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Elite Pest Control Ltd - EPIC

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Elite Pest Control Ltd - EPIC

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If It Flies Climbs Creeps Or Crawls - We'll Take Care Of It

www.elitepestcontrol.co.nz

Elite Pest and Insect Control (EPIC) was born and bred in Canterbury and have nestled themselves into a Niche, Boutique Pest Management Enterprise that offers a Peace of Mind, Personalised Service to every single client – big, small or in between

We choose you as much as you choose us

Our Boutique Brand is built upon 55 years of cumulative experience shared between our staff

We pride ourselves on setting up our clients for success. We give them ‘Peace of Mind’ in what could be described as a mysterious and often emotionally challenging business

We love to educate anyone who has an interest in doing their own pest control at home and in doing so becoming part of a huge team of kiwis protecting the Unique Biodiversity of New Zealand. When we treat your environment for pests you can be sure we will leave you more knowledgeable and more prepared than you have even been before

As a protector of health, the attention of Elite Pest and Insect Control does not focus solely on control of pests in general but we consider the potentially devastating effects these disease carriers can have on our clients home and environment

28/08/2026

🪳 PEST SPOTLIGHT #9 – Gisborne Cockroach (Drymaplaneta semivitta)

Spotted a big cockroach around the house? Before assuming you have a serious indoor infestation, take a closer look – it may be a Gisborne cockroach.

🌏 Origin
The Gisborne cockroach is native to Australia and was first recorded in New Zealand at Gisborne.

📏 Size & Appearance
• Around 20–30 mm long
• Dark brown body
• Noticeably larger than a German cockroach
• Wingless

🌿 Where do they live?
Gisborne cockroaches are strongly associated with outdoor environments and are often found:
🪵 Around timber
🌳 Beneath bark
🍂 In bark chips and garden material
🏡 Around sheltered areas outside buildings

They do sometimes wander indoors, which is usually when homeowners notice them.

⚠️ Does finding one mean your kitchen is infested?
Not necessarily. Unlike German cockroaches, Gisborne cockroaches do not usually establish infestations around stored food inside homes.

💡 Did you know?
This species was named after the New Zealand location where it was first recorded – but it actually originated in Australia.

🔎 Cockroach identification matters.
Different cockroach species behave very differently, so correct identification is important before deciding what treatment is required.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

21/08/2026

PEST SPOTLIGHT #8 – German Wasp (Vespula germanica)

Black and yellow, highly social and capable of building enormous colonies – the German wasp is far more than just an unwanted guest at the summer BBQ. 🌭🐝

🌍 Origin
German wasps are an introduced species in New Zealand and became established here in the 1940s.

👀 Identification
• Distinctive black and yellow colouring
• Live in highly organised colonies
• Build enclosed paper nests
• German wasp nests are typically grey

🏡 Where do they nest?
Nests may be found:
🌿 Underground
🧱 Inside wall cavities
🏠 In roof spaces
🌳 Around sheltered outdoor areas

⚠️ Why are they a problem?
German wasps can:
• Deliver painful stings
• Trigger serious allergic reactions in some people
• Compete with native wildlife for food
• Prey on native insects
• Attack honey bees and rob hives

🌲 Did you know?
New Zealand has some of the highest densities of German and common wasps in the world. Our mild winters, abundant food and lack of natural predators allow colonies to thrive.

🚫 Found a wasp nest?
Avoid disturbing it. Wasps can become highly defensive around their nest, particularly when they perceive a threat.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

14/08/2026

🕷️ PEST SPOTLIGHT #7 – White-tailed Spider (Lampona spp.)

Few New Zealand spiders have a reputation quite like the White-tail – but how much of what you’ve heard is actually true? 👀

🌏 Origin
White-tailed spiders originated in Australia. Two species occur in New Zealand: Lampona murina and Lampona cylindrata.

📏 Identification
• Body length can reach around 17 mm
• Dark grey, elongated body
• Distinctive pale or white patch at the tip of the abdomen
• Often found wandering indoors rather than sitting in a web

🌙 What do they do?
White-tails are nocturnal hunting spiders. Instead of building a web to catch insects, they actively hunt other spiders, particularly grey house spiders.

🏠 Why do they come inside?
They may shelter indoors during the day and can hide in clothing or items left on the floor.

⚠️ What about the bite?
White-tailed spiders can bite, particularly if trapped against the skin or handled. Bites can be painful, but research into confirmed bites has not supported the widespread belief that White-tail venom routinely causes flesh-eating or necrotic ulcers.

💡 Did you know?
White-tails are specialised spider hunters. That spider wandering across your wall may actually be looking for another spider!

🕷️ Seeing large numbers of spiders around your home?
Reducing the insects and spiders they prey on can also make your home less attractive to hunting spiders.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

09/08/2026

🪵 PEST SPOTLIGHT #6 – Common House Borer (Anobium punctatum)

Those tiny round holes in your timber may be evidence of one of New Zealand’s most familiar timber pests – the Common House Borer.

🌍 Origin
Originally from Europe, house borer is now found throughout New Zealand.

📏 Size & Identification
• Adult beetles are only 3–4 mm long
• Small brown beetles that can easily go unnoticed
• Larvae live inside timber, creating tunnels as they feed
• Small round exit holes may be visible when adults emerge

🏠 Where are they found?
House borer can infest timber in:
🪵 Floorboards and framing
🏠 Roof and subfloor timbers
🪑 Furniture
🔨 Other susceptible wooden material

⚠️ Why are they a problem?
The adult beetle isn’t doing the eating – the larvae are. They remain concealed inside timber, creating tunnels before eventually emerging as adults.

💡 Did you know?
Adult house borer usually emerge and fly during the warmer months, with activity in New Zealand beginning from around November.

Finding holes doesn’t automatically mean the damage is fresh, so signs of current activity need to be assessed properly.

🔎 Found suspicious holes or fresh borer activity?
A professional inspection can help determine whether the infestation is active and what timber requires treatment.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

30/07/2026

🐜 PEST SPOTLIGHT #5 – White-footed House Ant (Technomyrmex difficilis)

Think you’ve got Argentine ants? 🤔 It might actually be the White-footed House Ant! These tiny invaders are becoming increasingly common around Canterbury and are often mistaken for other ant species.

🌏 Origin
Native to tropical Asia, White-footed House Ants have spread to several countries, including New Zealand.

📏 Size & Appearance
• Workers are 2.5–3 mm long
• Dark brown to black body 🖤
• Distinctive pale yellow-white feet 🦶
• Form long, busy trails between food sources and their nests

🏡 Where do they nest?
You’ll often find them:
🌿 In gardens and mulch
🌳 Around trees and shrubs
🧱 Inside wall cavities and roof spaces
🏠 Around homes and commercial buildings

🍯 What do they eat?
White-footed House Ants love sugary foods and feed on the honeydew produced by aphids and scale insects. Indoors they’ll happily help themselves to sweet foods left on benches and in pantries.

⚠️ Why are they a problem?
• Invade homes in large numbers
• Contaminate food preparation areas
• Protect aphids and scale insects, increasing plant damage 🌱
• Establish multiple nests around a property, making them difficult to eliminate

💡 Did you know?
Unlike many ant species, White-footed House Ant colonies spread by “budding.” Instead of a queen flying away to start a new colony, queens simply walk with a group of workers to establish a new nest nearby. This allows infestations to spread rapidly across an entire property.

📞 Seeing long trails of tiny ants around your home or business?
Correct identification is the key to successful treatment. Different ant species require different control methods, so a professional inspection can save time and frustration.

Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

18/07/2026

🐜 PEST SPOTLIGHT #4 – Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile)

Don’t let their tiny size fool you! Argentine ants are one of New Zealand’s most invasive pest species and can quickly become a major problem once they establish around your home or business.

🌏 Origin
Native to South America, Argentine ants have spread around the world through international trade and are now established in many parts of New Zealand.

📏 Size & Appearance
• Only 2–3 mm long
• Light to dark brown
• Workers are all similar in size
• Form long, well-defined trails

🏠 Where do they nest?
You’ll commonly find them:
🌿 Under mulch and garden beds
🪨 Beneath paving and rocks
🧱 Inside retaining walls
🏡 Around wall cavities and roof spaces
💧 Anywhere there’s warmth, moisture and food

🍽️ What do they eat?
They love sweet foods but will also feed on proteins and fats. Outdoors, they protect aphids and scale insects so they can feed on the sugary honeydew they produce.

⚠️ Why are they a problem?
• Invade homes in huge numbers
• Contaminate food areas
• Damage gardens by protecting plant pests
• Displace native ant species
• Can be very difficult to eliminate once established

💡 Did you know?
Unlike most ant species, Argentine ants have multiple queens in the same colony. Instead of fighting neighbouring colonies, they work together to form enormous supercolonies containing millions of ants!

🐜 Seeing long trails of tiny brown ants?
Early treatment gives you the best chance of preventing a widespread infestation.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

12/07/2026

🐭 PEST SPOTLIGHT #3 – House Mouse (Mus musculus)

Don’t let their small size fool you! House mice are one of the most common pests found in New Zealand homes and businesses. While they may look harmless, they can contaminate food, damage property and reproduce surprisingly quickly.

🌏 Origin
Originally native to Central Asia, house mice have spread across the globe by travelling alongside humans for thousands of years.

📏 Size & Appearance
• Body: 7–10 cm
• Weight: 12–30 g
• Tail: About the same length as the body

They have large ears, a pointed nose, long whiskers and a thin, mostly hairless tail.

💩 Droppings
One of the first signs of mouse activity is their droppings. They’re small (around 3–6 mm), dark in colour and shaped like tiny grains of rice with pointed ends.

🏠 Where do they live?
House mice are excellent climbers and can be found in:
🏡 Roof spaces
🧱 Wall cavities
📦 Garages and sheds
🍽️ Kitchens and pantries
📚 Storage areas

🍽️ What do they eat?
Almost anything! Seeds, grains, pet food, pantry items, insects and food scraps are all on the menu.

⚠️ Why are they a problem?
• Contaminate food with urine and droppings
• Gnaw electrical wiring, creating a potential fire risk
• Damage insulation and stored goods
• Spread bacteria and other disease-causing organisms

💡 Did you know?
A house mouse can squeeze through a gap as small as 6 mm—about the diameter of a standard pencil! If you can fit a pencil through a gap, there’s a good chance a mouse can fit through too.

🐭 Think you have mice?
Early action is the key. The sooner a mouse problem is identified and treated, the easier it is to prevent it from becoming a major infestation.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

06/07/2026

🪳 PEST SPOTLIGHT #2 — German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Small, fast, secretive — and one of the most difficult cockroach species to control once established. 👀

🌏 Where do they come from?
Despite the name, German cockroaches aren’t believed to have originated in Germany. Current research points towards South or Southeast Asia, spreading globally alongside human trade and transport.

📏 Size & appearance
Adults are usually around 10–15 mm long, light brown to tan, with two dark parallel stripes just behind the head — a key identification feature. 🔍

🏠 Where do they hide?
They thrive indoors in warm, humid areas close to food and water:
🔥 Behind fridges and ovens
☕ Coffee machines and appliances
🚰 Under sinks
📦 Cupboards and storage areas
🕳️ Cracks, crevices and service voids

🌙 Mostly active at night
During the day, they hide in tight harbourage areas. Seeing them in daylight can indicate high population pressure, overcrowding or disturbed harbourage. ⚠️

🥚 Rapid reproduction
A female carries an egg case called an ootheca, often containing around 30–40 eggs. This rapid reproductive potential is one reason infestations can escalate quickly.

📦 How do they get inside?
German cockroaches are expert hitchhikers, arriving in:
📦 Cardboard boxes
🛒 Food deliveries
⚙️ Second-hand appliances
🎒 Bags and belongings
🚚 Transported stock

🧬 Why are they so difficult to control?
German cockroaches are notorious for developing insecticide resistance. Poorly targeted DIY spraying can scatter populations deeper into harbourage areas and complicate control.

💡 Did you know?
If you see one German cockroach, there may be many more hidden nearby.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

28/06/2026

🐀 PEST SPOTLIGHT #1 – Black Rat (Rattus rattus)

Welcome to the first post in our Pest Spotlight series! Each week we’ll introduce a common pest found around Canterbury, explain how to identify it, and share a few interesting facts.

🐀 Black Rat (Rattus rattus)

🌏 Origin
Originally from tropical Asia, Black Rats spread across the globe by travelling on ships. Today they’re one of New Zealand’s most widespread invasive pests.

📏 Size
• 16–22 cm body length
• 120–300 g
• Tail is longer than the body

👀 How to identify one
✅ Slim body
✅ Large ears and eyes
✅ Pointed nose
✅ Excellent climber

Unlike Brown Rats, Black Rats prefer heights and are commonly found in roof spaces, ceilings, trees and wall cavities.

💩 Droppings
Black Rat droppings are around 10–15 mm long, dark in colour and have pointed ends. Fresh droppings are often the first sign of an infestation.

⚠️ Did you know?
A Black Rat can squeeze through a gap of only 20 mm—about the width of a $1 coin!

If you’ve heard scratching in your ceiling, noticed droppings, or suspect unwanted visitors, don’t ignore the signs. Early intervention is far easier than dealing with an established infestation.

📞 Elite Pest Control
Protecting Canterbury homes and businesses from unwanted pests.

💬 Have you ever seen a Black Rat around your property? Let us know in the comments!

22/06/2026

🔴 At Elite Pest Control, we’ve always believed that reputations aren’t built by what you say about yourself.

They’re built by the work you do, the clients you look after, and the team standing beside you every day.

Businesses change. Staff come and go. Markets evolve.

What remains is consistency, professionalism, and a commitment to doing the job right.

This photo was taken at my 10-year anniversary with Elite Pest Control, alongside Gary Hendrikse, Director of Elite Pest Control. It represents something that is becoming increasingly rare in business today – long-term commitment, loyalty, and genuine professional relationships.

One of the reasons Elite has maintained such strong staff retention over the years is the opportunities provided to grow within the company. From starting as a technician to now serving as Operations Manager, my own journey reflects the investment Elite has made in its people.

For over 20 years, Elite Pest Control has continued to grow because of the trust placed in us by our clients, our industry partners, and our team.

We’re grateful for every customer who chooses to work with us, every team member who contributes to our success, and every opportunity to prove why experience matters.

Less talk. More action.

🐜🐭🐦 Elite Pest Control

Address

Christchurch

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+6433321962

Website

http://www.elitepestcontrol.co.nz/

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