Hi there! This is Rob, your purple friend.

It’s late September and my turmeric roots (I’m an avid gardener) are shooting and ready for planting – a sure sign that the North Queensland warm and humid season is here. Pests love the warm season. As pest technicians at Zamp (www.zamp.com.au), we see many pest situations which can be easily avoided with some simple steps.

A couple of quick things before we jump into the tips:

First, the core principle of pest management is simple. Remember: pests are living creatures and need food and water to survive. Eliminate excess food and water from their environment, and they have no business being in your house.

Second, a lot of people worry that composting will attract unwanted vermin. If you like composting, we can’t recommend it enough. (If you’re local, reach out to Permaculture Townsville Facebook Page – we’re all avid gardeners and composters there, and yes, rat and vermin-free!). The trick is doing it right (think Black Solider Flies).

With no further ado, here are 3 easy ways you can reduce the potential for pests to set up shop in your home.

Freeze your food waste. Toss it out on bin day rather than leaving food scraps in bin bags to fester in the heat. Blow flies, cockroaches, and ants absolutely love festering bins. Or better yet – use black soldier flies to do the hard work. These little insects (if they’re in your house, they’re lost) are marvels of nature. They love all food types. And I mean ALL food types. No exceptions.
Wash that coffee machine. I love love love coffee, and I’m guilty of leaving damp coffee cakes too long near the coffee machine. The moisture is especially attractive to ants and cockroaches seeking hydration – before moving onto their main meals. Too often, we as pest controllers see coffee machines that have ants, cockroaches (and sometimes even mosquitoes breeding in the drip tray). Not good.
Don’t leave dishes to “soak” in the sink overnight. Whilst you’re sleeping, our insect friends are feasting on last night’s dinner. At minimum, rinse the food off dishes to reduce the food available for pests to eat.

Cheers and have a great week,

Your purple friend,

Rob.

p.s. Pet food bowls! Pick them up right after your pet has eaten – ants and cockroaches love pet food left out just as much as your pets do.