These little guys are one of the more common grain pests we get calls about here in Cairns. They're most commonly found in pantry cupboards where stored grain products are kept such as cereal, pasta, flour and rice etc.

The cigarette beetle or otherwise known as the tobacco beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, is given its name as it also infests tobacco products. The beetles occur throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

​The adults are small oval, globular beetles, measuring about 2 to 3.5 mm, and reddish brown in colour. They have long antennae which are waved rapidly when walking. Adults are able to fly and they often curl up and lay motionless when disturbed. 

In the pest control industry in Cairns we are regularly called out to find out what is causing all this scratching and screeching in a clients roof space or wall voids.
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The majority of the time if you're hearing things making noises in your roof and walls in Cairns it will most likely be a rodent  infestation. (Rats & Mice)

However, occasionally it could even be a snake or even Micro bats.

The Stingless Bee or Meliponine has become very prolific in the North Queensland area over the years, as a child I don't remember ever seeing these but now they seem to be everywhere.

​Meliponines have stingers, but they are highly reduced and cannot be used for defense, though these bees exhibit other defensive behaviors and mechanisms.

The stingless bee is found in most tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world including North Queensland, Australia.

This is a common question in the pest control industry and one that definitely deserves a lot of consideration.
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As a parent and animal lover myself, it is completely understandable that everyone would want to keep their family and pets safe from harm.

​Funnel Ants (Aphaenogaster spp.) are about 5 mm in length once they hit adulthood and they range from a tan-brownish colour to black in appearance.

Funnel Ants live outdoors and prefer open ground and turf to create and burrow the funnels to their nests.
Funnel Ants are notorious for producing unsightly mounds in yards and properties which causes disturbance to the soil structure.
This species of ant are omnivores which means they can eat proteins and will also occasionally eat sugars from natural sources. 

Asian Honey Bees were first discovered in Cairns back in 2007. 
They are now quite established throughout northern Queensland and are expected to slowly spread throughout their natural range in Australia.

The AHB (Apis cerana Java)  is very similar in appearance to the European honey bee only a bit smaller. European honey bee being about 15 mm in length and the Asian honey bee being about 10 mm in length. They also have more pronounced and even banding along the abdomen. You must identify the bees before destroying them as other bees are very important to our environment for pollination and honey production.

Termites are a part of life up here in Cairns. There are many species of termites around the area with several of them being quite destructive to your homes and properties. Not all termite species are bad though, some will only feed on decaying leaf matter, tree stumps and grasses.
Only a professional pest management technician would be able to tell you if the species of termite you have in your yard is going to cause any concerns to your house or not.
​To the untrained eye they can be very difficult to tell apart.
For this reason we strongly recommend having a Timber Pest Inspection done to your property at least annually to help locate any possible termite issues and help reduce environmental conditions which could lead to possible termite problems ,

Many pests are seasonal creatures which will often be very prolific at certain times of the year and then all but disappear at other times of the year.
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Unluckily for us up here in Cairns with our tropical climate, most pests are here to stay with us all year round. However, there are periods throughout the year when they are way less active and will give you a break from their usual annoyance.

Living in the tropical region of Cairns we have some great weather and great scenery, but we are also prone to a lot of tropical pests that inhabit the area of Cairns and North Queensland in general.​
We in the pest control industry are kept busy nearly all year round with many homes and businesses experiencing problems with  pests such as Termites, Cockroach, Ants and several other invasive pests.

At Pest Off Solutions we pride ourselves on providing the best quality service to our clients but also providing information and tips to help our Cairns customers keep their homes and businesses pest free for as long as possible.
​                                See below for tips and info.

Mosquitoes are a real nuisance around the Cairns area in the warmer and wetter months. They breed very rapidly and can become a real issue if you don't take steps to control their numbers. But as with nearly all pests, control starts with prevention.
In addition to the irritating mosquito bites, some types of mozzies are linked to the spread of diseases like Dengue fever, Ross River fever and several forms of encephalitis.

Here are some tips on preventing mosquitoes from ruining your summer.