Why does Auckland have so many ants?

The climate helps, and Argentine ants have been here since 1990. Their colonies can stretch across several sections, so ask a pest business what they'd do about the wider colony as well as the trail in your kitchen.

Are there termites in Auckland?

MPI has responded to Australian subterranean termite finds around Auckland in the past, and those were eradicated. If you think you've seen one or its mud, don't disturb it and call MPI.

Pest control Auckland: wasps, ants, rats and more

What's different in Auckland

A climate that keeps pests going

NIWA describes Auckland as subtropical, with warm, humid summers and relatively mild winters. Many parts of the region see only a few frosts a year, and rain is plentiful, so there's rarely a hard stop for insects.

Argentine ants

They first established in New Zealand here in 1990. Workers are small, 2 to 3 mm, wingless and light brown. Under Auckland's Regional Pest Management Plan they're under sustained control across the whole region, and nobody may breed, spread or sell them.

Wasps on a big scale

DOC says the largest wasp nest recorded in New Zealand was found at Waimauku, near Auckland, at 3.75 m tall and 1.7 m wide. You're unlikely to meet one like it, but it shows what a mild winter lets a colony do.

Two kinds of paper wasp

Asian paper wasps are found across the North Island, and Australian paper wasps are confined to the north of it, so Auckland gets both. Both hang open nests from eaves and branches.

Mynas in the eaves

Common mynas live throughout the North Island north of 40 degrees south, and they nest in cavities, including inside the eaves of houses.

The jobs Aucklanders ask about most

Wasps come first in summer and early autumn, because a nest beside a deck or a back door is hard to ignore. Rats and mice are the winter job: scratching in the ceiling, usually at night. Cockroaches keep going all year in warm kitchens and older units.

Ants are the odd one out. A trail across the bench often leads back to a much bigger Argentine ant colony in the garden, and those colonies can run across neighbouring sections. That's why a spray at the back door rarely settles it.

Older villas and borer

Borer goes after soft timber in floorboards, piles and weatherboards, so older timber homes are the ones to watch. Small round holes with fine dust below them are the sign to look for, and it's worth a look under the house if you've never checked. Buying an older place? Settled.govt.nz says to make sure the building inspection includes borer, because some inspectors exclude it.

If you think you've seen termites

Don't disturb them. MPI has dealt with Australian subterranean termite finds around Auckland before, and those were eradicated, so a suspected find today is a report rather than a pest job. Call MPI.

Before an Auckland pest business arrives

Note where you see the pest most, and at what time of day.
Take a photo of any nest, droppings or trail from a safe distance.
Check whether the neighbours have the same trouble, especially with ants.
Clear the way to the ceiling hatch and the subfloor access.

Where we'd start with pests in Auckland

We'd start with the signs rather than a guess at the pest. If you can tap what you've seen, tap it. If all you've got is noises at night or droppings in the pantry, Not sure what it is gets you just as far.

Want someone to look at it?

Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.

What have you seen?