As heavy rainfall continues to batter Australia’s eastern coast, homeowners in NSW are dealing with a series of risks and problems brought by a third consecutive La Niña summer. While the rising costs of living and congested stormwater drains are among them, there’s a more urgent – and unnerving – issue ‘coming out of the woodwork’: a surge in household pest infestations of critters like termites, cockroaches, and rats. With pest control services in high demand, it’s important to keep on top of pest problems from the start to protect your home from damage.

With more rain and humid weather on the way over summer, we’re looking at which homes are at risk, the damage household pests can cause, and how you can best protect your home from a costly – and creepy – pest infestation.

Which homes are at risk of pest infestations?

Any home can suffer a pest infestation if the conditions pests love are present. It could be food scraps in the kitchen attracting cockroaches, or it could be an extremely dry summer sending ants inside your house in search of water.

But the reason that we’re seeing a spate of pest infestations right now is the characteristic humid, warm, and rainy conditions that La Niña brings. 

All pests love warm weather, but the humidity and moisture is a bonus that creates the ideal breeding ground. Pests like cockroaches, termites, ants, and mosquitos are able to have bumper breeding seasons in La Niña weather because of this. Heavy rainfall can also cause ant nests to flood, causing them to relocate to drier spots nearby – like your house.

So, older homes with poor ventilation or moisture issues are at increased risk of pest infestations. People living in art deco apartment blocks, Queenslander style homes, Californian bungalows and terrace homes in particular should keep an eye out for looming pest problems.

demand for pest control services - termite infestation

The damage caused to timber by a termite infestation. Credit: Adobe Stock

The damage pest infestations can cause

Some pests are more dangerous to homes than others. While cockroaches and ants are certainly unhygienic and extremely unpleasant, they don’t have the ability to cause structural damage to a building.

Termites, on the other hand, have that ability. Termites feed on dead or decaying plant materials, meaning timber is very much on the menu. A colony of termites can cause significant structural damage to a home, consuming internal structures like beams and posts, if undetected for a long time. 

Repairing damage at this scale can cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars, but the damage can be so widespread that the home becomes completely unlivable. Timely use of pest control services is key to avoiding this outcome.

How to identify possible pest problems

Spotting pest infestations can be difficult without formal training and qualifications, so the best way to deal with a possible pest problem is to get a professional pest inspection. We are ready to help – book yours on our website or call 0432 261 380.