Protect Your Health, Your Home from Cockroaches

What is your feeling when you see a cockroach scurrying across your home? Most of us would feel worried and scared. The negative feelings toward a cockroach are natural because we all know that cockroach is a common house pest in Singapore.

Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures, coming out at night to look for food. Some of their tell-tale signs of their existence are odour, cockroach droppings and damaged food packaging. Cockroaches are detrimental to humans because they tend to pick up diseases by lying around in filthy places. They also transmit diseases that may cause food poisoning symptoms should they come into contact with food, utensil and surface. A cockroach infestation has to be stopped and properly controlled.

Many of you would wonder “do cockroaches bite humans?” There can be a small possibility of a cockroach bite when you are sleeping at night but the bite should be so small that is it of no major concern.

The best way to get rid of roaches would be adopting good housekeeping practices and basic pest proofing in your residential home. Only then can you continue and maintain the status of being pest-free and pest disease-free. Learn how to keep cockroaches away from your home by adopting practices of these easy-to-do pest control tips! Read here for more information.

Cockroaches typically emerge at night. Daytime presence could mean heavy infestation

Did you know? Cockroaches can stay hungry for many months but they cannot survive without water for up to a week. Cockroaches are detrimental to humans because they try to pick up diseases by lying around in filthy places. They also transmit diseases that may cause food poisoning symptoms should they come into contact with food, utensils and surface.

They are often found near sewers, drains, kitchens or cabinets. These are common hotspots in your home, particularly bathrooms, kitchens and store room area, whereby the presence of water, food preparation, food wastage or storage are high and common every day. Diligent housekeeping and diligent home maintenance is essential to help keep cockroach infestation at bay. This includes regular domestic cleaning, sealing craps and crevices, keep home dry and wipe water or food spills, disposing of food wastage regularly and storing food in air tight containers.

However, cockroaches reproduce fast, whereby a nymph matures into a full grown adult in less than 6 weeks (varies between species as well and depends upon environmental conditions). They typically emerge at night, but should you spot them during the daytime, it could mean heavy infestation.

Keep your cockroach problem under control today, email us at [email protected].

Cockroaches’ diet are commonly found in a home

There are 3 species of cockroaches and they feed on items that are commonly found in a home. For instance, an American cockroach feeds on anything organic, Brown-Banded cockroach prefers starchy food, glue found on books or wallpaper, and German cockroach feeds on starchy food.

Home owners should take diligent steps from preventing cockroaches’ the chance to feed on these items made available for them. Dispose food waste regularly, store starchy food in air-tight containers or in the refrigerator, pack your home and discard redundant books, boxes or items and clean hard to reach places such as behind cabinets or furniture to prevent a hiding place for cockroaches to harbourage.

However, there are times where home owners might not be able to manage with DIY solutions or by maintaining a cleaning regime, due to various uncontrollable factors in a home. It tends to get out of control; particularly the life span of a cockroach ranges from less than a year to 2.5 years or more.

Where are the cockroaches hiding?

Cockroaches are common pests bothering home owners in and out of home. They typically emerge at night, and hence if you spot them in the daytime, you might be facing a heavy cockroach infestation. Identifying their hot spots and maintaining a diligent housekeeping habits are some steps to integrate with an adequate cockroach protection program.

• They are often found in hot and humid areas such as inside buildings, drains, sewers, basements and pipe ducts.
• They are often found above floor level, in hot and humid areas such as kitchens, food manufacturing areas and even ships.
• They are often found in drier areas of buildings, cabinets and less common in kitchens.

Spot the warning signs

• The distinct and unpleasant smell which cockroaches leave on surfaces they come into contact with.
• Presence of droppings, which are usually black or brown cylindrical pellets.
• Egg cases (oothecae) which are found in hiding places such as cupboards, drawers and fittings.

Three common cockroach species in Singapore

The 3 common cockroach species in Singapore are American cockroach, German cockroach and Brown-banded cockroach.

What is the favourite food of these common pest cockroaches of Singapore? Get to know them better today!

Cockroach Fun Facts!

Here are some cockroach facts you may have never known! Roaches are way older than dinosaurs and they are a close relative of the termite family.

• Did you know? The cockroach is closely related to the termite family with evidence showing that termites are evolved from cockroaches.
• In some countries, people fry cockroaches to eat! They are fried and served on sticks.
• Cockroaches are more than 300 million years old and they dated way back even before the dinosaurs!
• Cockroaches can stay hungry for many months but they can’t survive without water for up to a week.
• The largest cockroach in the world found measures up to 100mm in length.

Rentokil Cockroach Pest Control Services

Pest control for cockroach control is important to prevent a cockroach infestation that will get out of hand with cockroaches reproducing fast. Cockroach eggs are produced in a hard capsule-like shell known as ootheca, which can house up to 48 eggs in one ootheca. The nymph matures into a full grown adult in less than 6 weeks. That is why it can be difficult in getting rid of cockroaches effectively without the help of Rentokil pest control!

Many people would be interested to know of how to kill cockroaches and what kind of cockroach bait they should use to get rid of cockroaches in their homes. Rentokil pest control is the expert in this area and we can help you with our professional treatments and advices.

Rentokil cockroach pest control services for residential homes and apartments comprise of solutions which include gel baiting and residual spraying. These are highly targeted at the cracks and crevices areas where cockroaches hide. Drop us a friendly hello online [email protected] today!