Analysing The Pest Control Industry in Australia

How Is It Performing?

Pest control in Australia is an essential service. In fact, it is more than a necessity since Australia is known for its diverse ecosystem where different animal species flourish. Sadly, pests are also part of this diverse ecosystem. The country’s animal problems just appear to never end. For example, we had the mice plague by May, the killer cat in February, and the spiders in June, and many others to come. Let us look at how the industry has performed until recently.

The lockdown and the pest control industry 

The mandated lockdown during the COVID-19 affected the pest control industry. However, since it is an essential service, the government still allowed industry operators to continue their operations throughout the lockdown. Like all other businesses affected by the lockdown, the demand for the services of pest control agencies suffered a decline.

Apart from businesses that shut down, some households also delayed contracting a pest control agency until after the lockdown. Still, some did. The generally weaker demand led to a decline in employment and enterprise numbers in the pest control agency. As a result, some small and unprofitable firms needed to exit the industry.

Popular pest control activities over the years

Government clients and commercial businesses require mandatory pest control services. However, homeowners are flexible with their services. Nonetheless, the demand is usually high during hot and wet seasons.

Homeowners require pest control during extremely hot and wet seasons. For wet seasons, they usually demand weed control service the most. However, for the dry season, they need pest control for rodents and bugs seeking shelter in their homes.

The building pest control service industry has not had a good run over the last five years. It was especially bad during the 2019-2021 timeframe due to the virus and following lockdown. However, the industry is projected to grow and increase between 2021-2026 due to the following:

• Pest control service outsourcing as a part of the general contract management system
• Strict health regulations following the pandemic and lockdown

The post lockdown realities have taught homeowners and businesses the importance of pest control. To avoid a recurrence, there are stringent health rules and regulations in place by various industries.

The Australian building pest control services have a total market size of $1 billion. Of these, more than 3,290 businesses are providing up to 9,186 employments. The top companies that hold the largest market share are:

• Anticimex Pty Ltd
• Rentokil Pty Ltd
• Ecolab Pty Ltd
• Orkin Australia Pty Ltd
• Downer EDI Limited

With a market size of more than $1 billion, the Australian pest control industry suffered a -2% decrease in growth between 2016-2021 and -2.8% in 2021 alone.

Common Pests in Australia 

Termites

Termites cost Australian households more than $3.9 billion in damages every year. The subterranean ones are the ones that do the most damage to houses and structures. The Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association puts repairs due to termite damage at between $18,000 and $50,000 per property or more.

Termites can travel more than 30 meters in a tunnel or through gaps. Recent rains and warmer weather set the stage for prime termite infestation. After waiting out the cold, termites explore and look for food immediately when the warm weather kicks in. To explore the moist soil, termites would travel through mud tubes or tunnels up the side of houses until they make their way into the wooden frames. Then, they make their houses inside the wood.

Mice and Spider 

Most hardware stores ran out of commercial mice traps during the mice plague early this year. It got so bad that some homeowners had to fill buckets and coat them with vegetable oil to lure the mice into the water and its subsequent death. The plague started in the spring of 2020 and rodents flourished thanks to ideal weather conditions and bountiful harvest. However, the year-long drought and devastating bushfires have chased rodents into homes.

Victoria has recorded the most spider infestation in Australia. There are more than 2,400 spider species in Australia alone. Although, most of them are not harmful to humans.

Cockroaches 

Queensland is the worst cockroaches-affected state, followed by Sydney. Cockroaches reached their peak season between September and June in Queensland and between January and March in Sydney.

Unusual weather patterns all over Australia have spawned a termite and cockroach plague on the gold coast. In fact, the cockroach population will increase by more than 30% in the coming months. Cockroaches are most abundant in Queensland and are more than an inconvenience. This is because the critters pose a severe health risk, as they contaminate foods with bacteria, cause food poisoning, and trigger allergies.

According to meteorologists, the mix of dry winter and humid summer will provide an ideal breeding ground for cockroaches. We should also expect them to make their way into homes and businesses with moist areas. Apart from this, recent bushfire crises and droughts across Australia has and will influence roaches to move indoors.

Conclusion 

The dynamic ecosystem in Australia provides an accommodating ground for pests. Thankfully, the pest control industry has evolved to provide measures to mitigate pests and their effects. True, the industry has suffered a few setbacks. However, with businesses slowly going back to normal and the emphasis on health and wellness, homeowners and business owners now prioritize pest control. Therefore, we can expect significant growth from here onwards.