ISSUE 8
June
2013
Environmental
Health
matters
Message from the Health Team
Welcome to the eighth edition of
‘Health Matters’. In this quarterly
publication we outline issues to
ensure a safer and healthier
community.
Pests are unwanted visitors (such
as animals and insects) that cause
damage to properties, contaminate
food and can cause significant
illness in some circumstances.
This edition covers the important
issue of the control and prevention
of pests.
This is a serious issue for everyone;
the consequences of poor pest
control could cause serious harm.
Wanganui District Council wants to
assist the general public in the
eradication of pests so that we do
not have population explosions and
the resulting associated health
issues that may arise.
Doug, Karl, Therese & Clive
Environmental Health Team
General pest control
A food pest is an animal/insect that lives
on food and is destructive, noxious and
troublesome. Insect food pests like food
with a low moisture content, such as
flour, wheat, grain. These pests include
beetles, weevils, moths, lice and mites.
Pests require food, shelter and security.
Denial of these environmental factors
will prevent their survival and is the first
line of defence against possible
infestations. Environmental control can
be achieved by denying the pests:
1. Access—through care in the design,
maintenance and proofing of buildings.
Doors, windows and screens must be
kept closed to prevent entry.
2. Food and places for them to hide - by
good housekeeping.
Reasons for control
1)
2)
3)
4)
To prevent the spread of disease.
To prevent wastage of food.
To prevent damage.
To comply with the law.
Note:
Refer to the Yellow Pages for suppliers and registered pest controllers.
Have you seen any of these? It
might be time to consider
control and prevention
measures.
PESTS
Rats & mice
Signs of presence
Obvious signs of infestation are
droppings. Rodents may gnaw
holes in doors and walls. These
holes show distinct grooves and
tooth marks.
Prevention tips.
Keep your grass short and
remove weeds. Keep compost
bins tidy, remove leaf litter,
fallen fruit and rubbish regularly.
Mice can fit through a gap
12mm in diameter.
Baiting
Traps or a rodenticide can be
used. Baits need to be secured
if in block form, otherwise they
will be taken and stored by rats.
Ensure you secure your baits.
Flies
Prevention tips
To prevent flies from
accumulating, clean up food
waste immediately.
Deny access to breeding sites
by using tight fitting lids on
rubbish bins. Fit fly screens to
prevent access inside.
Insecticidal sprays and dusts
may be applied to breeding
sites. TIP: Clear coffee cups
and beer bottles as they are
attracted to this type of food.
REMEMBER INSECTICIDES
CAN BE HARMFUL. ALWAYS
USE AS PER
MANUFACTURER’S
INSTRUCTIONS.
Cockroaches
Prevention and control
Indoors
Keep premises as clean as
possible. Attention must be paid
to places such as the back of
cupboards and under
refrigerators and ovens.
Apply pesticide to entryways,
corners, closets, windows,
sliding door tracks, under sinks
and storage areas as well as
under kitchen appliances.
Outdoors
Treat soffits, window casings,
doorframes, garage doors,
around plumbing and any points
of entry. Pay particular attention
to cracks and crevices.
Environmental
Health Matters
Locate places where they hide
during the daytime and apply
insecticide to maximise the
likelihood of a lethal dose.
Use insecticides according to
manufacturer’s instructions.
This can mean reapplying the
spray every six months.
Voids in which cockroaches can
harbour should be sealed. An
attractant can be used but this
needs to be applied by a pest
controller.
The most difficult conditions for
controlling cockroaches are
where the insects can enter but
the pest controller is unable to
follow.
Spraying and baiting
Pests can be controlled using
sprays, dust or baits containing
insecticide.
Ants
Ants are prevalent in
Wanganui. In order to keep
ants at bay, remove and clean
up all food sources.
The best way to get rid of ants
is by first finding their nests.
This can be done by following
ants that are carrying food
back to their nests.
travelling. The worker ants will
collect this bait and take it
back to their nest where they
will feed it to the queen and
larvae.
New Zealand has about 28
foreign ant species, which
have come mostly from
Australia. Some ant species
could harm the environment.
Often the nest is outside in
sandy soil, under paving
stones or in cracks or
crevices. Nests are usually in
a sunny, warm, dry site.
Ant bait or a pest controller
are needed to remove ants.
Ant bait needs to be placed in
a clean container where the
ants have been seen
Contact us:
Wanganui District Council,
101 Guyton Street, PO Box 637, Wanganui 4500
www.wanganui.govt.nz
Spiders
in particular
white tailed spider
These spiders live in gardens,
inside houses, beneath bark
and rock and are found in the
folds of clothes, towels and
inside shoes.
The bite of a white tailed
spider is normally harmless
but occasionally they can
result in a deep ulcer of skin
necrosis (where the area of
skin around the bite dies).
Prevention
The use of spider sprays is
recommended. Also physically
kill any that you see.
Spraying of roof voids with
residual insecticide is
recommended, or use a bug
bomb fumigator if the voids
are hard to access.
White tailed spiders are 12mm
to 17mm long and they make Wanganui District Council has a
a zigzag type web.
pamphlet and other information
on pest control. Please contact
our Environmental Health
Team on 349 0001 for further
information.
Phone (06) 349 0001
Fax (06) 349 0000
Email [email protected]