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As NZ’s pest and plant experts we get frequent panicked phone calls from people about their home being infested by a certain type of insect or rodent - and nothing they’ve tried will get rid of it. And sadly, with our weather getting warmer and wetter, it’s creating the perfect breeding conditions for pests like ants, flies and cockroaches. Throw in a strong beech mast season and you’ll get a humbling dose of rats and mice to boot. If you’ve ever had ants take over your kitchen or worse come home from a holiday with a much-dreaded case of bed bugs, you’ll understand how hopeless it can feel when everything you try solves the problem for a day or two only for it to rear its ugly head again as if nothing has happened. The heartbreak and frustration we hear on these phone calls is real. The good news is that if you know what you’re doing, and what order to do things in, these problems are very solvable, and you’ll be on your way to a pest free future in no time.
NZ’s 10 Worst Home Pests & How to Get Rid of Them
Pest | Harm Caused | Recommended Solution |
| Transmit disease, contaminate food, a nuisance. | Flies require continuous control as new flies arrive. |
| Contaminate food, a nuisance. | Effective control requires a multi-pronged approach. |
| Transmit disease, damage buildings, hunt NZ’s native birds and compete with them for resources. | Relatively easy to control if you know what you’re doing. |
| Bites, itchiness, pervasive infestation and easily transmissible. | Very thorough treatment required. |
| Painful sting and harmful to the NZ environment. Can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. | Relatively easy to control if nests are found. |
| Transmit disease, a nuisance. | Requires combined approach and persistence. |
| Bite, transmit disease, a nuisance. | Effective control requires a multi-pronged approach. |
| Nuisance, some bite. | Relatively easy to eradicate. |
| Damage wood and can threaten the structural integrity of buildings. | Easy to control where wood can be treated. Difficult where wood is inaccessible. |
| Bites, itchiness, a nuisance. | Relatively easy to control. |
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