Cockroaches: everything you never wanted to know
The insects most commonly seen in Hong Kong aren't the ones you need to worry about
No insect in the home evokes as much disgust as the cockroach, with its horror-movie looks and ability to run rapidly. They literally make us sick, spreading contamination on kitchen surfaces, plates and utensils – and on floors where babies crawl – picked up from the filth they eat and the grimy places they inhabit.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says cockroaches are carriers of salmonella, typhoid, dysentery, cholera and many more diseases.
As if the summer humidity wasn’t enough for Hongkongers to grumble about, it provides the ideal warm, damp environment for cockroaches to thrive. May to August is the peak season for infestations in the city, says Paul Hellyer, managing director of pest-control company Rentokil Initial Hong Kong.
Watch: Hong Kong's creepy, crawly pests: tips on keeping your house insect free
That means more frequent visits by Periplaneta americana, the 4cm-long American cockroach that shelters in sewers, drains and latrines. These scavengers, says Hellyer, prefer to forage outdoors, feeding on any decaying matter, including the corpses of other insects. They stray into buildings in urban areas, especially as densely populated as Hong Kong, where there is ample sustenance.