How to Identify & Manage Your Buggy Friends After Spring Cleaning

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Have you found or noticed some unwanted buggy friends in your home after a big spring cleaning for Chinese New Year? Ants lining up the walls and cockroaches streaming out of your store room are horror sights home owners do not want to see. One other major disruptive pest in homes and the most dreaded of all is the bed bug. Be ready for your buggy friends and know what they are and what to do when you spot them.

Buggy friend number 1: Ant

Did You Know? Ants are incredibly strong insects, capable of carrying up to 40 times their weight! The sight and presence of ants in your food and drinks are more than enough to trigger a warning sign that your home may be infested with ants. An ant infestation needs your timely attention because ants are not only a nuisance to you and the whole family, they are considered as a pest as they can cause food contamination and allergies.

Know Thy Enemy

Ants are social insects and live in colonies. Find out the common ant species found in Singapore homes.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="15px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="15470" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]

Pharaoh

• 1.5 to 2mm long for workers, 3mm for males; Yellow-brown
• Food preferences are sweets, protein, oil and insects
• Feeds indoors and actively after dark
• Nest locations deep seated in building cracks and practically almost anywhere

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Odorous House Ant

• Brown or black, with flattened node
• Eats most household foods especially sweets
• Attracted to moist locations
• Produces rotten coconut odour when crushed

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Black House Ant

• Shiny and black; 2.5 to 3mm long
• Scavenges in kitchen and garbage

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Spot the Warning Signs

You may have an ant problem if you detect the following:

• Ants and/ or an ant nest. They may seem harmless by they can grow in number over time, becoming a colony. Remove these nests with professional help.
• Ants in your food; ants are always looking for food, day and night.
• Ant trails, as they travel to and from their food source in an organized manner.

How to Manage the Problem

Ants need food, water, and shelter to survive. Keeping your home, office or establishment clean keeps them from finding a means to survive. Read here further on tips for home owners to manage these common house pests.[/vc_column_text][cs_divider color="#6e6e6e"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Buggy friend number 2: Cockroach

Did You Know? Cockroaches exist for more than 300 million years. Cockroaches are nocturnal insects, meaning that they live and feed in the dark. If you see a cockroach running about in the day, it could mean a sign of cockroach infestation in your home.

Know Thy Enemy

Cockroaches can stay hungry for many months but they cannot survive without water for up to a week.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="15px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="15466" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]

German cockroach

• Brownish-yellow colour
• Prefers to eat starchy foods
• Often found in kitchens

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American cockroach

• Shiny red or chocolate brown
• Eats anything that is organic
• Found in both indoors and outdoors; drains and garbage dumps

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Spot the Warning Signs

If you suspect a cockroach infestation, take immediate action to minimize the potential health risks associated with this pest.

• Black grainy droppings (less than 2mm long) along the wall and routes they travel
• Egg cases- small and dark brown oval-shaped (ootheca)
• Unpleasant odour- a distinct musty smell present with large number of cockroaches
• Damaged packaging especially on foods

How to Manage the Problem

Cockroaches are widely known as “Pests of Poor Hygiene”. They have been around for more than 250 million years and are most likely to outlive any species since they are capable of surviving even a nuclear blast. Learn how to manage a cockroach infestation and prevent them from creeping into your homes here.[/vc_column_text][cs_divider color="#6e6e6e"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Buggy friend number 3: Bed Bug

Did you know? Bed bugs not only hide in the seams of mattress, bed frame and headboard, they can be found on curtains, furniture and carpet edges as well. Bed bugs bite both human and pets in your home and adult female lay eggs every day. Most of the time, home owners faced hassles and stresses dealing with their infested homes.

Know Thy Enemy

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• Oval and real flat, bed bugs do not have wings
• Adults are rusty red-brown colour
• Can survive from weeks to months without feeding

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Spot the Warning Signs

• Dark black stains on surrounding walls
• Small dark blood spots on bed mattress
• Red, swelling and itchy bumps on skin
• Several bites appearing in a line or row

How to Manage the Problem

Read more about bed bugs here. Seek professional pest control help in getting rid of bed bugs as it is challenging to eradicate the fast crawling and good at hiding flat bed bugs on your own.[/vc_column_text][cs_divider color="#6e6e6e"][cs_responsive_image target="_blank" image="11939" href="http://www.rentokil.com.sg/" in_style="max-width:240px;"][vc_column_text]Rentokil Pest Control Singapore With more than 50 years of local brand establishment and global prominence in over 50 countries, Rentokil is dedicated to taking care of the public's pest control needs. As the leading pest management specialist, Rentokil has the expertise to ensure adequate protection through delivering innovative, safe and affordable pest management solutions. For enquiries, drop us an email enquiry.sg@rentokil.com or visit www.rentokil.com.sg[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]