Auckland pest seasons: what to expect when

Spring - September to November

Wasp nests start small and are at their most manageable now. A nest dealt with in October is a straightforward job; the same nest in March is very large and considerably more aggressive.

Ants start trailing indoors as it warms, and borer adults begin their flight period in October.

• Best time to deal with wasp nests - by a wide margin
• Ant activity begins
• Borer flight season starts (October to March)

Summer - December to February

The busiest stretch. Auckland's warm humid summers suit cockroaches particularly well, flies peak around waste and outdoor eating, and fleas build up fast on pets and in carpet.

Wasp nests are large by late summer and this is when most stings happen.

• Cockroaches at their peak
• Flies and mosquitoes around waste and standing water
• Fleas building in carpet and on pets
• Wasps large and increasingly aggressive

Autumn - March to May

The month that catches people out. As it cools, rodents start looking for somewhere warm and move indoors - roof cavities, wall voids, subfloors. Most of our rodent call-outs start here.

Spiders become more noticeable indoors too, and wasps are at their most aggressive as natural food runs out.

• Rodents moving indoors - the big one
• Spiders more visible inside
• Wasps at peak aggression before nests die off
• Best time for rodent proofing, before they're established

Winter - June to August

Quieter outside, busier inside. Established rodent populations are living in roofs and walls, and damp conditions push silverfish and borer activity in poorly ventilated subfloors.

It's also the best time for borer treatment, because the timber is accessible and you're ahead of the October flight season.

• Rodents established indoors
• Silverfish in damp bathrooms and wardrobes
• Good time for borer treatment, ahead of spring flight

The pattern worth remembering

Almost everything on this calendar is cheaper to deal with before its peak than during it. Wasps in spring, rodent proofing in early autumn, borer in winter. Reacting at the peak is the expensive way round.