Singapore will launch a comprehensive effort to manage cicada swarms in Tampines Changkat starting in March, addressing resident concerns about the insects entering homes.
Cicada Management Plan for Tampines Changkat
The five-month initiative will trial novel and safe strategies to deal with the seasonally emerging cicadas, which have caused dismay among residents since 2022. The constituency’s office announced the plan on Feb. 26.
Solutions include placing mats to cover soil near trees and wrapping tree trunks with foil to disrupt the cicada life cycle. Further details on the measures were not immediately provided, but a town hall event is scheduled for March 1 to discuss the issue.
Resident Concerns
Residents have reported increasing numbers of cicadas in and around their homes, particularly during the hotter months from March. The insects, known to be among the world’s loudest, typically emerge in noisy groups of about 10, with populations declining after three to four months.
Residents described the insects, roughly the size of two 50-cent coins, buzzing around lights and darting in common spaces and flats at night. Some reported feeling frightened and disrupted by the noise and presence of the insects.
One resident, Carlos Kennerley, 58, recounted instances of people being startled by cicadas entering lifts. Another resident stated she was “frightened to death” dodging groups of the insects in corridors.
Previous Efforts and Research
In May 2025, the Tampines Town Council implemented measures including tree removal and the use of National Environment Agency-approved insecticides, resulting in a temporary dip in cicada numbers. Workers caught more than 50 cicadas in an hour during that period, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao.
The upcoming initiative is led by Member of Parliament Desmond Choo, in collaboration with grassroots organizations and the Tampines Town Council, with support from the National Parks Board and the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
Recent research identified the cicadas as orange-winged cicadas (Platypleura fulvigera). The insects were most active on the 10th and 11th floors of Block 321, near tree canopies. Researchers noted the need for long-term, localized research into the ecology of Singapore’s cicada species to improve mitigation efforts.
NUS forest ecologist Sean Yap, who was not involved in the research, explained that cicadas entering homes is unusual, but can occur if urban dwellings obstruct their dispersal paths. He added that relocating the insects would be difficult, as their young, called nymphs, live underground.
Mr. Choo stated that the initiative aims to serve as a pilot program for cicada management, providing valuable lessons for other areas in Singapore facing similar challenges.
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