Pests, insects, bites and stings

If you or a family member has been bitten or stung, the injury can be serious. It’s important to know what to do.

If you’re waking up feeling itchy, bed bugs may be the problem.

Cockroaches are a common household pest in New Zealand. They thrive in unhealthy environments and can transmit a number of diseases.

No-one wants pests around. Rodents like rats and mice are a nuisance – and they can even be a source of disease.

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 are mostly a public health nuisance, but have the potential to be a public health risk due to their ability to transmit infectious diseases.

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 are commonly referred to as 'nits', which are actually louse eggs. 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.

In NZ, mosquitoes are a nuisance. But mosquitoes from overseas can spread serious diseases.

The following chart shows prevention, control and treatment measures to use with different pests.

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