Pests! Ugh!

[ferrisld]

What are some of the common pests in Singapore and how does one deal with them?

I was shocked today to see what looked like a small lizard (gecko? salamander?) out of the corner of my eye in the kitchen today, scrambling up the wall. How exactly does one get rid of a lizard from one's condo??

I also have a lot of tiny little bugs that seem to like to crawl over one of my kitchen walls, scattering to darker places when the light is turned on. They are about the size of a pin head, if that, and never stop moving, so I can't get a good look at what they actually are. Anyone know what they are and how to deal with them?

I'm mystified as to how they get in, as my windows and doors are always closed. Any pest-proofing reccomendations??

[Strong Eagle]

You don't get rid of the geckos. They are your friends. They eat the bugs. If you had no bugs the geckos would go away. They are a fact of life all over Asia. Live with it. Other than the occasional gecko caught in the laser printer or toaster or fridge door they really don't do anything except hang around.

[ferrisld]

That's hilarious. So the one pest eats the other pests? In which case the gecko needs to do a better job, as the other bugs are still around.

I'd still prefer a zero-pest environment so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

[mrsmonkie]

I called up a pest control company and had them come once every 2 months. It cleared up our cockroach and ant issue.

I also sealed up our garbage chute which is located within the kitchen and laundry area. It's amazing how much that helped.

Good luck.

[ferrisld]

Thanks for the info! How much does it cost to have the pest company come in? And how did you seal the garbage chute? Mine isn't in the kitchen but it is close by (out on the concrete 'patio' separated by a door).

[sundaymorningstaple]

Call a couple of them and tell them what you want. A lot of them will give you a free quotation.

There is a whole list of pest control companies located in my links page in my signature below. As well as all kinds of other links that may be useful to expats as the Link says.......

sms

[pollyminaz]

just smack them. Bingo!

[mrsmonkie]

Killing them by smacking them makes it worse in my opinion. If you don’t clean up the dead insect you leave behind traces of their guts and the other insects come out of hiding and eat it....disgusting I know!!

As well as that, the cockroaches become immune to the commercial sprays that you buy at your supermarket. Quite frankly I hate filling my lungs and environment with cans of ‘Raid’.

Our pest control was a yearly contract, and they came out every two months. They lay baits and re-fill them each visit. I can't remember the exact amount we paid perhaps $400-500.00? I can PM you the company if you want. You can choose your contract depending on how bad the infestation is. I could have done with a visit once every 6 nonths.

As for sealing the garbage chute, I was told by the pest guys to use a heavy duty masking tape or packing tape. Seal it off completely.

[ferrisld]

That's great, thanks for the info! I laid cockroach traps yesterday but they didn't have much effect (I know, it's just been one day...) - but I did notice that I think they were in fact eating dead bug guts (the ones I killed today, that is!) Still not sure if they are roaches since they are so small and move so much I can't get a clear look - could be freaky looking ants, I guess, but they move pretty fast for ants.

Sure, PM me the contact # - I may use them! With the sealing, did you have to re-seal it each and every time you used the garbage chute??

[micknlea]

The little ones will just be baby cockroaches. It will take more than a day for it to work, but it usually does.

Sealing up the garbage chute? Hmm, if you do that then you have to take your garbage yourself to the disposal area instead of using the chute.

[mrsmonkie]

Yes, by sealing up the garbage chute I gave up the option of having easy access but it's seriously worth it. I used to dread cooking in the kitchen when we have a roach issue.

Thankfully my condo allows us to place rubbish in the fire escape which gets cleared out each morning. If I'm not too lazy I venture down the lift and chuck my own rubbish.

Seriously it's not that bad considering I had to put the garbage out in Australia.

I'll send you a PM.

[jjoensuu]

As well as that, the cockroaches become immune to the commercial sprays that you buy at your supermarket.

hmmm...that is what I think has happened in Australia, where I lived last...I tried several different cans to kill the occasional cockroach that came in after pest control...it was sort of like spraying air on the suckers. In the end the quickest way to kill them was a rubber mallet bought from a hardware shop. Cleanup was quite easy, using regular baby wipes (I just tried to not to kill the creature while it was on a carpet).