How often should you get pest control? A year in the Barossa and Gawler

For most Barossa and Gawler homes, once a year. One properly applied internal and external treatment each year keeps ahead of the local pest calendar, and many of our customers book the same yearly treatment and rarely see pests in between. Some homes need a different schedule, and we’ll tell you if yours does.

What a yearly treatment covers

Whether you call it pest control, pest spraying or just “the yearly spray”, it’s the same job. Garry or Josh treat your kitchen, bathrooms and living areas inside, then the perimeter, eaves and entry points outside, so pests are stopped before they get in. Our general pest control covers the common household pests together, including spiders, cockroaches and ants, in one visit.

The Barossa and Gawler pest calendar

Most pest problems here follow the seasons. This is roughly how the year runs on our side of the valley.

• Spring. Ants march in and spiders get busy as the weather warms. Spider calls pick up as soon as spring arrives, and ant activity spikes through spring and early summer. Our posts on spider season and ants in the house cover both.
• Summer. Spiders build through the warm months, cockroaches are at their most active in the heat, and flies and mosquitoes take over the outdoor areas you actually use.
• Autumn. The first good autumn rains wake Portuguese millipedes, which pile up at doors and walls, and earwigs build up in damp garden beds. As the nights cool, mice start moving from paddocks and gardens toward sheds and houses.
• Winter. Rodents in roof spaces, sheds and garages are the main call. German cockroaches carry on indoors wherever it’s warm.

When to book

Spring is a good time for most homes, before spiders and ants get going. If mice or millipedes are your usual problem, book in late summer instead, so the treatment is in place before autumn. Winter is a good time to plan ahead and get your yearly treatment on the calendar before the spring rush.

Either way, a professional treatment lasts far longer than a can of bug spray from the supermarket, which only knocks down what you can see on the day.

When once a year isn’t the whole answer

• German cockroaches indoors. They live inside all year, mostly in kitchens and near warm spots, and they breed fast. An established problem needs treating at the source now rather than waiting for the yearly visit. More in our post on German cockroaches.
• Millipedes every autumn. If they arrive in numbers every year, a perimeter barrier just before the autumn break works best. See earwig and millipede control.
• Mice and rats. Rodents are their own job, with an inspection and tamper-resistant bait stations. Our guide to getting rid of mice covers the signs and what you can do first.
• Shops and businesses. Commercial treatments use the same services as homes, scheduled to suit the business.
• Quieter homes. Some places simply see fewer pests. If yours needs less than a yearly treatment, we’ll say so.

Getting the most out of a treatment

• Tell us what you’ve been seeing and where, so the treatment goes where the problem is.
• Before we start, we’ll tell you what to do with kids and pets on the day. Products are applied to label directions.
• Keep mulch and leaf litter back from the walls, firewood off the house, and gaps around doors sealed. Fewer hiding spots means fewer pests testing the treatment.
• Book at the same time each year, so you’re not waiting until the webs are back.

Pest control across the Barossa and Gawler

We’ve treated Barossa Valley homes and businesses since 2009, mainly around Nuriootpa and Tanunda, all around the valley from Angaston to Lyndoch, and right across Gawler. Every home is different, so we quote each job: quotes are free and the price is all-inclusive. Call Garry on 0403 018 325 to book your yearly treatment.