Co-Living With Bugs

Hello everyone, this is Loke! Since the beginning of #AskLoke project, I've received many curious questions about pests and how to manage them. Here's my pick of the month: "What insect should I look out for when I move into a new home?"

Here’s what I think, enjoy!

You just moved into your new house. The smell of fresh paint still lingers on the wall. The interior designer had executed your vision to perfection; your own piece of Heaven on Earth.

Everything is just perfect; until you caught something wriggling at the corner of your eyes. The feeling of pride slowly fades and is quickly replaced by a cold chill of fear mixed with the anger towards the trespassers.

Before you take it out on your "guests”, ask yourself these 3 questions? Hopefully these will help you to reveal the identity of these uninvited "guests" so that you evict them from your home ASAP.

1) Is it small and transparent?

If it is, the trespasser is most likely a booklice. Booklices are very often just a nuisance and are not known to carry any diseases. Occasionally it can infest and contaminate dry food. Don’t worry though, a quick vacuum and the removal of humid sources should be enough to evict them.

2) Does it move fast and in a straight line?

Take a closer look at these critters. Is the body segmented and comes with 3 pairs of legs? If you are not against killing, u might want to crush one in your hands. If it smells like “rotten coconut” then it is none other than the pharaoh ants. Although they don’t sting or (usually) bite, pharoah ant infestation can quickly escalate because of its tendency split its colony into two and flourish when conditions are favourable. They can be notoriously difficult to eliminate if the colony has taken hold, so you might want to call your friendly professional pest expert to take a look immediately.

3) Does it appear from small tunnels made of mud?

Now I would like to ask your good self to investigate with a magnifying glass and forceps to catch this homewrecker. Observe it for the following:

1. Does it look creamy white?
2. Does it excrete white latex from its mouth?
3. Does it die within minutes after exposure to air?

If you answered with 3 resounding yesses, then you have been infiltrated by termites. Don’t be tempted to spray or destroy the tunnel because that will only cause the termites to go back into the ground and resurface somewhere else in your house.

Your number priority is to remain calm and leave it be. Next, consult Rentokil for a complimentary survey and propose the best solution to counter this issue.

Do you have more burning questions about pests? Look no further, submit them and #AskLoke today!