The UAE is home to desert along with modern cities and the sunny climate is one of the distinguishing features of this country. However, there has been one common problem in residential and commercial property which is the problem of seasonal pests. Thus, the intensity of pest activity in the region depends on the season: while it is hot and humid in the southern states, the population of insects and rodents decreases in winter.
To be able to prevent the intrusion of these pests into your home or business premises, it is very important to understand their calendar year nuisance. With this detailed month-by-month guide, you’ll know what pest threats to expect in the UAE and how to protect your home and family from them. Organization of your prevention initiatives with professional pest control services UAE residents turn to ensure a pest-free living environment all year round.
January is relatively cooler in UAE; however, the night time is relatively cold compared to the other months in the year. It may be cool for people residing within the affected regions, but to the pests, mainly rodents and cockroaches, the weather forces them to seek shelter and food inside homes. It also affects structures such as the residential building, the warehouses, and restaurants in this period.
Rodents such as rats and mice are used to being good climbers and can easily enter houses through small gaps and crevices. They usually invade houses, and other buildings, through the window or the ventilation or drainage systems, through cracks of doors or windows. They then stay in attic areas, basements, or any other concealed areas of the house leading to house damage and health issues from the bacteria that the animals bring.
Cockroaches, particularly the German and the American cockroaches are active all the year round although they make home raids in winter. They are mostly found in such places as kitchens, laundry, and bathrooms that have so much humidity. Such pests are notorious for transmitting diseases and polluting foods that are fit for human consumption.
Towards the end of the cooler period in UAE, ants come out of their hideaway and start looking for food sources. It can be easily observed that ants leave their nests outside and they have access to your kitchen or pantry if you live in a villa or on the ground floor. Ants may appear harmless at a first glance, but they can reproduce rapidly and develop into quite a problem if left alone.
Termite activity may also occur during the time, especially in new houses or areas of construction and planting of new plants. These termites mostly infest damp soils and surfaces only once they’ve caused extensive havoc to wooden and other structures.
Ant species, such as the Pharaoh ant and pavement ant, can come in through gaps, electric wiring channels, or water supply pipes. They make nests inside behind walls and under floors.
Termites on the other hand are even sneakier but deadly. Hollow-sounding wood or mud tubes appearing on walls are already signs of critical damages done to your home.
The levels of humidity and the heat increase and people spend more time outdoors; as a result, March is the start of the mosquito season in the UAE. Water remains stagnant from irrigation activities, air conditioners or the trays used to nurture plantations makes the environment suitant for breeding.
Apart from giving people pins and prickling sensations, mosquitoes are known to spread diseases like dengue and malaria in some states. While the incidence of large outbreaks is not very common in the UAE, on the other hand, importation of cases and suitable conditions necessitate the control of mosquitoes.
You can also find house flies and fruit flies around and fruit all the time. Such animals are not just pests, they act as vectors which transmit germs that cause food poisoning and respiratory diseases.
Preventive Measures:
With the onset of spring and gradual increase in temperature, flies become common mosquitoes around houses, farms and other places where food is processed or stored. Flies are easily attracted to garbage bins, compost areas as well as any exposed food making hygiene a major issue of concern.
Spiders are also observed to be common at this time especially in gardens, balconies, and other parts of the house which are rarely used. Despite the fact that most of the spiders in the UAE are neither dangerous, their appearance causes discomfort and can even bite or cause anaphylactic shock in some individuals.
The other favourable conditions can be observed in May and this is characterised by high temperatures that encourage the breeding of cockroaches. These are nocturnal insects which reproduce very fast, they are also very small and can easily invade hard-to-reach spaces, so it’s almost impossible to deal with them without professional assistance.
Another pest that comes to the foreground during this period is the silverfish. Bed bugs as their name suggests are most active during the night and are usually found in areas that are dark, damp such as the bathroom, the laundry and storeroom areas. They view paper, glue, as well as textiles as their foods and they usually destroy books, wallpapers as well as clothes.
June also marks the beginning of summer in UAE and this is the time when the ants as well as the termites are most active. Ant colonies become more active in search of food and are often seen trailing through the walls and the floor joints. At the same time, swarms of termites can be seen flocking to the outdoors more often, especially on construction sites.
Residents whose houses have wooden parts or structures that have not been treated or protected from termites are most likely to fall victim to these insects during this particular season. They are a problem when it comes to planting crops because their activity increases as the soil warms, and their colonies grow very fast if they are not controlled.
Increased by temperature above 45 C in some areas of the UAE mosquitoes increase even more especially in shaded gardens, construction sites and places with poor drainage systems. Also, bees and wasps are great flyers especially in the residential areas during this time of the year.
The Common wasp and bees are often known to make their nests in the roof eaves, wall voids and on tree branches. They are good for pollination but their sting is harmful and may pose a great risk, particularly to those who are allergic to bees.
This is one of the reasons why August is considered to be the worst month in terms of pest infestations in the UAE. This is because they are in search of cooler temperatures and this they find within living in homes, thus the increase in the incidences of seeing rodents, cockroaches and other crawling insects. It is important to observe that there might be an increased outbreak of pests at areas such as the kitchen, storeroom, and utility.
At this time, people travel out of their homes thus leaving the buildings unoccupied and open to host the pests. If not controlled early, infestations can grow and cause a lot of damage to structures as wells as poses health risks.
With warmth fading from the summer days and arriving to the period when meteorological conditions become unfavorable for their activity, pests do not cease their activity. As much as epidemic diseases that are caused by insects like houseflies, mosquitoes and moths, are rare, there are still cases reported. You may also start to notice the lizard particularly in gardens and balconies, since the smaller insects form their diet.
Some pests begin to get less active when heat reduces, but they can breed well in moist and unsanitary conditions.
This is perhaps another round of spider activity due to warmer weather in October and they move closer to warmer places within the home. Furthermore, damaging pests such as weevils and moths may attack dry food if they are not stored properly.
These pests can infest and damage stored foods such as rice, grains, flour and even pet foods. Their eggs are so small that one cannot see them most of the time, and when the hatch they bring destruction with them in their wake.
The worst of the rodents return to seek warmth again upon realizing that it is still cold in the winter. Ideas: They prefer to hide in garages, basements, and rooftops of the houses. November is also a perfect time for termite inspections especially for individuals who plan to renovate or build an extension to their homes before the beginning of next year.
It is also expected that many pests such as the carpet beetles, bed bugs among others will invade the indoors more so due to many people’s frequent travels and increased time spent inside the interior spaces.
December is a time of celebratory gatherings, food preparation, and travel in the UAE and unfortunately all the additional activities during this period can increase the chances of encountering cockroaches, flies, and other internal pest issues such as bed bugs.
Improperly stored decorations or unused boxes can provide opportunities for silverfish, spiders, and rodents to remain undeterred by our presence. After returning from holidays you may also find bed bugs have been introduced during the relaxed period.
Pest problems are not only an issue in the UAE during the holiday season, but becoming familiar with seasonal pest behavior can give you a heads up. Rodents become more active during winter. Mosquito issues become more pressing during the summer. Termites can pose challenges almost every month.
Instead of dealing with pest issues directly, we recommend working with a licensed pest control services UAE company, for timely, effective, and environmentally friendly pest control solutions. Whether you are in a villa in Dubai, an apartment in Abu Dhabi, a commercial property in Sharjah, it’s important to stay ahead of pest issues for comfort, health and safety.
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