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Demand for pest control in S’pore grows as bedbug fears bite

2023-11-25 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – Mrs Teh San San’s first hint that bedbugs had invaded her home was a rash of small, red bumps on her eight-year-old son after a vacation to Hong Kong in September.

The 41-year-old then discovered little black stains on the bedsheets – droppings from the pesky critters – and decided that she needed to get professional help.

She paid close to $1,000 for pest exterminators to eradicate the bloodsucking insects, and considers it money well spent.

“Nothing compares to a good night’s rest. It has been weeks now, and our life has returned to normality from a nightmare,” she said.

With bedbugs ravaging popular tourist destinations, including London, Paris and Hong Kong, and tens of thousands of travellers passing through Singapore each day, pest control firms here say they are doing a roaring trade.

The Straits Times spoke to five pest control firms, which said requests for their services have surged between 30 per cent and 50 per cent in November.

Their customers range from panicked travellers who return home to discover they have brought back bedbugs with them, to those who are worried and want to take precautions.

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One firm said a customer was willing to pay as much as $20,000 for urgent eradication of these stowaways.

Mr Ian Wong, director of Eminent Pest, said his firm has handled 45 cases in November, about 40 per cent to 50 per cent higher than usual.

“Most of the calls come from those who just returned from their travels, who have already seen some bedbugs or its eggs, or just want to take preventive measures,” said Mr Wong.

He charges an average of $400 for fumigation in a four-room Housing Board flat, and up to $2,000 for larger properties.

The cost varies based on factors like the severity of the infestation and the size of the house, he said, adding that one client was so worried that he paid up to $20,000 for additional rounds of fumigation.

The client, who lived in a four-storey terrace house, wanted every room fumigated four times, as well as multiple rounds of heat treatment.

“To them, it is not about the money… they are worried about the infestation, some even paranoid, and two rounds of cleaning is not enough for them,” Mr Wong said.