Is a Low Floor Unit Home Prone to Pests?

Are low floor unit homes prone to pests?

If you are living in a high rise building in our HDB or private apartment, will you choose to live on a high floor level or a low floor level? In Singapore, there are many myths surrounding living on a low floor level and one of them definitely got to be concerning pests.

Myth or Fact?

Only those who are living in a low floor unit, they get all kinds of pests making their way to their home easily! Cockroaches, ants, lizards, termites, and birds… well, you name it; you get it. Is this really true?

It’s a yes, and a no.

Yes, because living on a low floor level makes it easier for pests such as lizards and cockroaches to crawl their way into your home, yet it does not mean a top floor level flat or apartment is entirely pest free!

No, because largely there are many varying factors to why a home attracts pests. It also depends on…

low floor unit hdb apartment — *Is your balcony a huge open entry for pests?*

Open entries to your home, i.e. Balconies

Balconies make a very good entry point for pests such as lizards, cockroaches, and ants to come inside. Even tiny cracks and gaps allow pests to come in. Did you know? Rats or mice only require a 1cm gap to squeeze their way in! Balconies at home should set up a pest screen.

Individual hygiene and cleanliness; clutter and tidiness

A home’s overall hygiene and cleanliness play a part in making a home attractive or unattractive for pests such as ants. Bad habits such as leaving food and spills all around without cleaning up, invite foraging ants to feed on. Serious untidiness in a home by having clutter in all 4 corners of the home also attract pests such as cockroaches to harbour and hide in there easily. Unclutter your home and clean up!

Location of nearby potted plants, green features

Pest problems often arise out of our daily living habits, which we may be unaware of. Home owners who take care of potted plants, or they have indoor or outdoor water features, have the potential to attract pests which favour moisture such as mosquitoes, termites, and cockroaches. A leaking pipe somewhere often goes unattended; this is a real bonus for pests to come by as pests seek water, shelter, and food.

A green feature nearby your unit may also attract more pests such as centipedes, millipedes, and termites, eventually making their way into homes. As the greens and wood are their natural habitats, some places may even attract snakes!

Even simple acts of watering your potted plants may bring in some uninvited pests.

Location of nearby rubbish chute centre

Whether you live on a low floor or top floor flat and apartment, the location of the bin chutes and bin chute centre is also crucial. The bin centre is definitely a living quarter for rats, cockroaches, ants and more. If you live near a bin area, the key thing to do is, really, to seal and deny any point of entry for these pests.

A secondary pest infestation…?

Many people may overlook the fact of having a current pest infestation in their home, i.e. Lizards or spiders. A lizard or spider infestation may happen when is because you have another pest infestation going on. This can be a mosquito or small fly infestation. As mosquitoes or small flies are food sources for lizards and spiders, they are attracted to shelter at your place for this steady source of food.

While many pests crawl or climb, some, like termites, can even fly! Therefore, it does not really matter whether you live on a high floor home or low floor home. Don’t panic if you see a lizard or spider at home. Think about why are they there in the first place?

This article was originally posted on Rentokil.

Do you have other pest prevention tips? Share them in our comments section or on our Facebook community page.

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This article is brought to you by Rentokil, the experts in pest control.

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