Cayman’s warm, tropical climate is hospitable to many different types of insects and other pests such as ants, cockroaches, termites, weevils, centipedes and scorpions.
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However, keeping pests under control in the Cayman Islands is not a problem if you follow this guide and implement regular pest control services.
Quarterly Spraying
If you are renting, your landlord should have the outside of your house sprayed quarterly to control ants, scorpions and cockroaches. Once a year, the inside of your house/apartment will be sprayed as well. If your landlord doesn’t arrange this, it might be worth organising it
yourself.
If you are buying a property, you should check if it has been sprayed regularly for pests to protect your investment. If not mitigated, pests can become a serious problem to your property in the Cayman Islands.
After spraying, you may find a few cockroaches but they should be on their backs and not doing well at all!
A typical house, depending on size, costs between CI$140-260 per quarter to treat. This range includes the treatment of more aggressive species, such as scorpions, of which there has been an influx recently.
Below are the various pests which you might encounter in Cayman.
Bees
Cayman has a thriving and happy community of bees which ensure that our fruit trees bear abundantly. However, sometimes these bees can take over a corner of your house or roof space and need to be safely removed and relocated.
Bee removal should always be done by a professional – please do not kill bees! The following private individuals offer bee removal services:
Otto Watler (Tel: (345) 947 1255) who lives in Lower Valley and produces Pure Cayman Honey from his family of bees, has been removing unwanted bees from people's homes and gardens for years.
Cayman Bee Farm (345) 925 2337 offers beehive removal and relocation services, and their natural raw honey can be found in various retail outlets
Jamaal Solomon (345) 926 4411 of Raegan's Honey also offers a bee removal service.
The cost varies depending on the complexity of the situation.
Scorpions
Scorpions tend to be more prevalent after periods of heavy rain. Home infestations can occur although they are very rare. Cayman's scorpions are not particularly poisonous but they do have a very painful sting and if you are stung then you should visit the hospital or a doctor as a safety precaution.
25 years ago, Cayman had no scorpions. It is believed that a shipload of soil arrived from Costa Rica for a house in Patrick's Island and within it there were scorpion eggs. And we have had scorpions in Cayman ever since.
You might well never see one but they do appear near disturbed land and when building is going on. If you encounter any in your house, a pest company can put a powder down in your attic and around the outside of your house which kills them.
Termites
Termites are a major problem in this region and can cause a lot of damage to a property. If you are planning to purchase a house or a piece of land, it is important to have a termite inspection done prior to purchase. If you are planning to build a house, have a pre-treatment for termites done prior to building.
Spiders
Several species of spiders can be found in Cayman, and while most are harmless, the Brown Recluse Spider is not. Medical attention should be sought if you suspect you’ve been bitten.
Rodents
Rodents are an all-year problem in Cayman and there
are two species of rat and one species of mouse in Grand Cayman. If you see a
rat on your property, call a pest company and they can install a tamper-resistent bait station to trap and poison the rodent.
Ticks and Fleas
Ticks and fleas can be a problem for people with pets, especially if they do not keep their animals on a flee/tick prevention programme to keep them at bay. Local vets sell NexGard chewable tablets which are an effective flea and tick control medicine for dogs. Ticks are a particular nuisance during dry weather and if you have a tick infestation in your home, then a reliable pest company needs to spray the floors of your home twice over a two-week period.
As a reminder, ticks look very different depending on whether they are male or female: the males are small, flat and move very fast but it is the females which latch on and engorge. Once they have consumed all the blood they need, they fall off, crawl into a corner of your home, dry up and eventually crack open with thousands of baby ticks – it is absolutely horrible! If you do not keep your dog on a tick control programme you will have to check them very regularly if you want to prevent an infestation.
Insects
Cayman has biting insects such as fire ants, mosquitoes and sandflies. It is the task of the Mosquito Research & Control Unit (MRCU) to suppress the mosquito population and assist in preventing mosquito-borne diseases.
The MRCU conducts aerial spraying with insecticides before the rainy season to kill larvae, and evening sprays to kill adult mosquitoes. Fogging trucks are used for ground spraying at times when mosquitoes are most active.
To minimise mosquito problems on your property, ensure there are no open containers where water is left stagnate, as these areas are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The MRCU can be contacted by calling (345) 949 2557 or by emailing: contact@mrcu.ky. Or you can visit their website.
Land Crabs
Large land crabs are common across the Island. Migrations are prompted by heavy rain when thousands make their way to the sea to spawn.
Many Caymanians catch land crabs to eat, so when driving during crab season (May-August), use caution and watch for ‘crabbers’ along the roadside and crabs crossing the road.
Chickens and Roosters
Feral chickens and roosters roam freely in Cayman and they are considered a huge nuisance; they crow at all hours and they love to scratch up lawns, flower beds and vegetable patches.
You can purchase a trap from the Department of Agriculture and arrange for their humane disposal. Call (345) 947 3090. Alternatively, you can call Dwayne Crawford (Tel: (345) 325 8626), an efficient, registered Department of the Environment (DoE) culler, who will dispatch them in the quickest and most humane way possible.
Green Iguanas
Green iguanas must not be mistaken with the endemic Cayman blue iguana, which is a protected species. Non-indigenous, invasive green iguanas have been a big problem in Grand Cayman in the past, but the Cayman Islands Government mandated a cull and offered a bounty of CI$5 for a hatchling, CI$7 for a small adult and CI$10 for an adult iguana weighing more than five pounds. Over 1.5 million have been culled in the past five to six years.
Green iguanas are voracious eaters and wreak havoc on gardens and farmland. You can call Dwayne Crawford (Tel: (345) 325 8626). He is a registered DoE culler and will come to your home, cull and dispose of the iguanas.
