Frequently Asked Questions

Ants are social insects that often form colonies of many thousands of individuals. In fact they can even form clusters of colonies – all in communication with one another. Foraging worker ants will search for food and are often found in scent trails running into homes, particularly kitchens and pantries. These food trails can be shared by more than one colony or even more than one variety of ant. Ants form nests in dry, warm, spaces, often below paving, concrete, driveways, stones and even within the fabric of a building. Treatment will in most cases require a multi-pronged approach consisting of spraying, baiting and sand barrier spreading. For more detailed information please feel free to give us a call.

Spiders

There are many people with a fear of spiders. Nearly all spiders produce venom but there are few spiders in New Zealand that can cause harm to humans. They include the white tail spider, the Australian Redback and the native katipo. One of the main reasons that people dislike spiders is that they produce webs and webbing that can be unsightly around the eaves and gutters of houses or on fences and furniture. Because spiders are carniverous and prey on insects and other spiders, a general spider spray treatment will remedy most issues you have with these creepy crawlies.

Flies

Although most flies can pose a threat to hygiene, the main problem with them is that they are just such a nuisance! Identifying and remedying fly breeding sites and fly food sources will contribute to getting these little annoyances under control. Checking drains, compost heaps and bins for maggots, and applying a residual pesticide to areas where flies congregate can help to minimise their impact. Additional practices such as keeping surfaces clean and adding screens and barriers that reduce the risk of flies gaining entry to your home – or business, are all part of a good fly management plan.

Carpet Beetle

Damaged and threadbare patches and corners of your carpet are indicators of carpet beetle. The carpet beetle larva is what destroys carpet fibre as it feeds on the wool or other natural fibrous material. They are commonly found under furnature that is up against a wall or where curtains meet the floor. Treating problem areas once these have been identified will halt deterioration but to prevent them can be difficult. Nevertheless, an annual general nuisance spray treatment will go a long way in minimising the possibility of them ever getting established.

Wasps and Bees

Problem wasps can be distinguished from bees by their shiny hairless bodies and distinct black and yellow stripes. Honey bees have much less distinct stripes of browns. German wasps will often nest in holes in the ground – generally around the root sysyem of a tree or in a cavity such as in a house eave or wall. The Asian Paper wasp forms much smaller colonies than the German and the nest will commonly be seen hanging from a fence, eave or branch.

Honey bees are not to be confused with wasps. Bees are truly beneficial insects producing honey and pollinating our crops and flowers. Bees may show up all of a sudden in a flying swarm and then form a mass which will hang from a branch or something similar. If you contact us when the bees are still in this state we can salvage them relatively easily. But even if the bees have made themselves at home somewhere in a wall or other cavity, please consider contacting us to remove them rather than have them destroyed.

Wasps and bees both have stings to which some individuals are particularly susceptible. On rare occasions a sting can cause anaphylactic shock. For those not allergic to wasp or bee stings a sting on the throat or mouth can still be dangerous if the swelling blocks airways. On such occasions seek immediate medical advice immediately. Wasps or bees should not be tackled without a sound knowledge of the risks.

Our Current Specials and Offers

If you are concerned about how long your carpet or upholstery will take to dry then please feel free to ask us about our free dryer use when you call to book your carpets or upholstery to be cleaned.

Training

Training is valuable – but can really only take you so far. Much more important is understanding how that knowledge can be used laterally. Not just doing stuff because that’s what the book says, but really knowing why that is the best way for things to be done. In this way you can tackle problems that you’ve never faced before because you understand the principles of how and why things work in certain ways.

Despite this viewpoint I do train regularly with a variety nationwide agencies – primarily to keep my mind open to variable approaches to prospective situations.

Will Cleaning My Carpet Strip It Of It’s Natural Oils?

The short answer is no! This is because before the carpet is even made it is washed and refined removing most – if not all of the lanolin which was originally in the wool. If the lanolin wasn’t thoroughly cleansed from the wool in the first place, then the carpet would be greasy and would attract soils and grit.

How Long Will My Carpet Take To Dry?

This question is sometimes answered rhetorically, “how long is a piece of string?” This is because there are many factors involved. Such things as the weather, the time of year, how dirty the carpet is and even the time of day all play a part in determining how long your carpet will take to dry. If it is the time of year when it is taking longer for your clothes to dry on the clothesline, then your carpet will also take longer to dry. If the carpet is particularly soiled it will require deeper cleaning and will likely be wetter. In most cases it will not be until overnight that the drying is complete – all things taken into consideration.

When Can I Start Walking On And Using The Carpet After Cleaning?

Immediately! You are fine to walk on the carpet straight away but we recommend that you consider these reminders:
1. Be mindful of where you have been walking so as not to transfer dirt onto the clean carpet
2. Be cautious when walking from wet carpet to hard floors, especially tile, as it can be very slippery.
3. Most furniture can be moved back immediately, but antique furniture or furniture with metallic feet should be left off until the carpet has thoroughly dried.

How Often Should I Get My Carpets Cleaned?

Whereas most carpet cleaners might be inclined to say that you NEED you carpets cleaned every 6 months, we feel that it depends much on how your carpets are used. The carpets in a house with 2-3 school age kids is obviously going to need more attention than the bach which gets only a few weeks of use the entire year. Whatever your situation, the longevity of your floor coverings depends on their proper maintenance which includes regular vacuuming and scheduled cleaning – depending on your needs. In most cases an annual clean will help you to stay consciencious about keeping them in good condition for the remainder of the year!

Are the Pest Conrol Products You Use Safe?

All man-made chemical substances carry risks! From, soaps and shampoos to petrols, oils and pest control products. The key to using them safely is understanding, then managing the potential risks they pose. We have industry based guidelines which we are obliged to apply – but above this we have our own health and safety policies which help us to eliminate any potential risks before they arise. Cilck the following links to see our Hazard Management Checksheet, or our Pest Spray Safety and Preparation Guidelines.