Pest Library

Know your pest

Identifying what you are dealing with is the first step to sorting it out. Browse the common pests found in Sydney homes and learn how each one behaves.

Termites

Termites

Subterranean termites are the most destructive pest in New South Wales, quietly consuming structural timber from the inside out.

Cockroaches

German Cockroaches

The small, fast breeding cockroach that infests Sydney kitchens, units and food areas.

American Cockroaches

Large reddish brown roaches that travel through drains, subfloors and roof voids.

Australian Cockroaches

A common outdoor cockroach often found in gardens, roof voids and around the home's perimeter.

Rodents

Roof Rats

Agile climbers that favour ceilings, roof voids and the upper levels of Sydney homes.

Norway Rats

Ground dwelling rats that burrow around foundations, drains and subfloors.

House Mice

Small rodents that squeeze through the tiniest gaps and breed rapidly indoors.

Ants

Black Ants

The black house ant, the most common trailing ant in Sydney kitchens.

Coastal Brown Ants

Also called big headed ants, they push up soil between pavers and along garden edges.

White Footed House Ants

Black ants with pale feet that form very large colonies in wall cavities and roof voids.

Argentine Ants

An invasive ant that forms enormous interconnected supercolonies.

Spiders

Redback Spiders

A dangerous native spider common in sheltered spots around Sydney homes.

White Tail Spiders

A wandering hunter that comes indoors chasing other spiders.

Huntsman Spiders

Large, fast and harmless spiders that startle homeowners on the wall.

Funnel Web Spiders

One of the world's most venomous spiders, found across greater Sydney.

Wasps & Bees

European Wasps

An aggressive introduced wasp that builds large, hidden nests.

Paper Wasps

Slender wasps that build open, umbrella shaped nests under eaves.

Bees

Vital pollinators best relocated rather than destroyed when they swarm on a home.

Other

Fleas

Tiny biting insects that thrive in Sydney's warm months and infest carpet and bedding.

Bed Bugs

Blood feeding insects that hide around the bed and spread through luggage and furniture.

Silverfish

Wingless insects that damage paper, fabric and stored goods in humid corners.

Carpet Beetles

Small beetles whose larvae feed on wool, carpet and natural fibres.

Pantry Moths

Also called Indian meal moths, they infest stored grains and dry goods.

Clothes Moths

Small moths whose larvae eat holes in wool, silk and natural fibres.

Fruit Flies

Tiny flies that swarm around ripe fruit and kitchen waste.

Drain Flies

Small fuzzy flies that breed in the organic film inside drains.

Mosquitoes

Biting insects that breed in standing water around Sydney yards.

Earwigs

Nocturnal insects with rear pincers that shelter in damp garden areas.

Millipedes

The introduced Portuguese millipede invades homes in large numbers after rain.

Bird Mites

Tiny mites that leave abandoned bird nests and move indoors to bite people.

Wildlife

Pest Birds

Pigeons, starlings and Indian mynas roost on buildings and under solar panels.