Possums and rodents will enter your roof space as they look for a place to shelter and nest. This can happen all year round, but particularly in winter for rodents, to escape the cold weather

In built up metropolitan areas, there are less trees, so this means that there is more competition for possums for important resources such as food and physical protection, making your roof space a very appealing option.

With rats able to squeeze through tiny openings, and both possums and rats having sensitive noses that can sniff out food sources in your kitchen, it’s often quite easy for them to find their way inside to make a mess and cause a nuisance.

Known for their fish-like scales, silverfish are segmented insects that grow 2-18mm in length, have antennae flat in shape with a wider head and tapered rear, and while they are often silver in colour, they can also be bronze, gold or even brown. They are usually covered in fine hairs, and have weak jaws, but strong chewing teeth.

Silverfish have long lifespans and can live for up to 6 years, with females laying up to 60 eggs at a time.

Although they don’t bite humans, cockroaches are able to transmit a range of nasty diseases and germs from one place to another.

This is because they live and feed in sewers, rubbish bins and other unsanitary places which are brimming with bacteria, viruses and parasites. These harmful organisms can accumulate and then be passed on through cockroach droppings and saliva. Some can even hitchhike to other places by latching onto the cockroach’s legs.

If you happen to ingest food or drink that has been in contact with a cockroach, it could well be contaminated and cause potentially serious illness. This is particularly problematic not just for homes, but also for hospitality businesses.

Skilled at surviving in different environments, cockroaches can be just as comfortable living in your rubbish bin as they are in your pantry or bathroom. However, this means that they can contaminate once-sterile surfaces and places and cause a wide range of illnesses and diseases. This includes diarrhoea, food poisoning, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and leprosy.

With sharp teeth and strong jaws, they can chew through plastic, fabric, furniture, books and leather goods.

Cockroach droppings also contain pheromones which attract more cockroaches to the same area.

Some people may even experience allergic reactions to cockroach droppings, shed skins, and saliva. Those with asthma may need to take extra precautions.

We recommend keeping cockroaches out of your home or business in the first place, as well as reducing available food sources and hiding spots.

Cockroaches will eat almost anything, including meat and vegetables, sweet or greasy foods, paper, leather and fabric. This means that it’s important to keep all food tightly stored away and ensuring that your kitchen and dining areas are clean. Wipe away spills and grease, wash cutlery and keep sinks and drains clear. Practice good hygiene when handling food. Clean tables and benches as well after use. Don’t forget to tightly seal and cover rubbish and discard pet waste.

Regular building maintenance also plays a key role in keeping cockroaches away. Being small and flat, they can crawl through small gaps to gain entry, so you’ll need to carefully check for all potential entry points and seal them with gap filler or expanding foam.

Leaking pipes and drains create a damp environment for cockroaches to thrive, so we suggest checking for leaks and repairing them as quickly as possible.

At Allstate, we understand that the last thing anyone needs is an outbreak of cockroaches in your home or business while you’ve been away for holidays. But thankfully, with the right treatment, you can have the problem under control quickly.

Since 1986, we have been providing pest control services to all suburbs of Adelaide. With a 24/7 availability, our highly trained team can provide advice for urgent enquiries in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Rest assured that our treatments are non-toxic to children, pets and the environment.

All our services come with competitive warranties and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We can even provide finance options so that you can easily access our effective cockroach managion treatments without delay.

Although flies can survive all year round, they certainly seem to hang around more often during summer.

This is because the hot weather provides ideal conditions for them to breed. In fact, it significantly speeds up the time needed for their eggs to hatch and for their larvae to mature into adults.

The heat can also drive them indoors to cooler places like your home, to seek out shade and protection, and look for breeding sites.

While there are an estimated 30,000 species of fly in Australia, we’ve put together a list of the ones that you are more likely to encounter this summer.

Houseflies
Attracted to food scraps, compost and waste, houseflies are dull grey in colour, with 4 stripes on their thorax. They grow up to 1/4 inch long.

Bushflies
With a similar appearance to house flies, bush flies can grow up to 2-6mm long. They are drawn to body fluids on mammals, such as sweat, saliva and tears, as well as animal waste.

Blowflies
Large and shiny looking, blowflies are usually 2-18mm long, dull grey or black coloured and covered with hairs. They prefer to feed on rotten food including waste from hospitality venues, as well as dead animals such as birds and rodents.

Horseflies
Feeding on blood from mammals, horseflies are drawn to livestock and humans. They are quite large and easy to spot, as they grow up to 10-30mm long, and have a grey or black colour.

Mosquitoes
Well known for their itchy bites as they draw blood to feast on, mosquitoes are a type of fly. They are mostly grey coloured and grow between 0.1-0.4 inches long.

As notorious scavengers, flies are drawn to a variety of potential food sources. While some flies are attracted to decaying organic matter including rotten protein and waste, others are more drawn to sugary substances. Either way, it’s important to deter them from coming inside and causing a nuisance.

Physically covering all potential entry points is a good starting point. Consider installing fly screens over windows and doors, particularly in the kitchen and waste areas. Seal gaps around doors and windows.

We also recommend avoiding leaving food out in the open and keeping waste covered. With their highly sensitive antennae, they’re able to detect food sources from long distances away. So, you can consider regularly cleaning your kitchen by wiping and clearing away food debris and spills from tables, benches and sinks, washing dishes and cutlery, as well as mopping floors. Remove garbage and pet waste regularly and make sure bins have tight-fitting lids.

Remove water sources by fixing leaking taps, pipes and drains. Also, don’t forget to remove food blockages from pipes and drains.

For many of us, it’s a nuisance and distraction to have to constantly swat flies away whilst trying to enjoy summer festivities and outdoor dining.

That’s why at Allstate, our expert pest control technicians are fully equipped to combat all fly outbreaks in residential, commercial and industrial settings across all suburbs of Adelaide. Available 24/7, we are always ready to answer your urgent enquiries.

As a family-owned business, we’ve been providing pest control since 1986. We use modern, innovative treatments which are nontoxic for pets, people and the environment.

Covered by competitive warranties and a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all our services, you can even make use of our payment plans to access fast fly extermination at any time.

Although there are over 300 species of termites known to Australia, there are only a few that are known to cause significant damage to buildings, timber and other cellulose-rich products.

As different species have their own nesting and feeding behaviours, knowing exactly which termite is responsible for the infestation can help your pest technician to come up with an effective approach to treat the problem for good.

Depending on their role in the colony, termites from the same nest can vary in appearance. For example, if you see winged termites or swarmers, this could mean that the colony is spreading to other locations so your property may be at risk of multiple attacks.

Known as “rotten wood” termites, dampwood termite colonies are generally small and don’t cause extensive structural damage like drywood, and therefore tend to be considered a more minor pest than other termite species.

Dampwood termites are mainly found in areas with high moisture content and decaying wood, especially timber that is stored outside. This includes such as tree stumps and logs, as well as buildings and fences that remain in contact with soil.

They tend to be larger in size compared to other termite species, ranging from 1/2 an inch to 5/8 inch in length, with creamy white to brown coloured bodies.

No matter the species of termite, there are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of termites invading your home or business.

Firstly, we recommend having termite inspections at least once a year to detect the earliest signs of termite activity. At Allstate, our licensed termite inspectors are always fully equipped to provide comprehensive termite assessments to residential, commercial and industrial properties.

As high moisture levels can attract termites, it’s worthwhile checking for any leaks in your roof, pipes and drains. Also remember to look for condensation in your heating and cooling systems. Fixing these problems early can make a big difference in reducing your risk of a termite infestation.

We also recommend regular yard maintenance to remove old tree stumps and trimming back shrubs and tree branches that are growing against the walls of your building. Store piles of wood and timber in a dry area away from your home and repair damaged wooden furniture with sealed and treated wood.

Learn more about termite inspections here.

With many species of termites posing a risk to homes and businesses in South Australia, it’s essential to avoid the extensive damage and costly repair bills caused by termite activity.

Fortunately at Allstate, we offer regular comprehensive termite inspections conducted by licensed termite inspectors, and targeted treatment and preventative options to protect you and your family.

Family owned and operated, we have been providing pest control services to all suburbs of Adelaide since 1986. Available 24/7 for urgent enquiries, our technicians use modern and innovative pest management methods to help residential, commercial and industrial clients.

Our products and services are backed by competitive warranties, a 100% service guarantee and we also have payment plans available.

For more information on our termite control services, you can visit our termite control page .

Summer is the peak time for many insects to emerge from winter hibernation in order to reproduce and look for food. Hungry spiders are no exception.

With plenty of food sources around to support their mating season, you’ll tend to notice spiders around the place more often as they sneak indoors to escape the heat.

While there are an estimated 10,000 species of spiders living in Australia, most of them aren’t harmful to humans. Although they’ll most likely bite when they are disturbed, these bites aren’t usually venomous or painful. They might just leave a mild, itchy bump on the skin for a short time.

However, spiders with more potent venomous bites can cause more serious illness which requires immediate medical attention. The good news is that there are antivenom treatments readily available, so you should be fine if you see the doctor quickly.

Known for their dark red to grey, cigar-shaped body with a characteristic white spot at the tip, white tail spiders are a nocturnal hunting spider. While they don’t spin webs to catch insects, instead, they hunt other spiders for food, such as daddy long legs, redback and black house spiders.

You’ll find them living beneath leaf litter and piles of vegetation in your garden, as well as underneath tree bark and rocks.

Males grow up to 12mm long and females up to 20mm long.

Often confused with funnel web spiders, mouse spiders have a distinctive bulb-shaped head and jaw.

You’ll find them in burrows that can be more than 1m deep, so they are more reclusive than aggressive by nature.

They are mainly black or dark blue in colour but can have bright red or orange-red coloured jaws or around their eyes, as well as a light grey to white patch on top of their abdomen. Adult mouse spiders vary from 10-35mm in length.

A common sight around the home, black house spiders spin fine, lacy webs in zig zag patterns that aren’t sticky. However, they do leave behind old sheets which become messy.

They grow up to 15mm long and are dark brown to black, with a textured velvet appearance.

Black house spiders prefer living in dry habitat areas and secluded locations such as window frames, gutters, eaves, bricks, garages, sheds and even toilets. Outdoors, you may come across them among rocks and underneath tree bark, or inside tree trunks and logs.

The best way to keep spiders away from your home or business is to seal off entry points, reduce the number of hiding spots and remove all potential food sources.

Regularly cleaning inside, such as sweeping, wiping and mopping can assist with removing insects that attract spiders, and clearing away cobwebs and spider eggs. Don’t forget to check behind the furniture, window corners and other less frequented areas.

We also recommend regular garden and yard maintenance, such as trimming back plants and trees that are growing close to your building to reduce access, as well as mowing lawns. Dispose of litter piles such as leaves and move wood piles away from your building. Keep compost and rubbish bins well secured. However, please take care to wear gloves when gardening in case you happen to disturb some deadly spiders!

You can also purchase insect repelling night light bulbs from your local hardware store.

Coming into summer, the last thing you need to worry about is deadly spiders lurking around when you just want to relax and enjoy outdoor activities.

That’s why at Allstate, we’re available 24/7 for urgent advice to all suburbs of Adelaide. No matter if you’re in a commercial, residential or industrial building, our fully equipped technicians are ready to assist with spider outbreaks of all sizes.

Since 1986, we have been providing pest control services with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and covered by competitive warranties. With payment plans now available, we can resolve all your spider problems quickly with our innovative, long-lasting treatments.