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  4. Pests, insects, bites and stings

Pests, insects, bites and stings

Learn how to get rid of pests like rats and bed bugs, and what you can do if you get bitten or stung.
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  • Bites and stings (goes to another website)

    If you or a family member has been bitten or stung, the injury can be serious. It’s important to know what to do.
  • Bed bugs (goes to another website)

    If you’re waking up feeling itchy, bed bugs may be the problem.
  • Cockroaches (goes to another website)

    Cockroaches are a common household pest in New Zealand. They thrive in unhealthy environments and can transmit a number of diseases.
  • Controlling rats and mice (goes to another website)

    No-one wants pests around. Rodents like rats and mice are a nuisance – and they can even be a source of disease.
  • Dangerous spiders (goes to another website)

    Only some spiders are capable of biting humans. There are 3 species of spider to avoid - the katipō, the redback and the white-tailed spider.
  • Fleas (goes to another website)

    Fleas are mostly a public health nuisance, but have the potential to be a public health risk due to their ability to transmit infectious diseases.
  • Head lice (goes to another website)

    Lice are commonly referred to as ‘nits’, which are in fact louse eggs. While lice are a public health nuisance, they are not a public health risk.
  • Lice (goes to another website)

    While lice are a public health nuisance, they are not a public health risk. The louse species present in New Zealand are not cause for great concern, but they can be annoying.
  • Mosquitoes

    In NZ, mosquitoes are a nuisance. But mosquitoes from overseas can spread serious diseases.
  • Pest control (goes to another website)

    The following chart shows prevention, control and treatment measures to use with different pests.
  • Sandflies (goes to another website)

    The sandfly species in New Zealand are a nuisance, but they are not a public health risk, as the kinds that bite do not carry infectious diseases.
  • Ticks (goes to another website)

    Ticks have the potential to pose public health and biosecurity risks because they can carry and transmit human and animal diseases.

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