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Do you leave food scraps in the kitchen?

Get rid of the pests in your kitchen with Flick Anticimex

Do you make it a habit to just leave food exposed in the kitchen? Or perhaps you leave your garbage or compost bin in the house without emptying it every night?

There are a number of ways where food can be accidentally left out; perhaps the garbage or compost bin was forgotten to be emptied at the end of the night, or there was a spill that was left uncleaned. Leaving both human and pet foods exposed attracts a number of pests that you don't want in your home.


The most persistent and universal pest people will find in their kitchen is the ant. Most commonly, it’s the black ant that you’ll find scurrying around your pantry, on your counter and up your splashback. So, whether you’re leaving food scraps in the kitchen or not, an ant will be able to find the tiniest crumb.

What do ants eat?

Ants do not have a preference when it comes to food. They will happily eat a wide variety of foods, from other insect, to small animals, to organic foods. This attributes to their renowned pest status as no matter what you keep in the kitchen, an ant will find it appetising.

How can I keep ants away?

There are a few ways you can help prevent ants from entering your home, including:

  • Cleaning up food spills immediately
  • Removing unconsumed pet food
  • Changing pet feeding areas regularly
  • Sealing cracks and crevices
  • Cutting back plants and trees that are touching the house

When you search the web, you will find a million and one suggestions for natural ant remedies (lemons and cinnamon) and DIY ant baits. However, these will not always work. The type of ant and the species of ant differs in feeding habits, and unless you’re eager to study myrmecology, we recommend leaving ant control to the professionals. At Flick Anticimex, our technicians take extra care to examine the ant species invading your home to choose the right repellent and type of bait.


Cockroaches are considered one of the most annoying household pest. The presence of a cockroach is often a source of distress and frustration when found in the home, apartment, car or room. The most common cockroaches you'll find in your home are the American cockroach, the Australian cockroach, and the German cockroach.

What do cockroaches eat?

If you're finding cockroaches in your kitchen, it will probably be because you're keeping their favourite food in the pantry or countertop. Cockroaches are omnivorous creatures, meaning that they're not picky with their diet. They do prefer sweet foods, meat and foods containing starch, like bread. However, as previously stated, cockroaches are not picky with their diet and will eat anything accessible to them. So, if you're leaving any kinds of food scraps, you're just asking for cockroaches to make themselves welcome in your home.

Unfortunately, cockroaches are one of the world's most ancient bugs, therefore virtually indestructible; but thankfully Flick Anticimex can help control the cockroaches in your home.

How do I keep cockroaches out of my house?

We recommend implementing a pest control management system by your trusted local pest control professionals. With branches across Australia, Flick Anticimex is happy to help eradicate the cockroaches on your property. Residents can also help in making their kitchen less appealing to cockroaches by following the four steps below:

  1. Do not leave any dirty dishes in the sink
  2. Do not leave food scraps on the counter or in the dining area
  3. Keep food refridgerator or sealed in air tight containers
  4. Do not keep garbage inside overnight

Whether it's the common house fly, or the pesty fruit fly, flies are a problem all across Australia. The presence of flies can have a serious impact on the comfort of your family members, and hygiene levels when eating and preparing food. A fly landing on your food is a cause for concern due to their dietary habits.

What do flies eat?

Like cockroaches, flies are not picky eaters. However, flies are more attracted to organic decaying materials including fruit, vegetables, meats, and even faeces. Due to their love for eating faecal matter, harmful bacteria will attach themselves to the flies legs which will then be spread to whatever surface they land on next.

How can I keep flies away?

Unfortunately, without a fly control management system in place, it will be near impossible to keep flies away long term. A fly swatter can only kill flies, but won't keep them from coming into your home. We recommend giving Flick Anticimex a call, so one of our professional technicians can assess the level of fly activity in your area and produce a tailored fly control management system. In addition, residents must ensure all windows and doors are fitted with fly screens. If you already have fly screens installed, we recommend checking them regularly for tears or holes that give pesky flies access into your home. Finally, residents should regularly clean their home. Flick Anticimex also offers Flying Insect Control Units to assist in controlling the flies and other flying insects in your home.

Rats and mice

Rats and mice can wreak havoc on homes and businesses, causing great loss of money and damage to health. If you hear scratching in your ceiling void or even witness rats scurrying around in your kitchen late at night, you may have a severe rodent infestation.

What do rats and mice eat?

Like the cockroach, rats are omnivores and so they eat anything. From garbage, to meat, cereals and fish, rats will eat anything they can get their hands on. Similarly, mice are also omnivores but prefer consuming grains, seeds and fruits.

How can I prevent rats or mice in my house?

As previously stated, we recommend not leaving garbage overnight in your kitchen. However, this doesn't stop rats or mice from eating the garbage in your rubbish and compost bin. External measures you can take includes trimming any tree branches that provide access onto your roof. The best long term solution to a rodent problem is implementing rodent bait stations around the home in prime locations. Your local Flick technician are trained to know the rodent hot spots around the house and can provide regular servicing for rodent baits placed around the home. If you would like to read more about our rodent control method, read our Rats & Mice page.

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