Midges bugging the neighbourhood
Businesses suffering as insect swarms drive customers away
GEORGE TOWN: Instead of enjoying the sunset, the owner of a bicycle repair shop here has to spend his evenings warding off swarms of midges.
These mosquito-like insects, known as agas-agas in Bahasa Malaysia, would invade Lee Hock Heng’s neighbourhood in Carnarvon Street here, near the heritage area, in the late evenings.
“The insects are a nuisance and it’s hard to work as they keep flying around,” he said.
At one point, he had to close his shop for two weeks, said Lee, who has been operating in the area for more than 10 years.
For the past few months, these insects, which can survive in a dirty environment, have been terrorising the neighbourhood after sunset.
Eatery owner Denny Chan, 42, said midges started descending on the area in May.
He said he had tried various methods to get rid of them but to no avail.
“I have tried everything, from sticky traps to insecticide to fogging machines but the swarms are still here.
“I bought a type of pesticide earlier which kills mosquitoes, rats, lizards and even snakes but when I tried it on these bugs, it had no effect,” he said.
Vegetable supplier Vivian Lim, 35, said her business was affected by the insects as many customers preferred to stay clear of a bug-ridden environment.
“Our customers would come and leave promptly, saying there were too many ‘mosquitoes’.
“Even though we assured them that these bugs were not mosquitoes, they were still scared as there were just too many midges.
“It is even more unpleasant near midnight as they could fill the entire wall. It is difficult to work in such an environment.
“And it is not a pretty sight, since we load and unload vegetables to our sellers here,” she said.
Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng said the Penang Island City Council had started using a type of insecticide since Friday.
He said the insecticide was recommended by the state Health Department, which identified the insects as midges after a sample collection in the drain in Carnarvon Street last Tuesday.
“Earlier, we conducted fogging and tried other methods, thinking they were mosquitoes.
“But it did not work so we raised the matter to the state Health Department.
“The council is now trying to solve the problem using the recommended insecticide,” he said.
In a statement, the state Health Department said the midges could be a nuisance although they generally did not bring diseases to humans.
“Their breeding ground revolves around flowing water and swarms are often found near roadside stalls, drains and trenches.
“Their presence is likely caused by drain water, which is the source of breeding, and the algae growth in the drain provides a source of food for midges larvae,” the department said.
It also said that the insects mate every three to five days, causing a sudden rise in their population in the area. They have a life cycle of three weeks starting from egg to adulthood.
Adult midges live only three to five days, depending on the weather and food sources.
“To reduce disturbance from these insects, residents may reduce the use of light as the bugs tend to perch on a bright area.
“This is especially so at night as LED lights attract them,” it said.
To reduce its numbers, the department suggested that bug stickers be used, together with the Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) insecticide.
“This is the most appropriate way to kill the midges’ larvae in the ditch or drain,” it said.
The statement also said that Bti, which served as a food source for larvae, would attack the larvae and its system, causing them to die.
“This Bti application will need to be repeated every two to three weeks.
“To deal with the issue in the long-term, there must be a scheduled drain and ditch cleaning to clear the algae, which is a food source for the larvae,” it said.