| Little sun but lots of insects in Hawke's Bay There wasn't much sun in Hawke's Bay this summer, but there were plenty of white-tailed spiders, flies, ants and cockroaches. "Some species around seem big, like cockroaches seem to be bigger in numbers and more rurally. Sam's Pest Control owner Sam Bradshaw said flies were his customer's biggest problem. "It is quite noticeably up on last year and it is white-taileds mainly. "Flies have really gone hard in the last month with the humidity," he said. Ace Eradicators Ltd owner Kerry McKinnie said the business had done a lot more white-tailed spider and ant exterminations than previous summers. "Every year is different with the different weather patterns coming through but this year you've certainly got a couple of areas with pockets of flies. Another issue for customers was cockroach infestations, said Pest Control Services' Garon Buczynski. "We are getting a wide spread of the Argentines," he said. "Basically there is an increase of these things in summer anyway, but we have had a relatively cool summer and it's been quite humid - they love humidity," Te Papa entomologist Phil Sirvid said. "Normally you can get a hot summer and the grass and vegetation dries out, but this summer it is lush and green," he said. Baywide Home Services' Mike Isaacson said ants were also a problem for his customers, especially Argentine Ants. "I have had a lot of inquiries from the public about spiders. Calls were beginning to come in about an increase in spider numbers, particularly larger species - an issue which would be likely to worsen with the change in seasons Mr Sirvid said. Mr Sirvid said unusual weather patterns for Hawke's Bay probably contributed to the rise in pests. "For example in autumn, you can get a large amount of male spiders coming in to breed to continue the species," he said. |
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Little sun but lots of insects in Hawke's Bay
