Chennai - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Bugs were pretty bad. Mosquitos were frequent, and had to be careful with dengue. Many slept under nets, which we gave up after a few months due to annoyance. Also had frequent ant problems, and towards the end of our tour some random fruit fly-style infestations despite not having any fresh food out. Typical of the climate/region, more of a bother than anything truly concerning. - Jan 2024
Yes but not super unusual for a humid place like Chennai. Bugs are everywhere and rodents of all types and sizes in the streets, restaurants. Ants in your food products. Mosquitos in your beds. - May 2023
Dengue fever is very real! - Apr 2023
Of course! Big fat rats, cockroaches and ants were everywhere, as are mold infestations. Mold was probably the more frequent issue with walls, furniture, clothing, storage items completely covered in various mold forms. I found the standard response was that this is why the high diff and this is all part of living in India. Hard to avoid infestations when the climate and outside infrastructure are so severe. - Apr 2023
Lots of bugs and insects, geckos... stock up on Raid or be flexible with your surroundings. - Aug 2021
Lots of ants. GSO has ant traps that help control them. - Apr 2021
Nothing out of the ordinary, lots of mosquitoes during the rainy season, ants. - May 2019
Ants, lizards, and mosquitos at certain times of the year. All are controllable. - Aug 2018
Ants, roaches, lizards and other pests can be a problem depending on housing. Most people are able to get infestations under control, however. - May 2018
Mosquitoes. They carry malaria and dengue fever. - May 2016
Mosquitoes. Ants. Snakes. - May 2016
If there's an insect, it's here. No snakes though. - May 2015
Mosquitoes. Be aware of dengue, malaria and chikungunya. We always used non-DEET mosquito repellent, and during November-Jan used DEET repellent (because of the dry/lower temperature there are more mosquitoes). And we also used mosquito bed net while sleeping. When we arrived in Chennai, we hired someone to make a customized bed net to fit our king-sized bed because the bed net from local store was too narrow and short. - Mar 2015
Mosquitos! Dengue was a particular concern. We always slept with mosquito nets and the mosquito "bat" was our best friend. Ants were insidious, and you quickly learn to keep everything they might get into in sealed tupperware, zip locks, and in the fridge or freezer. - Oct 2014
There is a bad mosquito problem in the cooler months. We never left the house without mosquito repellant. Malaria exists but is not a huge problem. You learn to live with it. - Oct 2014
So many ... the most dangerous are the mosquitoes; we had a serious dengue problem a few years ago, which seems to have abated for the moment. Our house has ants in the hot season, mosquitoes in the rainy season and all kinds of spiders and other interesting creppy crawlies throughout the year, including wasps! - Jun 2014
Mosquitoes are a constant pest. Dengue is a risk here, but among our community we have heard of very few cases. Vigilance is key! Ants can be a problem but if you're very careful about food storage and keeping things clean, they will stay out of your home. - May 2014
Mosquitoes carry dengue and malaria here. That being said, I don't know anyone taking malaria prophylaxis, including my family. We sleep under bed nets and use non-DEET bug spray when going outside, which is everyday. I switch to DEET family-type sprays when the mosquitoes are thicker than usual. Also, ants are a big problem. We are constantly in a battle trying to keep them out of the house. - Aug 2013
The mosquitoes are numerous, so we sleep under mosquito nets. Both my spouse and I tested positive for dengue fever last winter. After the monsoons the mosquito population increases and mosquito-borne diseases are more prevalent. - Jul 2012
Better than you'd expect, given it's India. Mosquitoes, but apparently none so far that have had any bad diseases. One individual in our community, who traveled very widely, did catch a mosquito-borne illness. - Aug 2011
Lots of bugs, mosquitoes abound, little bitty sugar ants in everything, geckos in the house, some quite large but at least they eat the other bugs. My children even named a few of them. - Jun 2010
Mosquitoes. I didn't have any other pests, but it is a good idea to keep your place spic and span. - Sep 2009
Mosquitoes and the fun diseases they carry. - Mar 2009
