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Keep homes clean to prevent pest invasion, authorities tell UAE residents

Abu Dhabi - In 2018, Tadweer received 88,000 service request calls from residents who are complaining of pests.

A government pest control expert has told people to maintain good hygiene in their homes and workplaces so they won't have to rely on pest control firms to get rid of insects and rodents.
Mohammed Mahmood Al Marzouqi, pest control projects department director at the Centre of Waste Management in Abu Dhabi (Tadweer), said insects like cockroaches, ants, flies, mosquitoes, bed bugs and rodents "invade people's homes because of poor hygiene".
"Preventive measures are very crucial in controlling pests at home," Al Marzouqi told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of PestWorld East 2019, a specialised conference that kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The conference seeks to address pest management challenges that are specific to the Arab region.
Al Marzouqi added: "The best way to control pests in homes is by maintaining general cleanliness. Keep your home clean; don't dump trash in kitchens; keep stagnant water away; keep all garbage in properly covered bins; and don't wait for all the garbage to pile up before disposing of them.
"There is no way that insects and rodents will invade your home, office or factory when there is proper hygiene. Cleanliness is very important to control pests."
In 2018, Tadweer received 88,000 service request calls from residents who are complaining of pests and requesting that their homes be treated, Al Marzouqi said.
He noted that Tadweer has adopted some of the latest technologies in pest control, resulting in a significant reduction in the use of chemicals - from 55,000 litres in 2014 to 29,000 in 2018.
"The use of harmful chemicals by pest control firms has significantly reduced in Abu Dhabi over the past four years and, apparently, there are low-risk chemicals that can be used in pest control," said Al Marzouqi.
In his keynote speech, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: "The UAE has launched several initiatives and implemented a host of environmental legislations in the field of pesticide management.
"These include a law that bans the import, export and circulation of any kinds of pesticides unless they are registered with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE). A second law regulates the advertising of pesticides to avoid misleading consumers.
"The ministry has also established clear mechanisms to regulate the import and registration of pesticides. In order to prevent the entry of health-threatening products into the UAE, we have issued 33 stringent specifications for the permitted pesticides, in line with the highest international standards."
Hani Shehadeh, CEO of Ecovar - a UAE-based company dealing in sustainable pest control products - said rodents, cockroaches, ants, bed bugs. mosquitoes and flies are, indeed, some of the common pests in the UAE.
"Unlike in other countries where there are extreme cool weather conditions, the pest pressure and the requirements for pest control in the UAE are handled all year long because of the weather," said Shehadeh.
"For instance, in summer, there are issues of ants, rodents and bedbugs, and during the winter season, there is always a spread of mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and others."
He has advised people to rely only professional and licensed pest control firms for the treatment of their homes.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com