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.
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.
The problem typically occurs around March to June, although the scale has varied over the years.
The latest emergence was recorded in 2025, during which some 300 cicadas were caught on May 14.
But the use of fogging and insecticide that year did little to affect the cicadas, as they eventually returned and did not feed on the poison laid out for them, said Mr Choo, who is leading the new initiative.
While some trees were cut down in the past, removing all greenery is not a long-term solution as trees are important for dampening noise and cooling the area, he added.
