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Print Glossary of Home Pest Control Terms
Words and terms used in home pest control and their meaning.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Arthropod | An animal with a jointed exoskeleton (exterior skeleton). E.g. crab, insect, spider, millipede. |
| Bait | Food attractant. Some baits are lures only and contain no toxin. E.g. bait in NO Cockroaches Traps. |
| Bait station | The NZ Food Safety Authority (ACVM Group) have defined a bait station as A rigid, reusable device or container designed or adapted to physically contain baits in such a way as to allow unrestricted access by target pests while preventing or minimising spillage of bait and access of off-target species. Also to protect baits from the elements and extend their usable life. E.g. Kiwicare NO Rats One Feed Bait Stations and NO Mice One Feed Bait Stations. |
| Blowflies | Flies whose larvae feed on decaying meat and protein. E.g. blue bottles, green bottles. |
| Bug (common) | The common term for crawling or flying insect, spider, or other arthropod found in homes. |
| Bug (technical) | As a technical term and bug are an insect with piercing mouth-parts e.g. bed bugs, shield bugs. |
| Bug bomb | Total release aerosol fumigator which ejects its entire contents into space as a vapour which penetrates to all parts of the space. E.g. NO Bugs Super Bug Bomb, NO Fleas Bug Bomb. |
| Borer | Wood-boring insect. E.g. common borer, two tooth borer, lemon tree borer. |
| Commensal | Animals such as rats and mice that live in close association with humans. |
| Concentrate | Product for dilution before application. E.g. NO Spiders Total Protection concentrate. |
| Dilution | Addition of water (or other) to concentrate to achieve the required concentration of active ingredients for best effect. |
| Dilution rate | The ratio of concentrate to water. E.g. 20 ml per litre of water - 1:50. |
| DIY | Do It Yourself. |
| Dust | A finely ground, dry mixture containing a small amount of an active ingredient and an inert carrier, such as talc or clay. E.g. NO Wasps Eliminator. |
| Fumigation | Using a vapour or gas to control insects, spiders and other pests in an enclosed space or volume. E.g. NO Bugs Super Fumigator. |
| Fumigator | Product for fumigation. See fumigation. |
| Harbourage | Place where pests hide, congregate, seek shelter and protection. |
| Granules | A formulation of dry, ready-to-use, low-concentrate pesticides plus an inert carrier. The particles are larger than those making up dust. E.g. LawnPro Protect. |
| HSNO | Hazardous Substances and Noxious Organisms - a system for managing hazardous substances. |
| IGR | Insect Growth Regulator - active ingredient that disrupts the normal growth and development of insect pests; breaking the insect life cycle. E.g. NO Fleas Total Protection. |
| Insect | Flying or crawling arthropod possessing six legs. E.g. Cockroaches. |
| Insecticide | Product for killings and control of insects. E.g. NO Bugs Super. |
| Invasive pests | Pests that have been brought into New Zealand. E.g. Argentine ants, rats, possums. |
| Larva | Plural larvae. Immature stage (juvenile) of animal that undergoes metamorphosis to change to the adult form. E.g. woolly bears, fly maggots. |
| Lure | Non-toxic bait or other attractant. Usually used to attract pests to traps. E.g. bait in NO Cockroaches Traps. |
| MSDS | See SDS |
| Nymph | Immature (juvenile) form of invertebrates which go through gradual metamorphosis. Nymphs typically look similar to but smaller than the adult form. E.g. bed bug nymphs. |
| NZ EPA | New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority. |
| Pest control | Preventing or eradicating a pest problem through elimination, isolation or minimising using condition changes, barriers, pesticides, or other methods. |
| Problem solver | An interactive application to help in the identification of pests and provision of advice on pest control. E.g. Kiwicare Problem Solver. |
| Residual | Long-lasting, persistent ongoing effect. Usually of a pesticide. E.g. NO Bugs Super, NO Spiders Total Solution. |
| Ready to Use | Product not requiring dilution before use. (RTU). E.g. NO Bugs Indoors. |
| Rodenticide | Product for control of rodents. Usually toxic bait for controlling rats and/or mice. E.g. NO Rats & Mice One Feed. |
| Rodents | Rats and mice. |
| RTU | Ready to Use. |
| SDS | Safety Data Sheet - Document providing safety information on a product in its sold form. Previously MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) |
| Slater | Also known as woodlice or pill bugs, these are members of the Isopoda group of arthropods. Usually found in leaf litter and rotting wood. |
| Stored Product Insect | SPI. Insect pests that eat or otherwise damage stored foodstuffs. E.g. pantry moth larvae, biscuit beetle, grain weevils, spider beetle. |
| Synergy | Creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. E.g. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is often used with pyrethroid insecticides; because it reduces an insect's ability to metabolise the pyrethroid insecticide the insecticide is more effective. The PBO is a synergist. |
| Vapour | Fine liquid droplets in the air. E.g. steam condensing at kettle spout, vapour from NO Bugs Super Fumigator and NO Bugs Super Bug Bomb. |
| Water Activated | Referring to water-activated fumigators. These are fumigators that use water to create a vapour which penetrates into a volume without the need for aerosol propellants. Non-smoke fumigators. E.g. NO Bugs Super Fumigator. |
| White ants (common) | White ant is a common term for termites. |
See also Gardening Glossary and Outdoor Cleaning Glossary.
David Brittain
Kiwicare
