Thousands of flying insects swarmed an Indian restaurant along Upper Bukit Timah Road out of nowhere, leaving diners startled.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a woman surnamed Lee, 30, said she patronised the restaurant on Mar. 30 when there was a sudden influx of the critters.
A large number of the winged insects swarmed the restaurant at about 8pm, she said.
In a short video sent to Shin Min, many insects could be seen flying outside the shop, with some slipping inside and flying into the restaurant.
Lee said she was frightened by the sheer number of insects swarming the shop.
"It was so scary that I only dared to film for three seconds before putting down my phone," she said.
Upon witnessing the situation, the restaurant staff whipped out pesticide canisters and sprayed them outside.
Lee said the number of insects dwindled within 10 minutes, which was also the duration customers were prevented from entering and exiting the premises.
First time seeing so many insects
The 58-year-old owner of the restaurant told Shin Min that this was the first time he had seen so many insects at the same time in his life.
He said at that time, fewer customers were dining in as it was past peak period.
However, some insects slipped past the door when customers entered and exited the restaurant.
He said it was a relief that his staff responded quickly.
The next morning, a man surnamed Qiu, 38, who ran a shop next door, said that a large number of insect carcasses had piled up outside his shop's doorstep.
He said he had encountered a similar situation in 2023, when a large number of flying insects had entered his store.
As the restaurant is close to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a resident named Zanial, 30, who lives nearby speculated that the insects had flown over before and after it rains.
Insect likely to be termites
According to pest control Rentokill, the flying insects are likely to be winged termites.
The termites thrive in Singapore's hot and humid weather, and usually appear as the weather gets warmer and after it rains.
Flying termites can be identified by two sets of equal-sized wings which are almost twice the size of their bodies.
Their similar-looking counterpart, the flying ant, has a large set of wings at the front and smaller ones at the back.
Flying termites are attracted to light and usually discard their wings on the ground when they find a place to set up a nest.
These termites can damage infrastructure and can weaken a building over time, posing a safety hazard.
It is advised to call pest control when dealing with them.
Top photo via Shin Min