Cockroaches

There only 6 families of cockroaches found worldwide, consisting of 4000 species.

Australia has representatives of 5 of these families but with only 428 species present. Half of all the cockroaches in Australia can be found in the Blattidae family which includes both the native and introduced  species.

Spiders

Spiders are invertebrates with a two part body (cephalo thorax and abdomen), biting chelicerae and silk glands that discharge through spinnerets. They have 4 pairs of legs and additional pair of short appendages (pedipalps) beside the chelicerae. Eight is not only the number of legs spiders have. The original spiders and most still have eight eyes and if that is not enough spiders still live today which have the original complement of eight spinnerets.

Redback Spiders

Almost too familiar to need description, mature female redbacks are jet black spiders with a variable red stripe on the back of their spherical abdomen. Their tough, untidy webs are usually near the ground with the spider hiding in a shelter in a corner, often guarding her round woolly egg sacs. Immature females are smaller, usually brown with whitish markings. Males are rarely seen; they are small and brown with red and white markings.

Ants

Ants are social insects which live in nests. The nests vary in size depending on their age and the species of ant. They are generally found in the ground, in wood or under rocks, although ants can also nest in walls, fireplaces, under paths and in buildings.

Ants are a very successful insect group with over 1200 species occurring in Australia. All species can be beneficial to the environment. Some eat insect pests such as termites, their nests improve the soil, they quickly recycle nutrients back into the soil and they are food for a wide range of native birds, reptiles and other small animals.

Termites

The common name for numerous species of social insects that can damage wooden structures such as furniture or houses. Of about 2000 known species, most are distributed in tropical countries and some inhabit the temperate regions. Termites are sometimes referred to as 'white ants' because of their creamy coloring and ant-like appearance. There are over 350 species of termites in Australia of which some 20 species can damage timber in houses. In nature, they assist in the recycling of organic matter and nutrients back to the soil. 

Birds

Many companies have struggle with the impact of birds on their buildings and facilities. Pest birds can affect such sites through physical damage, food contamination, spread of disease, respiratory problems and other illnesses and finally damage to buildings, vehicles and other machinery. Most however, people fail to realise that bird droppings and nests are not only an annoyance, they also damage buildings, machinery, paint finishes and even neon signs.

Rodents - Rats/Mice

In Australia, a number of rodent species are agricultural pests. Two species, the house mouse (Mus domesticus) and black rat (Rattus rattus), were introduced around the time of European settlement. House mice are found throughout agricultural cropping areas, and around sheds and houses. When conditions are favourable, their numbers can increase to plague levels. Black rats are found throughout temperate and tropical Australia in human-modified environments.

Fleas

There are 16 different families of fleas worldwide, consisting of about 2380 species. In Australia 9 of these families are represented with just 90 different species. About half of the endemic species that occur in Australia are found in the Pygiopsyllidae family. The Pulicidae family contains many of the introduced fleas such as the cat, dog and human flea, as well as some native species. Go to our links section to find out more aboutout more about the different families of fleas.

Flies

True flies are insects of the Order Diptera (Greek: di = two, and pteron = wing), possessing a single pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax. The common housefly is a true fly and is one of the most widely distributed animals.

The presence of a single pair of wings distinguishes true flies from other insects with "fly" in their name, such as mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, stoneflies, whitefly, fireflies, alderflies, dobsonflies, snakeflies, sawflies, caddisflies, butterflies or scorpionflies. Some true flies have become secondarily wingless, especially in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, or among those that are inquilines in social insect colonies.

Bees

Bees belong to the insect Order Hymenoptera, which includes wasps, ants and sawflies. In Australia there are four main bee families: Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae. Many of these bees are solitary nesters, while others may share a nest. Others are fully social species. Although some bees sting, they are not considered to be pests as they play an important role in the Australian environment as key pollinators of many native plant species.

Wasps

Wasps are a diverse group of insects. In Australia alone there are over 12,000 species, ranging from the tiny diapriid wasps, which are barely visible to the naked eye, to the spider and cicada-killer wasps, capable of taking large prey. Most wasps have carnivorous larvae that feed on other insects and spiders. The adults provide food for them by capturing prey or by laying the egg on or near the food source, which might be an egg, larva or pupa of another insect.

Lice

Lice are small, wingless insects that are parasites of birds and mammals. They are usually less than 10 millimetres in length and are rarely seen without the aid of a microscope or magnifying glass. Lice are short lived and usually host specific.A few species of lice have adapted to live and feed on humans, such as the head louse (Pediculus capitis), the eggs of which are commonly called nits and the body louse (Pediculus humanus).

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are flat, oval insects, with very short functionless forewings. The hindwings are absent. Their mouth parts are used for both piercing and sucking and are normally held under the body. They feed exclusively on blood.

The adult bed bugs are approximately 5mm long, reddish brown in colour, becoming purple after feeding. They have well developed antennae, prominent simple eyes and clawed feet which enables them to climb rough but not smooth surfaces.

Silverfish

There are only 4 families of silverfish found worldwide, consisting of about 370 species. In Australia just 2 of these families are represented with 28 species present. The 2 Australian families are easily separated from others found throughout the world as the Nicoletiidae family are eyeless and the Lepismatidae have only small compound eyes. Go to our links section to find out more about about the families of silverfish.

Carpet Beetle

Carpet beetles damage fabrics, furnishings and clothing that contain wool, silk, hair, bristles, fur, or feathers. Synthetic items are resistant to attack, but mixtures of synthetic and natural fibres can be damaged. The natural habitats of carpet beetles are nests of birds, rodents, insects, and spiders. The beetles are pollen feeders and can be found in large numbers in flowers; they can be brought into the house in cut flowers.

Clothes Moths

Although less common than carpet beetles, clothes moths are commonly experienced in similar environments to carpet beetles, namely woollen materials, felt, fur and other materials of animal origin.The two most common species of clothes moths are the case making clothes moth (Tinea pellionella) and the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella).

Moths

There are about 22,000 species of Australian moths, of which only half have been described so far.  Apart from original descriptions (often very old and insufficient) and scientific studies on selected groups, relatively little has been published on Australian moths (see below).

For most Australian species little more than the name is known so far, and field observations on life histories are urgently needed. What does this species feed on? What do the caterpillars of this species look like? Has this courtship behaviour been observed? Which parasitoids prey on this species? Do these caterpillars have a social behaviour? Where and when does this species occur? Countless questions are still to be answered.

Weevils

A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than 6 mm (¼ inch), and herbivorous. Due to the shape of their heads, weevils are commonly known as snout beetles. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae (the true weevils). Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil (Stegobium paniceum), which belongs to the family Anobiidae.

Many weevils are damaging to crops. The grain or wheat weevil (Sitophilus granarius) damages stored grain. The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) attacks cotton crops. It lays its eggs inside unripe cotton bolls, and the young weevils eat their way out.

Possums

Brush-tailed possums are about as big as domestic cats, and have a pointed snout, pink nose, long whiskers and large ears. They also have sharp claws, which they use to climb trees and comb their fur.

Brush-tailed possums vary considerably in size and colour throughout their range. In Tasmania, they tend to be black or grey, and have adapted to the cold climate by becoming much larger and furrier than brush-tailed possums on the mainland. In Queensland, however, the animals are more copper-coloured and tend to be smaller than elsewhere.