Montreal

'My favourite kind of cockroach is a dead cockroach': Expert's tips to fight unwelcome critters in your home

Eric Corcoran, the technical supervisor of ABC Pest Control give us his best tips on how to deal with an unwelcome invasion of household pests in your home.

Eric Corcoran of ABC Pest Control answers questions about what to do about unwelcome insects and rodents

'My favourite kind of cockroach is a dead cockroach,' says Eric Corcoran, technical supervisor at ABC Pest Control in Montreal. (Sabrina Marandola/CBC)

What do you do when creepy-crawlies make an unwelcome visit or worse, lay siege to your house?

Eric Corcoran, technical supervisor at ABC Pest Control, joined CBC Radio Noon host Shawn Apel to answer all your questions about how to best to respond to a household invasion.

Here are his best tips and tricks to fight the unwelcome critters.

Q: I have rats in my rented apartment — and my landlord won't do anything about it. Is there anything I can do?

Rats are a difficult situation when you're a tenant.

Ninety-nine per cent of the time when you're in the city, rats are coming from the sewer system, and to control them in this kind of environment is next to impossible.

The minute there is a hole or a break in the pipe, they start coming out. Landlords sometimes think that they can seal a visible hole, but it's often a problem in the internal piping.

We recommend a smoke test by a registered plumber to find out where the problem is, and then open up the walls to deal with the problem. But the problem with these types of services is that they tend to be fairly expensive.

Q: What if I have moths?

With flying insects, it's important to remember they are at the end of their life cycle. It's their reproductive stage.

The real problem is eggs: the larvae and pupae. Those tend to be inside food sources: like oats, rice, grains, spices, teas and coffee. So you really want to look at the foods, and see if there's anything moving around. If you find it, you should throw it out.

Q: I have centipedes, but I don't want to use insecticides because I have small children. What can I use instead?

Centipedes are like spiders: they actively hunt other insects. These insects are usually humidity bugs, like pill bugs, earwigs and silverfish. Thorough vacuuming of cracks and crevices along the baseboards to eliminate potential food for the centipedes is a good start. You can also get a dehumidifier to get rid of some of these humidity bugs.

As a rule of thumb, insecticides in Canada have been rigorously studied by Health Canada before they become available for sale. As long as the labels are followed to the letter, you should be OK. Try to evacuate the area for the time of the insecticide treatment. Aerating the apartment and letting the fumes leave the apartment should help, too.

Q: What can you do about cockroaches?

Personally, I am impressed by how cockroaches can adapt to any situation, but my favourite kind of cockroach is a dead cockroach. Cockroaches are very resilient, for sure. But proper application of insecticides and a change of environment, as well, will help.

Cockroaches are often associated with a lack of sanitation. So the minute you address that situation, the cockroaches problem should also get better.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.