The Top Emerging Pests in Australia (2025 and Beyond): What Pest Managers Need to Know
Australia’s pest landscape is shifting. New threats emerge as climate, trade, urban spread and resistance patterns evolve. For pest managers, staying informed – not just reactive – is essential. At Agserv, we supply both knowledge and the products so you are ahead of the curve. Below are five pests to monitor, background on each and product recommendations from Agserv to help you stay prepared.
1. Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) – A Serious Biosecurity Threat
Background & Why Monitoring is Critical
Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) are one of Australia’s highest risk invasive pests. Originally identified in south-east Queensland in 2001, they have proven difficult to fully eradicate. Their biology (multiple queens, large colonies, resilience), coupled with warm climates, makes them capable of rapid expansion into new areas.
Consequences include:
- Public health risks: painful stings that can cause allergic reactions, sometimes severe.
- Agricultural damage: production losses due to damaged crops and injury to livestock.
- Environmental degradation: displacing native species and disrupting natural ecosystem processes.
- Huge economic cost if infestations become widespread.
Pest controllers are often in the front line: discovering new outbreaks, preventing spread and assisting government or biosecurity programs.
Control Strategies
- Early detection via regular property checks, especially in lawns, gardens, disturbed soil.
- Use of baits that allow for forager ants to carry toxicant into the colony (queens, brood).
- Integrated strategy: baiting + nest treatments + habitat management.
- Reporting new sightings to official authorities to support eradication strategies.
Products from Agserv
- Advion Fire Ant Bait: This is a fast-acting bait from Syngenta. Indoxacarb is the active ingredient. It’s labelled for Red Imported Fire Ant in QLD & NSW.
- Use across lawns, grazing areas, gardens; highly effective in reducing colonies within 24-72 hours.
- Antagonist Pro: For the control of ants (including Red Imported Fire Ants and Yellow Crazy Ants) and a range of urban pests. Approved to also safeguard vehicles against red imported fire ants.
2. Bed Bugs – Resurgence in Urban Areas
Background & Why Monitoring is Critical
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have been making a strong comeback worldwide. Key drivers include increased travel (domestic & international), second-hand furniture moving between households without inspection and resistance to some insecticides. Once established, bed bugs are very resource-intensive to eliminate and infestations can spread quickly through multi-unit housing, hotels and short-stay accommodation.
Bad publicity or failed treatments can damage a pest contractor’s reputation; early detection is essential to contain costs, reduce client distress, and prevent spread.
Control Strategies
- Detailed inspection tools (monitors, interceptors, even canine detection if available).
- Heat treatments (where feasible), vacuuming, steam, encasements for mattresses.
- Residual sprays and crack & crevice treatments using effective insecticides.
- Good client education: laundering bedding at high temperatures, isolating infested items.
Products from Agserv
- Bedlam: For the control of susceptible strains of bedbugs and other biting pests in hotels, motels, hospitals, nursing homes, offices, homes and more.
- Demand Duo: A powerful spray combining two actives (Thiamethoxam + Lambda-Cyhalothrin). Offers both fast knockdown and residual control for bed bugs among other pests. Good for treating bedding frames, walls skirting, etc.
3. Stored Product Pests – Flour Beetles, Indian Meal Moth etc.
Background & Why Monitoring is Critical
Stored product pests (SPPs) thrive in food warehousing, supermarkets, restaurants and even educational or institutional kitchens. As food production, delivery and storage chains lengthen, there are more opportunities for infestation. Warmer ambient conditions accelerate their life cycles, increasing damage and risk of contamination.
Failing to control SPPs can lead to:
- Spoiled or recalled product (costly).
- Health regulation breaches.
- Customer complaints and brand damage.
Control Strategies
- Regular inspections of storage areas (in shelving, packaging, corners, ceilings).
- Use of pheromone or sticky traps for early detection.
- Good hygiene: clean spills, rotate stock, remove old packaging or dusty items.
- Targeted insecticide or fumigation treatments when infestations detected. Use approved products.
Products from Agserv
- Py Mist: For the treatment of Flies, Fleas, Mosquitoes, Ants, Silverfish, Moths, Cockroaches, Grain weevils, Spiders, Earwigs, Beetles and other flying insects.
- Insects Limited Range: Pheromone monitoring products engineered to meet the rigorous demands of food storage and processing environments. Designed for early detection and source identification, these tools target key pests including stored product moths (e.g., Plodia interpunctella) and grain beetles (e.g., Tribolium spp.), enabling proactive pest management and contamination prevention.
4. Mosquitoes – Rising Disease Risk
Background & Why Monitoring is Critical
Mosquitoes are perhaps the quintessential “vector threat.” Australia has had outbreaks (Ross River virus, Japanese encephalitis, etc.), and wetter weather, flooding and warmer nights mean longer breeding seasons in many parts of the country. Urban settings also provide plenty of standing water (rainwater tanks, gutters, stormwater drains, containers) which allow for breeding.
Pest controllers can help in risk management: reducing vector populations lowers disease transmission risk, public complaints, and exposure liability.
Control Strategies
- Source reduction: eliminate standing water.
- Use larvicides in water bodies that cannot be drained.
- Barrier treatments and residual sprays in vegetation or resting sites.
- Educate clients regarding protective clothing and repellents.
Products from Agserv
- Biopren 50: Provides immediate and prolonged efficacy against treated mosquito larvae
- Demand 100CS: Delivers long-lasting control against ants, mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, spiders and now ticks.
5. Rodents – Resistance on the Rise
Background & Why Monitoring is Critical
Rodents (rats, mice) are perennial pests but recent reports suggest increasing resistance to some anticoagulant rodenticides in certain populations. Their behaviours (nesting, nocturnal movement, shelter-seeking in buildings) make them difficult to control once established. They cause structural damage, contaminate food and spread disease.
Early detection and choosing the right bait with resistance management are crucial.
Control Strategies
- Use of traps and monitoring (including tracking powders, sensors) to detect activity early.
- Use multiple actives and rotate modes of action to prevent resistance. (some suppliers would argue against multiple products in one station)
- Note: Fastrac, Alpha Rapid and Selontra are alternative to anticoagulants.
- Proofing (preventing access to food, water and nesting materials) and habitat management.
- Combine chemical and non-chemical methods (trapping, exclusion).
Products from Bell Laboratories
Fastrac Blox Rodenticide: A fast-acting block designed for rapid control of rodents (rats or mice). Useful where a quick result is needed, for example, in infestation hotspots or crisis responses.
Contrac Blox: A high-quality rodenticide in block form. Designed by Bell Laboratories for continuous control of rats and mice in secure bait stations. Because blocks last well and are stable, they work especially well in high-traffic or outdoor sites.
Contrac Soft Bait: A soft bait formulation that offers increased palatability and ease of uptake. Useful in areas where rodents are reluctant to chew hard blocks, or when rapid uptake is needed in lower infestation scenarios.
Detex Soft Bait with Lumitrack: A branded soft bait that incorporates Lumitrack technology, which helps with visual tracking of bait consumption (makes it easier to monitor which stations are being used). Good in sensitive or monitored environments where you want visibility of usage.
Ditrac Blox: A widely used anticoagulant rodenticide block, especially effective for rats. Often used in rotation with other actives to manage resistance. Suitable for indoor or outdoor protected sites.
Ditrac Rodenticide Pellets: Pellet form of Ditrac, useful for flexible placement in rodent paths or tight spaces where blocks may not fit or where rodents prefer smaller feed sizes.
PROTECTA EVO Bait Stations (various models: Ambush, Circuit, Edge, Landscape, Mouse, Tunnel, etc.) These tamper-resistant stations are essential for deploying rodent baits safely and effectively. Having a wide range of options allows pest managers to choose appropriate station style (discreet, rugged, low profile, underground, etc.) depending on site conditions and rodent behavior.
PROTECTA LP (Low Profile): A low profile bait station intended for low-visibility applications (e.g. along skirting boards or under cabinets) where aesthetics or limited space are considerations.
TRAPPER T-Rex: combines trigger sensitivity with the exact trap velocity needed to capture and hold rats. Its patented interlocking teeth make rat escapes virtually impossible.
TRAPPER Mini T-Rex: A smaller version of the T-Rex trap, designed for mice. Offers the same durability and effectiveness in a compact form.
TRAPPER T-Rex iQ: A durable rat snap trap with built-in sensing technology, allowing technicians to know without having to check manually whether there has been a capture.
Other products from Agserv
Selontra Soft Bait Rodenticide: Powered by a non-anticoagulant (non-AVK) active ingredient, and formulated into a stable, highly palatable soft block formulation leading to unsurpassed palatability even when other attractive food sources are available. The novel formulation remains stable and effective in dry environments and across both hot and cold conditions.
Alpha Rapid Rodenticide: The ideal product to achieve quick control of mouse populations. It will control anticoagulant resistant mice. It has no known resistance and no secondary poisoning risks.
Summary Table
| Pest | Key Control Action | Agserv Product to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Red Imported Fire Ants | Colony-targeted baits, early detection, reporting | Advion Fire Ant Bait; Antagonist Pro |
| Bed Bugs | Heat / vacuum / residual + crack & crevice treatment | Bedlam; Demand Duo Spray |
| Stored Product Pests | Hygiene, monitoring traps, residual insecticides | Py Mist; Food Moth Bullet Lure and a range from Insects Limited |
| Mosquitoes | Source reduction, larvicides or barrier sprays | Biopren 50; Demand 100CS |
| Rodents | Monitoring, rotation of rodenticides, trapping & proofing | A range from Bell Laboratories; PCT Surefire baits; Alpha Rapid Rodenticide |