Saskatoon exterminator says cockroaches live 'everywhere you go'
Saskatoon residents may not think of bug infestations as a common problem, but over the past few years there’s one creepy crawler that is making its presence known.
“We see cockroaches everywhere,” says Sayful Ahmed, owner of Bye Bye Cockroach.
This extermination company has been dealing with an increasing number of calls to apartments, houses and businesses from residents concerned about an infestation.
“In the last two to three years, it’s increased drastically. Like everywhere you go,” he says.
Ahmed posts videos of the bugs on his business’ Facebook page.
The most commonly seen cockroach in western Canada is the German cockroach. They can tolerate temperatures as low as -10 but tend to stay indoors, he says.
“They are small but tough ones. They can survive any kind of weather conditions,” he says.
An entomologist from the University of Manitoba (U of M) says having cockroaches in Canada is nothing new, but where he is located in Winnipeg, they’re also seeing numbers increase.
“Left uncontrolled, these insects are capable of producing quite high numbers of offspring. Once established there is the potential for spread and increase,” said Jordan Bannerman, entomology instructor at the U of M.
They are mostly found in kitchens and bathrooms, according to Bannerman, who says having them in your home doesn’t always indicate a lack of cleanliness.
An image from one of Ahmed's customer's homes. (Source: Facebook / Bye Bye Cockroach)
He admits they do pose a health issue because of how they move from place to place, touching food and leaving fecal matter behind.
“They can spread bacteria from one place to another which is a problem with food contamination,” he says.
Some of the theories on why there are more cockroaches now include increased movement of people between cities around the world — they could be taking some small travellers with them in bags or on clothing. The same goes for the groceries we buy, which come from many countries.
Ahmed has found a possible link to ten customers who ordered products online recently. Once they got information from the resident, it was hard to deny the connection.
“All ten of the customers had an Amazon package the week before. We are guessing they all came from Amazon packaging,” he said.
Boxes provide an ideal place for cockroach eggs to live. Each egg sack can produce upwards of 20 cockroaches according to Bannerman.
“Pretty much anything that we’re moving around could harbour egg cases. I’m not singling out cardboard in any way, but cardboard or shipping materials are absolutely a potential pathway for spread.”
Bye Bye Cockroach uses a non-chemical bait treatment, and local property manager Jordan Marcoux tells CTV News that while he’s found this method to be completely successful at eradicating the bugs — tenants have to be diligent as well.
“We can’t control the cleanliness all the time so that can be a challenge and once they pop up in one unit, they travel,” said Marcoux, who works with Boyes Group Realty.
The experts we spoke to say, if you suspect you have roaches, setting a sticky trap first to assess the situation is a good idea, then calling an exterminator to deal with the problem.
This could help you avoid any horror stories ù like the one Ahmed recalls as the worst infestation he’s seen in Saskatoon.
“When we walked into one apartment, we couldn’t see the floor, it had that many cockroaches. It was like a zombie movie. It was quite an experience.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.