Midge Fly Biology and Control of Non-Biting Aquatic Midges. BY: CHARLES APPERSON, MICHAEL WALDVOGEL AND STEPHEN BAMBARA, EXTENSION ENTOMOLOGY Non-biting midge flies or chironomids commonly occur in inland and coastal natural and man-made bodies of water. These midges are commonly known as “blind mosquitoes” because they are mosquito-like but do not bite. Midges are also called “fuzzy bills” because of the male’s bushy antennae. These aquatic insects are tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions. Chironomid midges are found in swift moving streams, deep slow moving rivers, stagn ..read more

Hendrikse is a possum hunter with a difference. Her hunting ground is not the far-flung bush of the West Coast or the ancient forests of the North Island. Instead, she carefully tracks and shoots possums less than a kilometre from Cathedral Square in the centre of Christchurch. For two decades, she has stalked her prey in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, just metres from the city’s hospital and the Canterbury Museum. Her company, Elite Pest Control, is contracted by Christchurch City Council to patrol the ornamental gardens at night about twice a month and shoot any possums she can find. Read ..read more

Article by Dawn Hendrikse Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, Elite Pest Control Limited For those of us in the field practicing Urban Pest Management daily, it is about peace of mind, protecting assets, and reducing fear and anxiety. The fear factor is what motivates our clients to call us. Most of our revenue comes from summer pest activity and it is a challenge keeping up. We look forward to the Christmas and New Year break. We eagerly await the winter season and gear up to monitor and control rodent populations in urban/residential environments. During my preparation for Univers ..read more

Dawn Hendrikse Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, Elite Pest Control Limited Last wasp season we treated 1500 wasp nests covering the entire Canterbury Area.  We made a total of 125 house and work site visits to assess for wasp activity, installed wasp traps, saved 35 bumble bee nests, and helped rescue 15 honey bee swarms. For two decades we have been managing Urban Wasps and developing our systems to; -reduce unnecessary call outs -expand our knowledge and understanding of Urban Wasp Management -refine our service to keep clients happy and returning -make genuine connect ..read more

Dawn Hendrikse Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, Elite Pest Control Limited For individuals aspiring to become self-employed or seeking a fulfilling career working for themselves, the urban pest management industry in New Zealand offers a promising opportunity. This report highlights the benefits of entering this industry, including the potential for profitability, contribution to conservation efforts, and the ability to achieve a satisfying work-life balance while building security for the future. Furthermore, the pest management industry offers tremendous opportunities for ..read more

Quick facts Psocids are common outdoor insects, although some species are occasionally found inside buildings. They rarely cause damage and are mostly just a nuisance. They do not harm people or pets. The best way to manage psocids in homes is to reduce moisture. Psocids or Book-lice They have long, filamentous antennae and a  characteristic bulging clypeus (the area just above the mouth parts). They have chewing mouth parts and the wings of domestic species are usually absent. They range in size from 1/25 to 1/13 of an inch (1 to 2 mm) in length. Colouration is from almost ..read more

Illusory and Delusory Parasitosis BY BARB OGG, PHD, Some people encounter “bites,” itching, or skin irritations thought to be caused by insects but for which no insects can be identified. Illusory parasitosis is one name used to describe bite-like symptoms caused by non-animal environmental factors. Names that people have invented for the nonexistent arthropods assumed to be the cause of the bites are “paper mites,” “sand fleas,” and “cable mites.” There are no such insects. There is an arthropod named the “house dust mite,” but these very small mites do not bite people, but feed on sloughed s ..read more

Be fly-free this summer with effective fly removal from Elite Pest Control in Canterbury. Flies are more than a nuisance, they are the most prolific vectors of disease.  Here’s why . . . Flies are born in filth and carry the diseases from that filth on their legs and bodies wherever they go.  Flies can’t eat solid food so when they settle on your food they vomit on it, then stamp on it to soften it up then they suck it back up in order to digest it. Then it’s your turn . . . A new generation of flies, under normal conditions, can be expected every 10 days.  The average egg ..read more

Felis catus have been human pets for thousands of years. When  abandoned, cats go wild very quickly and are then called feral. They are considered urban pests as they reproduce uncontrolled. They are a pest because they scavenge rubbish tins and hunt native birds. They also carry fleas, ticks, ringworm and mange  and these can infect household pets. They contaminate food and raw materials with diseases and their droppings. They can also infect farm animals and humans with toxoplasmosis and if infected can transmit tuberculosis. Life Cycle Gestation period for the female is 58 days wi ..read more