Bug season creeps up on residents Published June 20, 2008 By Senior Airman Nestor Cruz 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AB, Japan -- As summer continues to heat up, many Okinawa residents are getting frequent visits from some unwelcome guests - termites, ants and other pests. The 18th Civil Engineer Squadron has a team of experts in the Kadena Pest Management office who have noticed a few pest trends, and they have a few tips to help people deal with the unwanted visitors. "The majority of calls we've been receiving lately have to do with termite swarms," said Staff Sgt. Reinhard Millerd, pest management apprentice. Sergeant Millerd said termite swarms, sometimes referred to as "flying ants" are common from from May to June. But they are harmless and usually die off after 24 hours. "Pesticide spraying is not very effective," said Sergeant Millerd. "The best thing people can do is vacuum up the termites after 24 hours when they've lost their wings." Keeping blinds closed at night and turning off unneeded outdoor lights are some ways to reduce the termite swarm "Termites are attracted to light," Sergeant Millerd said. "Which is why many of the calls we receive are of termites coming in through windows." Ants are also a problem in Okinawa. "Spraying pesticide is also ineffective for ants," said Sergeant Millerd. "The pesticide might drive the ants to move inside your home, so it's best to leave them alone." Good housekeeping is the best method for keeping ants away. "Proper sanitation is the key to getting rid of ants and other bugs," Sergeant Millerd said. "People need to keep their yard clean and get rid of debris such as leaves and sandbags." Shrews have also been sighted around base but they are harmless to humans. "Shrews often live under lawnmowers and leave droppings," said Sergeant Millerd. "With any type of rodent, the best thing to do is keep habitation areas farther away from the house." With the prevalence of jungle areas on base and around Okinawa snakes continue to present a danger for people. Residents should be cautious if a snake is sighted and treat every snake as a "habu." "If people see a snake, they should call us so we can come out and pick it up," said Sergeant Millerd. People reporting a snake sighting should do their best to keep track of the snake so the 18th CES experts can easily locate it upon arriving. "If a person is bitten by a snake, they should try to remain calm and call for help right away," Sergeant Millerd said. The NCO said snakes should be killed or photographed for identification purposes. Snake reports are taken seriously, but not all insect problems can be resolved by the pest management section. "All snake calls are deemed an emergency, but calls for termites are not an emergency because there's not much that can be done about it," Sergeant Millerd said. "It's a tropical island and there are all kinds of bugs out there. We can't kill them all, but what we can do is control the situation to where it's at a tolerable level." Although the 26-member pest management team responds to all military bases on Okinawa and completes an average of 450 work orders per week, they are happy to answer questions and give pest control tips to those in need of assistance. Pests can also be brought in to customer service for identification. Customers can also get a variety of self-help products and information to help the fight against pests. "We're aware of the pest problems out there and we're doing our best to help," said Sergeant Millerd. "We only ask people to try self-help methods before giving us a call and [to] please be patient." For general questions about pest control, call 634-0882. To make an appointment, call 634-1961.