Cockroach Issues in Calgary’s High-Rise Apartments: What You Need to Know 

In recent years, cockroach infestations in high-rise condominiums and apartment buildings across Calgary have become a growing concern. These problems are particularly tricky in multi-unit dwellings, where what happens in one unit or hallway can rapidly affect many others. If you live, manage, or own a condo or apartment in Calgary, here’s what’s happening, why it’s hard to manage, and how residents and property managers can work together to get it under control.

What the Current Situation Looks Like

• In several Calgary Housing Company (CHC) buildings, tenants have reported severe, recurring cockroach infestations. Even frequent treatments aren’t always keeping the insects away. Global News+1

• Public Health inspections have found live and dead cockroaches throughout units: inside kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms. It’s not just a problem in isolated units—it’s spread across shared walls, plumbing chases, and communal spaces. Global News+1

• Many tenants describe feeling trapped—despite efforts, the insects return or migrate from untreated units. Regular pest control, while often mandated or performed, hasn’t always led to lasting results. CityNews Calgary+1

• Health inspectors in some cases have declared the infestation “critical,” and ordered property owners to treat all affected areas, increase monitoring, and improve preventative maintenance. Global News
  
  

\Why High-Rise / Multi-Unit Settings Are Especially Vulnerable

A number of factors make high-rise and multi-unit buildings more prone and more difficult to manage when it comes to cockroach infestations:

1. Shared Infrastructure and Common Areas
   Plumbing, utility shafts, garbage chutes, laundry rooms, stairwells, and ventilation systems provide cockroaches with pathways to travel between units.

2. Close Proximity of Units
   If one unit is affected, cockroaches can spread to adjacent units via cracks, gaps around pipes, shared walls, or open spaces.

3. Hidden Moisture and Food Sources
   Small leaks, condensation, or even lint/dust buildup in rarely cleaned areas create moist, warm hiding spots. Food particles from kitchens or garbage areas also attract them.

4. Limited Control Over All Units
   A lot of times, even if one tenant is keeping spotless, neighboring units may not, and cockroaches will use that as a staging ground. Full building-wide cooperation is often required.

5. Resistance & Reinfestation
   Cockroaches, especially German cockroaches, reproduce quickly, their eggs are well protected, and if treatments are inconsistent or partial, the population can bounce back.

Health & Wellbeing Impacts

• Cockroaches can trigger or worsen allergies and asthma, especially in children. Their droppings, saliva, shed skin, and body parts are common allergens.

• They also contribute to poor sanitation, can contaminate food, and spread bacteria.

• The stress and discomfort of living with a recurring infestation can affect mental health and sense of well-being.

What Residents & Property Managers Can Do

To effectively reduce and prevent cockroach infestations in high-rise settings, coordinated efforts are key. Here are strategies that work:

For Residents

• Keep your unit as clean and dry as possible. Wipe up spills, wash dishes promptly, and don’t leave dirty dishes overnight.

• Store food in sealed containers. Don’t leave pet food or water out overnight.

• Reduce clutter, especially cardboard, paper, and things stored under sinks or behind heavy appliances.

• Seal up entry points: cracks around walls, gaps under doors, around pipes, electrical sockets. Even small gaps can let cockroaches through.

• Use traps or baits as early detection tools. If you see droppings, egg cases, or live roaches, act early.
  
  

For Property / Condo Management

• Regular building-wide inspections and proactive treatments, not just reactive ones.

• Treat all affected units simultaneously, so reinfestation from untreated units is minimized.

• Maintain common areas well: garbage rooms, hallways, chutes, laundry rooms should be cleaned often, waste removed, moisture controlled.

• Monitor and address moisture leaks (plumbing, HVAC) quickly.

• Educate tenants: provide guidance on how their behavior helps or hurts pest control efforts.
  
  

When Professionals Are Needed

• In cases classed as “critical,” professional pest control is often the only reliable solution. They can use treatments that are more powerful and safer when applied by licensed technicians.

• Multiple treatments over weeks may be necessary, since egg casings often survive initial treatments.
  
  

Steps to Move Forward

If you are a tenant or owner in a high-rise building currently facing cockroach issues:

1. Document your situation — dates, units affected, what you see (droppings, live bugs, smells).

2. Contact Property Management / Condo Board and request a coordinated, building-wide pest control plan.

3. If unaddressed after repeated requests, report to Alberta Health Services / Environmental Health, who have authority to inspect and require remediation.

4. Consider hiring a pest control company with experience in multi-unit settings.
   
   

Conclusion

Cockroach infestation in Calgary’s high-rise condos is not just a nuisance—it’s a health risk and a quality‐of‐life issue that requires coordinated, consistent effort to manage. While occasional treatment helps, long-term success requires full building cooperation, proactive maintenance, and the right professional help. With the proper approach, even longstanding infestations can be eliminated and prevented.