Cockroach pest control in an HDB flat: what does a treatment include?

Cockroach pest control HDB: what a visit covers

If you keep seeing cockroaches in the kitchen, a professional visit aims to find where they hide and treat those spots. The technician may use bait, spray or both, often around the kitchen. What one visit includes differs between companies, so read each package before you book.

Pestopia's Silver Plan is a one-time visit that includes an inspection of the premises, according to its cockroach pest control page.

StopPest describes a longer approach. Its cockroach control packages include monitoring with sticky traps and follow-up visits. If you choose a package like this, ask how often the traps are checked and how many follow-up visits the price covers.

The two approaches suit different situations. A single visit may be enough when you see only a few cockroaches. A package with follow-ups suits a problem that keeps coming back, because the technician can return to spots treated earlier and check the traps.

Before the technician arrives

Treatment works better in a tidy kitchen, so spend some time on it in the days before the visit. The aim is to leave cockroaches with as little food and water as possible.

• Clear food crumbs from the counters, the floor and the gaps beside the cooker and fridge.
• Store food in sealed containers, including rice, snacks and pet food.
• Get dripping taps fixed and wipe the sink area dry at night.
• Take the rubbish out often and keep the bin covered.

The guide on how to get rid of cockroaches by cleaning has more cleaning steps you can follow before and between visits.

Ask the company whether you should empty the cabinets under the sink or move small appliances so the technician can reach hidden corners.

Published prices for an HDB flat

A cockroach treatment price depends on the areas covered and whether you book one visit or a contract.

PRINTED BY THE COMPANIES

Printed one-off cockroach rates

From lowest to highest, the printed one-off cockroach rates below run from S$80 to S$180. The middle printed rate is S$140, one company's own figure, not an average. Each line covers a slightly different job, and no figure is a quote.

Rates in SGD as each company prints them on its own page, lowest first. "From" marks a starting price. Check the source for what is included.

Company	What the price covers, as printed	Rate	Source
Pestopia	Silver Plan, one-time visit with an inspection of the premises; flat type not stated	From S$80	pestopia-sg.com
Protect Pest Control	Cockroaches, HDB, One-off (Adhoc)	S$140	protectpestcontrol.sg
StopPest	HDB Kitchen Only	Starting from S$180	stoppest.com.sg

The middle of the three printed one-off rates is S$140, from Protect Pest Control. The StopPest starting rate is for an HDB kitchen only, and the Pestopia page does not say whether its Silver Plan is for an HDB flat or a condo. Compare what each quote includes, not only the figure.

The pest control questions page covers other points to check before you book. For ant, mosquito and general rates, see the pest control cost guide.

Products and who applies them

Under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act, public health pesticide and repellent products intended for use against the five vectors must be registered before sale, supply or advertising in Singapore, as NEA's page on registration of public health pesticides explains. The five vectors are mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, rats and rat fleas, so products meant for use against cockroaches are covered.

NEA also registers vector control operators, licenses technicians and certifies workers, who must comply with the same Act, according to its page on vector control operators. When you contact a company, ask which product the technician plans to use in your flat and whether the technician holds an NEA licence. Clear answers to both help you understand what is being applied in your home and who is applying it.

After the treatment

Follow the technician's instructions about when and how to clean the treated spots, and ask before you wipe or mop near them. Keep food sealed, clear crumbs after meals and keep the sink area dry, just as you did before the visit.

Note any sightings, with the place and time. If sightings continue, book a follow-up visit and share your notes so the technician can recheck those spots.

Once the technician says it is fine to clean the treated areas, the kitchen deep clean checklist can help you clean the whole kitchen thoroughly.

Picking a company

Ask each company the same questions, so you can compare like with like:

• What is included in the price, such as an inspection and which rooms are treated?
• Is a follow-up visit covered, and if so, how many?
• Will the technician use gel bait, cockroach monitoring traps, spray or a mix?
• Is the price for one visit or part of a contract?

Ask for the answers in writing, such as in a message or on the quote, so you can check them later. The guide on how to hire a pest control company has more points to go through before you agree to a quote.

Questions