2020 Pest Predictions: What are the pest challenges we will face in the year of the rat?

Rentokil is ready to help you stay ahead of the pest game and gear up for the new year with some of the preventive recommendations you can adopt to avoid costly pest problems and implications. To effectively evaluate your premises and business operations, here are the top 5 pest challenges we have compiled based on industry trends. Are you ready for 2020?

Flies

Pest challenges: How to get rid of flies

According to a report from DBS, Singapore's mass market food and beverage sector is projected to increase at a 2.1% growth rate until 2023. With the industry’s projected growth, it is important for food and beverage outlets to maintain stringent hygiene standards to keep up with the fast-paced environment.

Flies are attracted to odours from up to 6km away. They can carry disease-causing pathogens including harmful parasites, bacteria and viruses. House flies can also lay eggs on almost any warm, moist material that will supply suitable food for the larvae.

How to get rid of flies? 

These are some good habits you can adopt to keep flies at bay:

• Regular cleaning of cookware, counters and floors
• Clean food spills immediately
• Cover or refrigerate food when not in use

Lumnia

Rentokil Lumnia is a modern electric fly catcher that provides an effective secondary defence against fly infestations. Lumnia‘s patented LED technology attracts, kills and encapsulates insects in a hygienic way. It features energy savings of up to 61% compared to equivalent fly killers. Moreover, its seamless design reduces visibility of caught flies and lowers the glare of the LED lights.

Lumnia Compact

For low risk areas, the Lumnia Compact offers similar benefits of the Lumnia in a compact size. It features a modern design and an energy efficient 11W LED unit.

Lumnia Compact Colour

Lumnia Compact Colour comes in black, blue, red and champagne to complement your brand and interior design.

Termites

Pest challenges: Termite infestation

Do you know that termite infestation can devalue a property by more than 25%? Due to the high humidity and hot climate in Singapore, termite infestations are a common problem throughout the year.

In 2020, rapid developments will continue to drive new property launches. Additionally, the Singapore luxury property market is expected to perform well above expectations. However, in the dense urban jungle that we live in, termites are regarded as one of the most destructive pests.

Termite infestation

There are many contributing factors that lead to termite infestation. For instance, leaked pipes, structure cracks and poor ventilation. Do you know how to identify a termite infestation? Here are some signs you should look out for:

• Wood damage
• Mud tubes
• Excrement pellets
• Discarded termite wings
• Hollow sounding wood

Termites treatment

Do you know that there are 200 termite species but only a few species cause damages to properties? A termite infestation requires the help of certified technicians to perform termites control and treatment. If left untreated, a termite infestation can weaken the wood within your home. Above all, engaging professional pest controllers for regular termite inspections and preventive treatments can help property owners to avoid costly damages.

Bed bugs

Pest challenges: Signs of bed bugs

Bed bugs are the bugbear of the hospitality industry throughout the year. Bed bugs have also been a concern for commercial property owners, childcare, healthcare and even the aviation industry. In 2017, a budget airline investigated an alleged case of bed bugs on its flights after a complaint was posted by a passenger.

Signs of bed bugs

Bed bug bites are painless from the onset but often develop into red, itchy welts. What are some signs of bed bugs you can look out for?

• Blood stains
• Sweet scent
• Dark bedbug faecal spots
• Shed skins
• Live insects

Bed bugs treatment

A trained pest controller will help to eliminate infested as well as high risk areas. Rentokil’s trained pest control specialists will recommend the most suitable bed bug treatments including:

• Residual spray treatment
• Bed bug steam treatment capable of eliminating adult bed bugs, larvae as well as the eggs through thermal shock

Preventive bed bug control is equally important. Providing staff with training to look out for early warning signs of bed bugs can help you to avoid a bed bug problem.

Mosquitoes

Pest challenges: Stay protected again dengue and zika

Zika and Dengue are some of the major health risks posed by mosquitoes in Singapore. To-date, about 140 species of mosquitoes have been identified in Singapore. However, only two species are able to transmit dengue and zika, the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

Dengue is a severe, flu-like illness that is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito. Severe dengue infections can lead to haemorrhagic fever and even death. Similarly, Zika is a virus infection transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Between 1 and 10 per cent of women infected with zika during pregnancy give birth to babies with defects.

As of 28 December 2019, the total number of reported dengue cases in Singapore is 15,999. As of 30 December 2019, there are 61 active dengue clusters reported. Data compiled by the Ministry of Health showed that the number of dengue cases in 2019 were significantly higher than the last four years. The surge in transmission is likely due to global warming and climate change. The higher temperature enables mosquitoes to breed at a faster rate. As a result, it leads to a faster replication and transmission of the dengue virus. Therefore, it is important to take proactive measures to prevent mosquito breeding.

Proactive steps to prevent mosquito breeding

• Get rid of stagnant water
• Cover water containers
• Install mosquito netting and screens on windows
• Clean and clear drains at least once a week
• Change water in containers at least once a week
• Discard leaves on roof gutters
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools at least once a month
• Clear out water collection spots in gardens at least once a week

Mosquito control

Rentokil’s trained pest specialists provides professional pest control for mosquitoes at various life cycles. These steps include:

• Water-based fogging to control and reduce adult mosquito population
• Larvicide treatment to control the development of mosquito breeding and larvae
• Installation of external and internal mosquito traps to prevent the migration of mosquitoes

Rats

Pest challenges: Protect against rats invasion

It may be the year of the rat but can we win the war against rats? Rat infestations can have a detrimental impact on businesses. Food and water that are contaminated by rat fur or excrement pose a serious health risk. Additionally, rats may also carry secondary pests in their fur such as fleas, mites and ticks.

What are some ways you can prevent rats from invading your property?

• Clean up food debris as soon as possible
• Trim tree branches that are near buildings
• Clean out roof gutters regularly
• Keep food in tight fitting containers with lids when not in use
• Place outdoor rubbish bags in metal bins with secured lids

Rats infestation

Rat droppings, bite marks, scratching noises and footprints are some signs of a rat infestation. Rats can be a persistent problem. However, there are effective solutions you can adopt for a peace of mind.

PestConnect

Professional pest control prevents rats all year long. For instance, Rentokil PestConnect Service provides 24/7 remote monitoring of rodents. As soon as a PestConnect unit is triggered, the pest technicians will be notified. Thereafter, a trained technician will visit the affected premise to conduct an investigation. Additionally, all service visits will be recorded online on the myRentokil portal for easy reference. The PestConnect service is available on:

• Multi Mice Trap Connect detects and captures multiple mice within one unit
• Rat Riddance Connect protects your premise from rats and mice activities
• Radar Connect provides remote monitoring and protection against mice

Rentokil’s connect solutions provide 24/7 monitoring of your premises for total visibility and control. Above all, it provides a range of solutions to fit all your business needs.

Contact Rentokil Singapore’s pest experts at  (65) 6347 8138 to stay protected against pests challenges throughout the year.