City faces population explosion of cockroaches ‘Extreme numbers’ over past two years haven’t begun to peak, exterminator says By: Chris Kitching Posted: 5:54 PM CST Monday, Nov. 20, 2023

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This article was published 20/11/2023 (688 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lincoln Poulin’s staff were “terrified” of bedbugs when the insects started to become a much bigger problem in Winnipeg about 20 years ago.

A different pest — cockroaches — is giving them nightmares today, while infestations are on the rise in the city.

“If I asked (my staff) now, any one of them would say they’d rather deal with bedbugs than cockroaches,” said Poulin, president of Poulin’s Pest Control.

Winnipeg’s cockroach problem has been building for about half a decade, but there have been “extreme numbers” in the last two years, he said.

Cockroaches are on their way to becoming the city’s No. 1 pest.

“To me, it hasn’t even begun to peak,” said Poulin. “What we thought for bedbugs, cockroaches will be three times as bad.”

Poulin’s staff visited 2,816 sites for cockroaches between January and October 2022. This year, they visited 3,767 locations during the same 10-month period.

The figures do not include the number of people who bought products in a bid to get rid of the winged insects themselves.

The number of cockroach-related restaurant closures is also on the rise.

Seven food-service establishments have been forced to close in 2023 due to the pests being found during health inspections, a spokesman for the province said.

There was one cockroach-related closure in 2022 and zero in 2021.

Cockroaches are unsanitary and notoriously difficult to get rid of. They like to hide and they breed quickly and in large numbers.

While cockroaches have been around in Winnipeg for a long time, populations are increasing thanks to reproduction cycles and people failing to take precautions, said Poulin.

A female’s average egg sac contains 28-32 nymphs, or babies, he said. The insects tend to live only for a year. In that time, a female can lay well over 100 eggs.

Cockroaches pose health risks to humans because they’re capable of carrying bacteria, such as coliform and salmonella. Exposure to the insects is known to aggravate asthma symptoms.

In Winnipeg, the most common places to find cockroaches include apartment buildings or other multi-unit residences, said Poulin.

Jennifer Joseph, who lives in a Manitoba Housing tower on Carlton Street in the downtown Broadway-Assiniboine neighbourhood, said she saw a cockroach in the building a week ago.

“I feel gross. It’s disgusting to see them,” she said. “It’s a health issue. Cockroaches have diseases.”

Units have been treated for cockroaches and bedbugs, said Joseph, who is satisfied with Manitoba Housing’s attempts to exterminate the pests.

“It’s a health issue. Cockroaches have diseases.”–Jennifer Joseph

Manitoba Housing confirmed it is currently treating six units for cockroaches and six units for bedbugs in the 65-unit property at 24 Carlton St.

The provincial agency said pest activity increased due to the suspension of in-unit chemical treatments and a shortage of tenant supports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A record number of units — 1,153 — was treated for cockroaches in January 2022. The monthly total in October was 590.

“Manitoba Housing is continuing to work to better address cockroach issues and relies on the co-operation of tenants, their families, and support workers to control all types of pests,” a spokesman wrote in an email.

In addition to residences, Poulin’s has been hired to exterminate cockroaches in businesses, including restaurants, food-production facilities and locker rooms in gyms.

The opportunistic pests prefer warm, dark and moist places. They will eat any food source they can find — from food crumbs and pet food to cardboard and toothpaste — but can live for weeks without eating.

People can unknowingly transfer the scavengers in bags, boxes, appliances or furniture.

At least one Winnipeg school was recently treated for the speedy and resilient insects. A small number of cockroaches was found in at least one classroom at École Sacré-Coeur School in the West Alexander neighbourhood, according to a letter sent to parents Nov. 14.

A pest-control company was brought in to carry out a “spot extermination,” said the letter, which asked parents to take steps at home to prevent cockroaches from hitching a ride to school.

“You can help the school contain the problem and reduce the risk of infestation at the school or in your home by checking your child’s backpack and coat pockets regularly,” the letter said. “Please remove any wrappers, food items and crumbs that may attract the cockroaches and offer a place to hide.”

Amanda Gaudes, a spokeswoman for the Winnipeg School Division, said cockroaches were found in a “very small area” of the building.

“The school took immediate steps to resolve the issue as soon as it was discovered,” Gaudes wrote in an email. “The safety of our students and staff is a top priority in Winnipeg School Division.”

Gaudes said the problem has been resolved and the school is following general preventative measures that were recommended by the exterminator.

Winnipeg is not the only city in North America dealing with a booming cockroach population.

The best way to prevent an infestation in a home or elsewhere is to make the environment inhospitable for a cockroach, starting with good sanitation, said Poulin.

Food crumbs or remnants should be cleaned up, especially under or around appliances, and food itself should be stored in sealed containers or refrigerator.

Garbage should also be kept in a sealed container and removed regularly.

Poulin’s also recommends eliminating water sources, such as spills and leaky pipes, or moisture, and sealing cracks or gaps in a foundation and around windows, baseboards and pipes.

Do not allow newspapers, magazines or cardboard to stack up because they’re among the pests’ favourite hiding places.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca