Five common pest problems at home

Pests have inevitably found their spot in our homes. They have established themselves as our invited pests regardless if we welcome them or not. However, it is not as easy to chase them away once they seek comfort hiding within. In this article, Rentokil shares the top five common pest frustrations we often face at home. We also share why these mighty pests are tricky enemies to battle.

Five common pest frustrations at home

Unable to run after cockroaches with sprays and rolled papers

Those unused magazines and newspapers have another recycling benefit that is to roll them up and knock out the nasty cockroaches. The thought of eliminating the tiny size pests against these improvised batons is wrongfully assumed as a sure win method. Worse of all, diffusing pungent and toxic insecticides as we run after these cockroaches seems to fail most times. This is because cockroaches are fast sprinters at a record of 1.5 meters per second. In fact, because of their fast gliding capabilities, we tend to mistake the speed for flying capabilities. Getting rid of cockroaches becomes more challenging and frustrating as a result.

You may also like: Ten facts we did not know about cockroaches

Cannot seem to find where are those ants crawling?

Another familiar scene in our home particularly the kitchen is squashing those crawling ants on tabletops and kitchen surfaces yet to see another troop marching in. Despite repeated efforts in pressing them, flushing away with water or using an ant repellent on them, ants are ever ready in returning. Where exactly are these ants coming from? Pest control specialists are trained to locate ant nests and root sources of ant infestation. They are able to differentiate between ants and termites in order to recommend the right pest control.

Bed bugs leaving bloodstains on the furnishing

For homes infested with bed bugs, it is common to see traces of blood stains on the bed sheets, curtain drapes, furniture and even carpet or rugs. Bed bugs tend to stain the bed as we could accidentally squash them when they emerge at night as we sleep. Because they feed on blood as their main source of blood meal, a crushed bed bug could leave drops and drops of blood stains around. In addition, their droppings are also deep and rusty reddish to dark brown in colour, they will stain onto the bed sheets as well. More importantly, we should not attempt to figure on how to remove bed bugs by ourselves but seek proper bed bugs treatment. This is because they spread quickly across the home, leave unsightly stains that needs non-stop cleaning and causes bed bug bites.

Pests relocating from one area to another

Have you spent all your efforts and time clearing the pest in your kitchen, then to find them lurking in the living room next? Firstly, pests can travel from place to place for hiding and food sourcing. Secondly, you may apply pest deterrent methods that derail their scent trace for a short while. Thirdly, there could be new pest breeding in other parts of your home without realizing. Finally, cross infestation is common especially homes with defects such as gaps and holes that allow pest entries. It is important to ensure your home pest control regime covers the premises adequately.

Recurring pest problem after seeing some results

Pest eradication is almost never a guaranteed effort, regardless of relentless efforts in eliminating pests in our homes. There are good times where we do not see pest surfacing for a week but there are many times of pest recurrence after a few days. Rentokil Initial shares some possible reasons for recurring pest problem:

• Attempts are targeted towards contact kill rather than eliminating root source
• Missed out breeding nests around the home that develops into pest infestation
• Using the wrong pest treatment used to address the pest issue
• Pest type and species are identified wrongly thus delivering incorrect treatment
• Efficacy and quality issues of the pest control services rendered
• Home is not equipped with adequate proofing that allows pests to enter
• Cross infestation reasons from external and nearby sources

Why are pests challenging to deal with at home?

We may think pests are tiny in sizes and more vulnerable to our elimination methods. It is not an easy task due to conditions challenging its removal effectiveness. Firstly, some pests such as cockroaches and bed bugs that are nocturnal challenge their visibility particularly in the daytime. Secondly, not all pest symptoms are noticeable or beyond our reach and sight such as termite colony underground. Thirdly, pests can have similarity in their outlook and nature and maybe wrongly identified such as midges and mosquitoes. Fourthly, not all pests are less intelligent enough to fall into your tricks and traps such as those of rats that are sensitive around them and hide effectively in times of danger. Finally, regardless which best pest control methods you have adopted, housekeeping and positive home sanitation is essential to complement its efficacy in addressing a pest infestation.

Mighty facts of pests we have been belittling

Majority of the pests are the size of our thumb or smaller, they look vulnerable and with all the tools and pest control gadgets we have, how mighty are they? Pests are generally tough survivors in harsh conditions and for bed bugs, they are able to withstand having no food for months.

Mosquitoes have an efficient sense of navigation and are able to locate and track us easily using sight, smell and heat. If you think ants are a piece of cake to eliminate, think again. They have excellent body strength by carrying a load 50 times their weight and able to survive under water for 24 hours. Cockroaches can continue staying alive even with their heads on for a week and because they do not require their mouths to breathe, they stay in the water for as long as 40 minutes. By now, you should be convinced pests are tough cookies to eliminate unless with the help of a pest control company.

Short-term pest eradication solution to consider

For homeowners who would like to start some pest control measures can adopt short-term solutions that are usually more affordable, less time consuming and have some form of results. Here are some options you can consider:

Engage professional pest control specialist

Pest infestation and damages should not be treated lightly. While some implications seem trivial, an escalated pest problem can result in detrimental or dangerous outcomes. Firstly, mosquitoes are known as the deadly pest for a reason. They spread harmful diseases such as dengue fever and more recently, the emergence of Denv-3 that is dominant in Singapore lately. Ensuring an integrated mosquito control in place to control both adult mosquitoes and breeding larvae is crucial to reduce dengue cases in Singapore.

Cockroaches and ants if left untreated can cause food contamination symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, headache and muscle ache. In severe cases, worsen symptoms can cause dehydration that requires medical attention. Ongoing monthly treatment of residual spray at key risk areas help minimise such health and safety risks.

For some pests that are less straightforward to treat, including bed bugs and termites are best to leave in the hands of a professional. In the case of bed bugs, they are tiny and flat that makes detection difficult. This means, there may be a gap in the treatment coverage, leaving traces of bugs behind to breed further.

Termites, on the other hand, are hidden well underground and in the structures. Termite control is also very different and complex as compared to common pest treatments. It requires special tools, active ingredients and application technique to complete the process. Detection for termite infestation is also conducted using Microwave technology to trace for termite activities within your home structure.

Why is pest control essential?

In conclusion, the pest control specialists not only perform the treatment, but also provide useful recommendation and home tips to help complement the pest control efforts. They help provide the assurance and peace of mind by engaging in regular monitoring and inspection of the premise for any new infestation outbreak.

Request for a one-month free trial on the latest In2care mosquito trap today.

Quick summary of common home mistakes

You may wonder, by complying fully to the pest prevention checklist with good housekeeping and pest treatments, how else could we have triggered a pest issue. Here is a list of common home mistakes that can attract pests to your cozy home.

• Save the clutter clearing in the storeroom for the year end spring cleaning regime
• Leaving trash open in the kitchen or not disposing them when the day ends
• Poor cleansing of kitchen sinks, utensils and tools with grease and grime
• Leaving stagnant water around potted trays and exposed containers in the home
• Plant watering habits – leaving water puddles or dried soil with poor water absorbance
• Snacking at other parts of the home without clearing the food debris thereafter
• Leaving luggage after a trip on your bed to unpack, thus transporting bed bugs over
• Neglected the landscaping outdoors, thus attracting rotten wood and termite infestation

It helps to be more well aware of our daily actions that may attract pests and adopt diligent home maintenance. More importantly, to be more attentive to unusual signs and appearances of the home which could be signs of a pest infestation. Often, early detection is the best approach to minimise the seriousness of the problem, similarly, to how we go for regular health checkup.

Call Rentokil Singapore at (65) 6347 8138 for a pest control solutions today.