Multi-year study launched to crack Tampines Changkat’s mysterious cicada woes

A multi-year study is underway to understand and control the mysterious emergence of cicadas in Tampines Changkat, Singapore. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – A years-long study to understand and control the mysterious emergence of hundreds of cicadas near HDB blocks in Tampines Changkat is under way.

This is part of an initiative launched by the constituency’s office on March 1, which will also spend five months trialling novel ways to control the seasonal swarms of cicadas that fly into the homes near the PIE.

This will break ground for managing cicada populations in urban tropical environments, which are understudied.

The single-member constituency’s MP, Mr Desmond Choo, told The Straits Times: “After speaking to a lot of experts, and now that we are advised (on the measures), we want to do something that is more foundational and structural so that we know what works for us year on year.

“Our larger view is that we don’t only want to care for Tampines Changkat residents, but we also want to build up a national understanding of the issue so that in the event that it spreads beyond Tampines, the rest of the country will be ready.”

Addressing some 80 residents at a town hall on cicadas on March 1, Mr Choo said his team has tried many methods since late 2018, when they started receiving complaints about the annual emergence of cicadas.