Today I went to a Sheung Wan apartment to carry out pest control treatment. The helper told us that she recently saw cockroaches.

When I walked into the living room, I found a lot of online shopping carton boxes. Some of them were open but the goods were still packed inside. I asked the helper if the cardboard boxes are always left in the living room. She said that the client usually unpacks them on the weekends. Sometimes, he opens them and leaves the goods inside the box. Hence, she cannot discard them and clean up the living room. Also, the client loves online shopping. Therefore, new carton boxes keep stacking up.

When pests enter the house through different methods, these boxes create an ideal habitat for them to hide. For example, cockroaches like the corrugation of boxes to breed in. Therefore, when goods are received, the cardboard packaging should be dismantled and sent for recycling as soon as possible to avoid stacking up.

After I finished the inspection and sprayed the whole apartment, I reminded the helper. Our sales colleague also reminded the client that a clean and tidy environment is an important part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Clearing cardboard boxes frequently helps to avoid them from becoming a habitat for pests.