Australian Pest Library

Pest Library

What it is, how it behaves, where it lives, how it gets in and how to prevent it — for the pests Australians deal with most.

Not sure what it is? Identify a pest

Crawling insects

Cockroaches

Fast, flat-bodied insects that hide in warm, damp gaps and come out at night to feed. A few introduced species cause most household problems in Australia.

Species: German Cockroach, American Cockroach, Australian Cockroach, Oriental Cockroach, Smokybrown Cockroach

Ants

Social insects that live in colonies and follow scent trails to food and water. Most ant problems in homes are nuisance foraging trails from colonies outside the house.

Species: Coastal Brown Ant, Black House Ant, Red Imported Fire Ant

Silverfish

Primitive, wingless insects with silvery scales that live in humid, undisturbed places and feed on starch, paper and glue. They damage books and fabrics but are harmless to health.

Spiders

Eight-legged predators that feed on insects. Most household spiders are harmless and useful, but a few Australian species, such as redbacks and funnel-webs, need to be treated with care.

Species: Redback Spider, Huntsman Spider, White-tailed Spider

Rodents

Rats

Introduced rodents that live alongside people, nest in roofs, walls and gardens and gnaw through building materials and wiring. Roof rats are the most common household rat in many Australian cities.

Species: Roof Rat (Black Rat), Norway Rat (Brown Rat)

Mice

Small, curious rodents that squeeze through tiny gaps, nest in walls, cupboards and appliances and breed quickly. The introduced house mouse causes most household problems.

Biting insects

Mosquitoes

Small biting flies that breed in still water. Beyond itchy bites, some Australian mosquitoes spread viruses such as Ross River virus, so reducing bites and breeding sites matters.

Fleas

Tiny, wingless, jumping insects that feed on the blood of pets and people. Most of a flea population lives in carpets, bedding and yards as eggs, larvae and pupae, not on the pet.

Bed bugs

Small, flat, blood-feeding insects that hide in mattress seams, bed frames and furniture near where people sleep. They spread in luggage and second-hand furniture, not because of poor hygiene.

Stinging insects

Wasps

Stinging insects that build paper nests under eaves, in shrubs, walls or the ground. Paper wasps are common across Australia; the invasive European wasp is a serious pest in southern states.

Flies

Two-winged insects that breed in rotting organic matter. House flies, blowflies, vinegar flies and drain flies each point to a different breeding source, and finding that source is the key to getting rid of them.

Species: House Fly, Blowflies, Vinegar Fly ("Fruit Fly"), Drain Fly (Moth Fly)

Pantry pests

Pantry Pests

Small moths, weevils and beetles that infest flour, rice, cereals, nuts, dried fruit, spices and pet food. They usually arrive already inside a product and spread to other packets in the pantry.

Species: Indian Meal Moth, Rice Weevil, Red Flour Beetle

Lawn & garden

Lawn Pests

Caterpillars and beetle larvae that eat grass leaves or roots, leaving brown, dying patches. Armyworm and curl grubs cause most lawn damage in eastern Australia, especially in warm, humid months.

Species: Lawn Armyworm, Curl Grubs, African Black Beetle

Timber pests

Termite basics — PestMan covers what termites are and what to do first. In-depth termite information will be provided by our dedicated sister resource, TermiteMan.au.

Being researched

We only publish a pest hub when we can make it genuinely useful. These are in research now:

Bees — Swarms and nests around homes
Possums and birds — Wildlife in roofs (protected; managed under state rules)

Have a question about one of these? Ask PestMan — your questions shape what we publish next.