Tampines St 33 residents at a loss over cicadas swarming HDB corridors, flying into units since 2022

Update on May 8, 6:30pm: This article was updated with a joint statement from Tampines Town Council and NParks.

Residents of 321 Tampines St 33 have been facing a unique problem for the past few years.

Swarms of insects have been congregating around the lights in the corridors and flying into homes if windows or doors are left open.

These aren't the usual bugs one may encounter, but large insects called cicadas.

Annual issue

Cindy Tan, who stays on the 8th floor, shared with Mothership that the cicadas have been a perennial problem since 2022.

The bugs typically appear every night from March to June every year, but the issue has "become worse due to the humid weather".

Tan has seen 20 to 30 cicadas flying around the corridor at any one time.

She also described how residents would have to constantly keep their doors or windows closed to prevent the cicadas from flying into their homes.

This is especially during nighttime.

"Residents [have] to rush to open the door and quickly shut it before cicadas fly into the unit. Children dare not go to school in the morning because of cicadas flying along the corridor," she said.

Town council's misting did not help

Tan and other residents from the block have reported the issue to the town council.

She claimed that their concerns were "brushed off" as the cicadas are not considered pests.

Although the town council has carried out misting, which involves spraying insecticide, in the area, this pest control method "did not help".

In a previous email to Tampines Changkat SMC Member of Parliament Desmond Choo, Tan and other residents cited noise pollution, as well as the "fear and discomfort" the insects cause.

"While we recognise the importance of preserving greenery, the current situation has severely impacted our quality of life."

More mass emergences of cicadas

But it seems the cicada problem might require more a complex solution.

Foo Maosheng, an entomologist at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, told Mothership that misting is only a temporary solution.

Foo, who went down to the site on May 7, identified the cicadas as belonging to the genus Platypleura, a group more commonly known as orange wing cicadas.

He noted that it is uncommon to see such large numbers of these cicadas gathering in residential areas, especially at night.

Nevertheless, he said that such mass emergences have been observed in recent years in Singapore, citing a 2021 incident in Tampines where the bugs' loud mating calls disturbed residents.

Foo echoed Tan's observation that the cicadas appear when it is more humid, especially after rainfall.

The rain serves as a cue for cicadas to emerge from the ground, as the softened, damp soil makes it easier for them to tunnel to the surface, he explained.

High humidity also creates safer conditions for their moulting into adulthood, helping them expand their wings fully without drying out or becoming damaged.

Misting an ineffective solution

Foo shared that managing cicada outbreaks "can be challenging", especially for mass emergences.

He notes that misting "provide only limited and short-term relief", and does not address the root of the problem.

Misting via pressure-spray systems only deliver insecticide at ground level, which may only affect cicada nymphs close to the soil surface.

Those deeper underground however, remain unaffected. Moreover, it’s difficult to pinpoint where exactly the nymphs are hiding, Foo said.

Fogging machines on the other hand, are able to target flying adults, but only those directly exposed to the mist. Cicadas perched high in trees or sheltered areas may not be affected.

Additionally, misting is damaging to the ecosystem, as it harms other beneficial insects in the area such as bees and butteflies.

Foo surmised that currently, the cicadas are emerging in waves in Tampines.

With each wave, new adults surface from the soil, thus rendering a single round of misting ineffective at eliminating the whole brood.

Sustainable approach

Foo suggested a more sustainable approach, which would be reducing the factors that attract the cicadas.

Since cicadas are drawn to white- or blue-toned lights at night, one measure can be switching the lighting to amber or yellow LED lights.

Minimising outdoor lighting can help too.

The loud and sustained mating calls from male cicadas pose a problem to residents as well.

Depending on the species, a group of cicadas buzzing together can reach 70 to 80 decibels, a similar volume to a vacuum cleaner.

This can lead to auditory fatigue, irritability, and even stress or lowered mood, Foo said.

He suggested that residents might find relief by keeping windows and doors closed on the side that faces the noise.

"In more severe cases, using earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones may help reduce the impact."

Town council taking steps to manage cicadas

In response to Mothership's queries, Tampines Town Council and the National Parks Board (NParks) explained in a joint statement that as cicadas do not bite or sting and are important to the ecosystem, "we generally avoid causing them harm".

However, they stated that they "understand residents’ concerns".

While there are no official preventive measures or NEA-approved chemicals specifically for controlling cicadas, the town council said it has taken steps to manage the situation, including:

• Regular misting
• Grass cutting
• Tree pruning
• Selective removal of trees with higher cicada activity
• Use of NEA-approved insecticides.

It are also enhancing these measures during the cicadas' mating season.

Further ground treatment methods are also being explored, such as loosening the soil and using soil blankets on the slope facing the blocks to disrupt cicada habitats.

The town council added that they are considering installing nettings at corridor openings to help minimise cicada movement, subject to the relevant authority’s approval.

They said:

"Cicadas have short adult lifespans, typically lasting only a few weeks. The loud calls residents may hear during the day are part of their natural mating behaviour. During this period, we seek residents’ patience and understanding as we continue to do our utmost to manage the situation responsibly."

Top photo courtesy of Cindy Tan