The Complete Queensland Pest Control Guide

A Comprehensive Guide For Homeowners

The lush and diverse ecosystem of Queensland makes it a magnet for tourists – as well as a breeding ground for unwanted insects and other creatures. These troublesome animals are destructive to all aspects of the state, causing everything from domestic nuisance and discomfort to the destruction of major crops and jeopardy of the state’s industry.

The cost of managing and mitigating these pests – which range from spiders and ants to toads and feral pigs – is an ever-increasing concern. The Australian government has even implemented policies to help with the pest-control cause, and the resulting laws, regulations, and expenses make for a soup of confusion and stress.

Fortunately, this article is here to guide you through the ins and outs of pest control in Queensland. Whether you are a farmer, landowner, or resident, this guide will give you the tools, strategies, and peace of mind to beat any pest infestation – and emerge stronger, smarter, and more resilient than ever before.

Pests in Queensland Overview

Pests comprise a broad category of insects, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. They are also known as invasive animals,’ which makes them different for each nation and geographic location – depending on which species are considered threatening to a particular area. Pests are commonly divided into three general categories:

• Prohibited invasive animals
• Restricted invasive animals
• Other invasive animals

Prohibited Invasive Animals

They are unestablished animals whose presence would seriously threaten the health and well-being of a particular environment. If animals of this category are spotted in Queensland, they must be immediately reported to authorities under the general biosecurity obligation (GBO). Prohibited invasive animals in Queensland include the following species:

• African serval
• Asian bag mussel
• Asian spined toad
• Brown mussel
• Chinese mitten crab
• Cobra
• Green iguana
• Indian mongoose
• Japanese seaweed
• Red swamp crayfish
• Southeast Asian box turtle
• Tropical fire ant
• White colonial sea squirt
• American corn snake
• Asian green mussel
• Boa constrictor
• Black-striped false mussel
• Chinese stripe-necked turtle
• Ferret
• Harris mud crab
• Indian palm squirrel
• Large earth bumblebee
• Savannah cat
• Stoat
• Varroa mite

Restricted Invasive Animals

They are established in Queensland but still threatening to the health and functioning of the state. This category includes the following species:

• Asian honey bee
• Blackbuck antelope
• Feral chital deer
• Climbing perch
• Electric ant
• Feral cat
• Feral pig
• Fox
• Rabbit
• Red-eared slider turtle
• Sambar deer
• Wild dog
• Barbary sheep
• Carp
• Chinese weatherfish
• Dingo
• Feral fallow deer
• Feral goat
• Fire ant
• Gambusia (mosquitofish)
• Feral red deer
• Feral rusa deer
• Tilapia
• Yellow crazy ant

Invasive Animals

Finally, other invasive animals include the following species:

• Alexandrine parakeet
• Assassin snail
• Blackbird
• Camel
• Chinese long-horned beetle
• Goldfish
• Hog deer
• Indian house crow
• Indian ringneck parrot
• Jungle myna
• Monk parakeet
• Platy
• Rosy barb
• Small hive beetle
• Spur-throated locust
• Water buffalo
• Yellow-winged locust
• Asian house gecko
• Australian plague locust
• Browsing ant
• Cane toad
• Feral horse
• Granulate ambrosia beetle
• House mouse
• Indian myna
• Jaguar cichlid
• Migratory locust
• Pacific rat
• Red-billed quelea
• Sailfin molly
• Spiked-top apple snail
• Swordtail
• White cloud minnow

Pests in Queensland comprise a vast and varied selection of species – and the catalog continues to grow. However, the pests you will most likely encounter are smaller in size, comprising mostly insects. These small but mighty creatures will be discussed in a later section of this article.

Importance of Pest Control

Pests have significantly impacted the environmental, economic, and social sectors of Queensland. For example, it is estimated that feral pigs will have reduced grain production by $12 million per year.

Furthermore, pests have negatively impacted the living conditions of both urban and rural areas of Queensland. These destructive effects include:

• Water quality reduction
• Soil erosion
• Loss of native plants
• General domestic disturbance
• Transmission of disease
• Threats to domestic animals
• Increasing pest control costs

Pest control is a constant and unrelinquishable necessity. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, it is everyone’s responsibility to prevent and mitigate the impacts of pests on domestic residences, human health, the economy, and the environment. While professional pest-control services and resources are available to help, landowners and residents of Queensland are encouraged to play an active part in helping to manage the proliferation and havoc of these creatures.

DIY Pest Control Options

The Biosecurity Act 2014 enforces a system of general biosecurity obligation (GBO), which means that everyone who lives in Queensland is responsible for managing biosecurity risks that meet the following criteria:

• • Are under your control

• Are within your awareness
• Furthermore, if you decide to deal with a biosecurity risk, you must also:
• Prevent or minimize the risk
• Limit a ‘biosecurity event’
• Avoid or minimize harmful effects

For clarification, a ‘biosecurity risk’ is the risk associated with any pest, disease, contaminant, or carrier (such as soil and plants). A ‘biosecurity event’ is an event, caused by any pest, disease, or contaminant, that is threatening to a person’s health or the environment.

Although this may seem like a lot of technical jargon, it is important for every resident to be aware of how the state handles pests and their risks. The stakes are the highest for commercial growers and the lowest for residential gardeners. However, anyone who lives in the state is obligated to properly deal with pest-related issues when they arise.

You are not expected to become a scientific expert on invasive species – only to take reasonable and practical steps (those that are within your power) to limit the risks and manage the damage.

Here are some of the best DIY pest control options:

Develop a Preventative Gameplan

The Queensland government calls this an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy. This is particularly recommended for commercial growers and producers who must have meticulous control over their facilities and materials, but it is useful for residents as well. This method has three basic components:

• Environmental control
• Cultural control
• Chemical control

Environmental Control Strategies

The environmental conditions must be just right to deter pests – and keep them away for good. The main variables in this preventative strategy are temperature and relative humidity. Hence, try to keep both of these down, avoiding humidity levels of 60 to 80 percent. In general, try to eliminate or reduce sources of moisture.

Cultural Control Strategies

Hiring pest-control support is a crucial way to minimise the risks posed by invasive species – especially if you are not frequently around your property. In most cases, having an extra pair of eyes to monitor your home or facility is imperative to successful pest prevention and management. These experts can help you record, track, and report any pests to get a leg up on these invasive enemies.

However, there are some cultural control strategies you can implement by yourself. For example, you can construct or purchase blunder traps, which have a sticky base that traps the insect’s feet. For the best result, record and track the frequent locations of any pests and place the traps in these areas. Keep in mind that while these traps are effective for reducing the prevalence of a certain pest, they may attract other species (depending on the bait used).

You can also equip and safeguard your home or facility to prevent pests from invading interior spaces. For example, you can seal wall cracks with caulk and weatherproof doors and windows. Monitoring any water leaks or other abnormalities is also important – allowing you to investigate and pest-proof before it’s too late.

Finally, make sure to conceal your food supply from pests. This goes for drinks as well (besides water). Follow a proper system of food consumption and disposal, setting off specific areas for eating food and using sealed containers to store waste. Keep in mind that indoor plants and flower arrangements may also attract pests.

Ask yourself

To implement the necessary cultural control strategies, it may be helpful to think like a pest (literally).

• Is there any place, nook, or opening in my house or facility that even the smallest insect could crawl through?
• Is every possible entrance in my house or facility pest-proofed?
• If I were a pest, would I want to set up camp in this house or facility? (Think temperature, humidity, food sources, waste, and accessibility.)

Chemical Control Strategies

Finally, if all else fails, you have one more option: chemical pest-control, also known as pesticides. This is a last resort because the substance of commercial-grade pesticides is toxic to humans. Additionally, it can damage items such as photographs and furniture.

However, pesticides are often a necessity given the incessant prevalence and proliferation of pests in Queensland. Although it may require multiple treatments in some cases, it is the most potent and powerful strategy of pest control.

You can either purchase professional-grade pesticides or hire an expert to administer the proper treatment. If you choose to do it yourself, wood treatments (which use the chemical borate) are ideal. You can also use soil-based solutions, which include chemicals such as acetamiprid, fipronil, and bifenthrin. There are options for more powerful treatments, but these include more hazardous chemicals, such as diflubenzuron, lufenuron, and hexaflumuron. Also, if you are treating an interior environment, you may want to consider using tape or tarp to protect certain items.

Chemical-Free Options

If you simply can’t bring yourself to spray all those chemicals in your home or in your yard, there are still some options. Although they will not be quite as effective, they are still worth a try. For example, you can construct physical barriers to deter most pests. These are often made from items such as sand and steel mesh. Lastly, you may opt to use biological agents, such as fungi.

Common Pests

Some of the most common household pests in Queensland include flies, cockroaches, fleas, ants, mosquitoes, mites, rats, mice, and bed bugs. Here is a general overview of the most prevalent of these insects, including information about their habitats, lifecycles, and breeding sources.

Flies

The scientific name for these flying insects is diptera. Lower classifications of this order include the mosquito, horse-fly, crane fly, fruit fly, botfly, flesh fly, and hoverfly. Moreover, these tiny, two-winged creatures are found in rubbish, food scraps, leach drains, septic tanks, dirty benches and tables, eaves, animal feces, and lawn clippings.

Adult flies lay eggs in organic material such as food scraps, and in just a few hours, these eggs turn into larvae (called maggots). The maggots grow quickly, feeding on the nesting material. After four to five days, the maggots move to an area with dry soil and turn into pupae – bodies consisting of hard, oblong, brown or black shells (called a pupal case) in which the fly grows and develops. These are often mistaken for mice droppings due to their size and color. Finally, after another four to five days, the adult flies emerge, burrow out of the soil, and fly off.

Flies are dangerous little agents, as they can easily bring germs to your fork, for example, and ultimately to your mouth. They may also infect open wounds. They can carry diseases such as salmonellosis, shigellosis, trachoma, and hepatitis A.

The best way to manage flies is to eliminate or reduce their breeding places. Seal your rubbish bin and empty it regularly. If you notice maggots, be sure to exterminate them right away. In general, make sure to closely monitor and mitigate areas that might attract these pests.

Cockroaches

The scientific name for these is blattodea. Lower classifications of this order include giant cockroaches, termites, blattidae, cryptocercus, ectobiidae, mastotermitidae, blaberoidea, and manipulator. Moreover, the three most common types in Australia are the German Cockroach, Australian Cockroach, and American Cockroach.

German Cockroaches are most often found in kitchens, storerooms, and any areas where food is produced. They are not able to fly. The Australian Cockroach, which can fly, is larger and distinguished by yellow markings. It is typically found outside, usually in woodpiles or tree bark, and it typically feeds on plant food.

The American Cockroach is one of the largest of all cockroach types. It can fly, and it is distinguished by a red-brown hue with a pale yellow line around its head. It is attracted to warm and moist environments. Also, it is very widespread and may be found in eaves, sewers, drains, rubbish, cellars, grease traps, and food.

Like flies, baby cockroaches grow and develop in egg cases. When they hatch, they become nymphs and grow into their adult size through moulting. The length of this process depends on the species, but the range is one to twelve months.

Cockroaches can carry the same bacterial and viral diseases as flies. The same rules apply for controlling these pesky insects: seal rubbish containers, fill in cracks, and regularly clean shelves and other areas where food particles may accumulate.

Mosquitoes

The scientific name for these blood-sucking creatures is culicidae, under the order diptera. They comprise around 3,500 different species. Like flies, they have a mouth (proboscis), but it is sharp, allowing them to penetrate human skin.

They lay their eggs in water, grass, or leaves. After a few days, the larvae (called wrigglers) hatch – but only if there is enough moisture in the environment (for example, after it rains). In several days, the wrigglers turn into pupae called tumblers. Finally, in one to four days, the adult mosquito will emerge. From here, its life cycle is typically five to ten days.

Mosquitoes can carry a variety of diseases, including Ross River virus disease, Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE), and Dengue fever. To manage these lethal insects, try to keep water from collecting in open areas such as tin cans, gutters, and drains.

How to Find a Pest Controller

If you are considering a pest controller (officially called a professional pest control operator, or PCO), first make sure they are licensed. This is important for both domestic and commercial sites. There are two types of pest control licenses in Queensland:

• Pest Management Technician License
• Termite Management License

These licenses are issued by the Queensland Department of Health and the Department of Primary Industries. Therefore, to be eligible for these licenses, a PCO must:

• Be at least 17 years of age
• Suitable for the license
• Qualified in their area of pest management

Licenses are also provided for herbicide use, fumigation services, commercial operators, and QBCC contractors. Chemical Termite Management and Physical Termite Management fall under the QBCC contractor license. Also, both require the PCO to carry professional indemnity insurance. In Queensland, all PCOs must receive certification from a recognized training organization (RTO).

Conclusion

Pest control will always be a necessity in Queensland – but, given the volatile and complex nature of these creatures, complete control is not always possible. However, there are many preventative and mitigative steps, at both the DIY and professional levels, that you can take to manage your home, facility, or business. While pests are a problem, they do not have all the power.