WAS IT A DADDY LONG LEGS?
If I told you Daddy Long Legs were NOT spiders would you be surprised or believe it. Well it is
true, they are not spiders but belong to the order Opiliones and are more closely related to mites or
scorpions than spiders. They ARE arachnids but so too are mites, ticks, scorpions and other 8
legged creatures.

So now that Daddy Long Legs are not spiders are they still the worlds most venomous arachnids? They can pierce the skin and bite a person but don’t have harmful venom so the myth that it is the worlds most venomous spider has been proved to be false.

The Daddy Long Legs is also known as Granddaddy Long Legs or Harvestmen and get confused with the Cellar Spider which is a spindly-legged spider and are arachnids of the order Pholcidae. Another interesting fact is Daddy Long Legs don’t make webs or even make silk, their bodies are pill shaped, no “waist” as spiders have, between their body sections, they have 2 eyes not 8, can eat chunks of food, not just liquids.

Opiliones, Daddy Long Legs, fossils have been found in rocks and sediment deposits which have dated as old and older than 400 million years and 435 million years ago it is believed Daddy Long Legs split from scorpions which means this is about 200 million years before the Dinosaurs appeared who were only around for approx. 165 million years with the Daddy Long Legs are still
here long before Dinosaurs inhabited the earth and long after the Dinosaurs have vanished. Daddy Long Legs will play dead by curling their legs in if they are disturbed and with their excellent camouflage colour they will play dead by not moving for several minutes to make sure their predator has not seen them and has gone away and they are out of danger. They live in moist dark places.
So next time you are walking in the garden or rummaging around in a dark place and come across
a Daddy Long Legs no need to panic, you are not looking at a deadly creature.

SUMMER TIME & IT’S TIME TO LIGHT UP, NO NOT THE BARBIE, BUT THE MOZZIE COILS!
What would summer be without the mosquito and it’s incessant buzzing around your ear. It only takes one to keep you awake at night with you swatting aimlessly at the air and usually the only one being hit is yourself.It is the female who bights us and animals for blood in order to produce and has the capacity to carry Ross River (RR) virus & Barmah Forest (BH) virus.Both the male & female buzz but it is the female who has the higher pitched buzz and you mostly never hear the male as it does not bite.

The life cycle of a mosquito starts as an egg and advances to larvae – pupae -adult. We know larvae as wrigglers & pupae as tumblers and for them to breath they must attach themselves to the underside of water surfaces to breath through special tube like structures attached to the back of the juvenile. If unable to connect to these water-air interfaces they will drown so the saying “Keeping Your Head Above Water” does not apply to these juvenile mosquitoes as they hang upside down!

DISEASES CARRIED BY MOSQUITOES IN AUSTRALIA ARE:
Dengue Fever
Australian encephalitis or Murray Valley encephalitis
Ross River (RR) virus disease
Barmah Forest (BH) virus disease
Heart worm in dogs & cats.

MALARIA is not found in Australia but occurs in more than 100 countries & territories transmitting malaria to roughly half the worlds population. Malariaendemic considered areas at risk are large areas of Africa, South Asia, parts of Central & South America, the Caribbean South East Asia, The Middle east and Oceania.The malaria mosquito larvae is found in a wide range of locations and prefer clean unpolluted water. Mosquitoes carrying malaria are more attracted to human scent than non malaria ones.

There are many species of mosquitoes which are found world wide and there are a number of different ones that can impact on your family and your pets. ANOPHELES MOSQUITO (Anopheles SPP.) is the mosquito responsible for transmitting malaria. AEDES MOSQUITOES ( Aedes Algypti) bites heighten at change of light i.e. after sunrise & before sunset. CULEX MOSQUITO (Culex Tritaeniorhynchus) is the main carrier of Japanese B-Enephalitis.

Question? When is an Ant dead? No, not necessarily when life has left it.
Two days after dying an ant emits an odour or signal which the living ant smells and this dramatically changes the living ants behavior. Dead is what you smell if you are an ant and before 2 days ants don’t recognize the ant as being dead.

Once the ants have received this signal that the ant is dead they carry the corpse through the colony to dispose of it in the designated graveyard and dumps it on the pile of also-dead ants. This is the pile of grit you may find on the floor in the corner of a room.
If a tiny drop of Oleic Acid, an artificial chemical created to copy the odour of a dead ant as ants communicate by smell, was placed on the live ant it sends out to the other ants a signal that tells them that this ant is dead.
So what do they do?
They carry it out to the grave yard although it is still kicking and dump it on the already-dead pile.
When the ant dusts itself off it returns to the colony it will be repeatedly thrown out until the odour wears off and it is accepted back as a “Living” ant. This could be the “Living Dead”.
From an ants point of view would you say “I’m Dead” or “I’m Alive & Kicking”.
Sight and sound is not the only way Earthly organisms communicate. Taste and smell is another way an enormous number of creatures- ants included- share information.

AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT ANTS .

Ants don’t have leaders they self regulate all their movements, like a large flock of birds flying, as this is a natural instinct. So when you see a swarm of ants on the move they instinctively know where they are going and what they are doing.

Feeding Habits & Behaviours of Termites.

Cellulose is the basic food requirement for all termites and it is found in all types of plant-based materials. The cellulose is digested by bacteria in the gut of species in the family Termitidae. Most termite species eat grass and other ground growth and have an important role in maintaining soil fertility.The plant tissues on which termites feed contain very little protein and therefore little nitrogen but nitrogen is not contained in the protozoa bacteria. It is vital for them to conserve nitrogen and this is accomplished by consuming the excess dead or diseased colony members. Gut bacteria is also used by some termites to regulate the nitrogen in the atmosphere.

Does Soil Benefit From Termite Mounds & Galleries

When soil particles rich in nutrients i.e. calcium, magnesium and potassium are washed into the soil from eroding termite mounds this then becomes advantageous for plant growth. Soil structure, water entry and storage in soil is improved by termite galleries thus enabling water runoff and reduces soil erosion.

Natural Enemies

Ants are the most significant natural enemy of the termite but not the only predator. Lizards, snakes, frogs, insect eating (Insectivorous) and eating food of every kind (Omnivorous) birds, dragonflies especially and other predatory insects.

Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus use their strong, long clawed feet to attack mounds and subterranean galleries to access the termite workers and soldiers which form an important part of the Echidna’s diet.

Timber in it’s early stage of decay by wood-rotting fungi attracts other termite species while other species of timbers are termite resistant but none are entirely “Termite Proof”. Materials damaged by termites but not able to digest are plastics, rubber, metal and mortar and the damage occurs when they come across those materials while searching for food. For some termites they use subterranean galleries or covered runways to forage for food. These galleries extend from the central nest to food sources above or below ground and the gallery system of a single colony may utilize as far as one hectare to forage for food. Individual galleries can extend up to 50 meters in length but the northern termite Mastotermes darwiniensis have individual galleries extending as far as 100 – 200 meters. All termites except the grass-eating species which forage in the open, remain in the closed system of galleries where no light can penetrate. The light is of no use to the worker and soldier as they are blind and have only a thin covering which gives them a very low resistance to drying out. The only exception is during swarming flights, repairs or new formations.

The closed system gives termites two advantages. Firstly protection from natural enemies, secondly a degree of protection from temperature, extreme humidity and keeps the nest a constant 36 degrees.

Five families of termites occur in Australia and all five are found in Queensland

TERMITES (order Isoptera) originate back to the Cretaceous Period more than 100 million years ago and are more closely related to the cockroach than to ants although they are sometimes referred to as “White Ants”.

They are social insects and the order is typified by the families Mastotermitidae, Termopsidae, Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae and can be divided into 3 groups, Dampwood, Drywood and Subterranan.

Found in colonies termites are termed eusocial along with the ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera.

Their diet mostly consists of wood (could be your home), leaf litter, soil or animal dung and are major detrivores especially in the Tropics and Sub-Tropics.

In our 12+ years experience with termites they still amaze me with their ability to hide their nests and galleries from detection in the most inconspicuous and odd places so they can attack and eat your home.

They are clever engineers building their nests to keep a constant 36 degrees all year round. You don’t know they are there until you accidentally put your hand through a wall or knock a skirting board or hear them gnawing behind a wall.

TERMITES FOUND!

1. DO NOT PANIC.
2. DO NOT DISTURB THE GALLERIES OR DAMAGE FOUND.
3. DO NOT SPRAY THE TERMITES WITH KNOCKDOWN SPRAYS

WE RECOMMEND CALLING A PROFESSIONAL “PESTIE” TO ARRANGE A CONSULTATION CONCERNING INFESTATION AND TERMITE TREATMENT. AFTER Treatment; 21-28 days an inspection of the nest is carried out to ensure the nest has been eradicated. All Clear Pest Control & Termite Management recommend another visual site inspection thereafter.

TIPS TO HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF TERMITE ATTACK.

Have a yearly visual termite inspection internal & external of your property. Remove any tree branches/ bushes that are in contact with exterior walls. Keep gardens and planter pots away from exterior walls, batons, and piers. Batons to have a clearance of a minimum of 400 mm from ground. Remove timber stored against exterior walls and/or under house and/or on property. Check for water leaks i.e. Air conditioner, hot water system, shower and dripping garden taps. Moisture attracts termites.

A YEARLY VISUAL TERMITE INSPECTION IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to help keep your home “ALL CLEAR“ from termite attack.

PROTECTING YOUR HOME WITH A TERMITE BARRIER.

WHY SHOULD I HAVE A TERMITE BARRIER INSTALLED WHEN I HAVE A YEARLY TERMITE INSPECTION?

Good question. A regular yearly visual termite inspection will not prevent termite attack, but they will minimise the amount of damage caused before infestation can be eliminated.

BENEFITS OF INSTALLING A TERMITE BARRIER.

A termite barrier will protect your most valuable asset and life time investment, your home, also providing peace of mind for you and your family.

A professional “PESTIE” will give you a proposal (cost) to install a barrier which might seem expensive but if you break down the cost of a $2,000.00 barrier with a 10 year warranty it is much less than a cup of coffee a day. Then you are termite free and your house is still standing for years to come.

           TYPES OF TERMITE BARRIERS. 

• PHYSICAL BARRIER
• CHEMICAL BARRIER
• RETICULATION.

     MONITOR BAITING SYSTEM

Monitor baiting stations are placed externally at 3 mtrs apart around the structure.
The baiting system is not a barrier and it’s purpose is to monitor the possibility of termite attack. The baiting stations are checked regularly by the “PESTIE” then baiting stations are treated if active termites are found, baits are replaced. Then further treatments recommended.

ALL CLEAR PEST & TERMITE MANAGEMENT ASSURES PROFESSIONAL & COURTEOUS SERVICE. FOR ALL YOUR TERMITE & PEST TREATMENT CONCERNS OR ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL US ON 0488 532 398

TO MAKE A BOOKING OR REQUEST A QUOTE PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE 0488 558 688.