bite humans but will if hungry enough.

C. Bird fleas will readily bite humans and this may be source of fleas if you are being bitten but don't have pets. Check for bird nests around the eaves of your house.

D. Effective eradication and control of fleas is a four pronged approach.

• Treat your pets with flea protection which you can obtain from your vet.
• Use a NO Bugs Bug Bomb to knock down adult fleas and larvae in the affected areas.
• Clean all pet bedding in a hot wash (if possible), take care not to drop flea eggs or pupae as the bedding is moved. Bedding and surrounding areas should be treated with NO Fleas Total spray.
• Thoroughly vacuum all areas to remove as much dust, eggs, larvae and pupae as possible. Concentrate around carpet edges where dust accumulates. Dispose of the vacuum bag by sealing in a plastic bag placing in bin.

Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs bite us to feed on our blood. These small flightless insects have a disc shaped body up to 5mm in diameter. When they have recently fed they are a dark red brown colour but when they have not fed for some time they can be pale and almost transparent. Bed bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide in our breath and the heat from our bodies. They feed only at night. During the day they hide in cracks, crevices, seams and dark corners of the bed, carpets, skirting and other furniture and fittings close to the bed. Search very thoroughly around the affected room. Look for the insects and their tell tale marks like black pen marks. It may even be necessary to open electrical sockets (this may require an electrician) as these are often harbourages.

• Bed Bugs can be controlled with a combination of Kiwicare products, including NO Bugs Borafume Fumigator for knock down followed by NO Fleas Total for ongoing residual protection.