New insect friends

          We have big and small aunts and uncles in Ilocos Sur, our solution is to move to Bagiuo.

Hi Kevin, welcome to La Union.

Our biggest problem here was termites and took some years to get them under control, when we moved here about 5 years ago the black and sugar ants were rampant as well as the nasty red biting ants but they never came in the house just attack you outside if you go near them.

The ants that came in the house was basically fly spray kills and making sure there is nothing left around for them to eat, not even a crumb on the floor and clean counter tops, rare to see them for some years inside but do see them sometimes going up into the roof, probably for a dead gecko?

Just persevere. Keep things in the home spotless and if nothing to eat they won't bother you.

One thing I will mention was that about 3 years ago we dug trenches along the walls of the house about 8 inches deep and flooded them with a termite poison 3 times so it soaked deep (all sand here) and that seemed to pull the termites up and also seemed to knock the ants from entering the house, big job and kept us busy for many days but seems to have paid off.

The red biting ants we found attack the termites so we leave them alone and watch where we walk.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers, Steve.

              We have big and small aunts and uncles in Ilocos Sur, our solution is to move to Bagiuo.
   

    -@mugteck

LOL mugteck but I'm sure you will find aunts and uncles up in Baguio, main thing is the Vigan ants don't follow you. How are you going with preparations to move?

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Gecko's make nice pets.

They do Bob and I had many in large fish tanks and enclosures in Oz 45 years ago as well as 2 fresh water crocs, monitors, dragons and skinks, quite a few snakes as well, much easier to have a couple of dogs. Our Tokays here are wild but we consider them as pets as they live here as well as getting rid of other pests. like the dogs they sh1t everywhere.

Cheers, Steve.

                  We have big and small aunts and uncles in Ilocos Sur, our solution is to move to Bagiuo.        -@mugteck

LOL mugteck but I'm sure you will find aunts and uncles up in Baguio, main thing is the Vigan ants don't follow you. How are you going with preparations to move?

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

Sale not finalized until end of April, we will return in October to move in.

I'm sure you will enjoy mate as it's a nice part of the world as long as not in the city center, I find downtown hot and polluted unlike so many other areas there.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Never found any part of Baguio hot, never more than 25C  (77F), Cool at night, usually 15C  (59F).  Will be avoiding rainy season.

      Never had any ants in Baguio.

Only aunts and uncles? Ants are not choosy where they live mugteck, remember you are up in the hills and probably get the 1 inch bull ants as well, possibly jumping ants, they can be controlled unlike aunts and uncles.

I'm sure you can deal with what you encounter.

Cheers, Steve.

           Read some postings by expats in Quito, Ecuador, said one of the advantages of living 9,500 feet above sea level was less insects, guess Baguio at half that does not qualify.

I have spent time in Baguio and while in the city never encountered bugs of any type but they were A/C hotel rooms 5 floors up.

@ Baguio 4,500 to 5,000 feet you will still get bugs. A quick google revealed a plethora of pest control companies there.

Perhaps you are lucky where you picked to live.

A little like I live 6 metres above the high tide mark on the ocean and rare for a mosquito, same for spiders, never a fly or moth or snake but plenty of geckos, ants, termites and not so much now the rhinoceros beetle.

Where you chose to live is in the jungle and while a beautiful place to live you will still get bugs, part of the ecco system. You will love and enjoy and deal with any pests that come along as we all do.

Cheers, Steve.

@kevinwood

I use Green Leaf Powder Ant Killing Bait.  Sprinkle a little in their path and problem solved in an hour. Order on Lazada.

               Read some postings by expats in Quito, Ecuador, said one of the advantages of living 9,500 feet above sea level was less insects, guess Baguio at half that does not qualify.
   

    -@mugteck

I'm surprised there are any expats left in Ecuador. Insects are the least of their problems. It now has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world due to the drug trade.

I think I would rather be an ant than an expat living there.

@kevinwood

Carbaril. This is an Insecticide that back in the Day I used to use to get rid of Wasp Nests.   As Wasps don't fly direct into the nest, but land and walk in, you just have sprinkle a little powder on the landing area, it sticks to the Insects feet, is carried into the nest, and the nest dies.

This was before Cabaril was banned in the EU, and Wasps became an Endangered Species.

It works the same for Ants. Just find the Corridor the Ants use to and from the Nest. Sprinkle Cabril across it, they will carry it into the nest, and the Nest will disappear.

Although Carbaril is banned in the EU, and I suppose other countries, it is still available in Ph as Dog Flea Powder.

@bigpearl joined the club with many reptiles when younger and living in UK. Tortoise, turtles ,snakes ,lizards and caiman. When i moved to the Philippines i was determined not to keep anything.

There are many reptiles that either live in the garden and breed here like the skinks and geckos. At a vunerable time i bought 2 sulcata tortoises as babies but after 4 years and 35 pounds in weight bulldoze most of the plants. I have 3 adult red eared sliders and in november baby turtles kept appearing in my small pool. I only have one python but she is enough.

There are about 6 of the common geckos in the house and 2 tokay that hide behind my tool cupboard outside.

@bigpearl

Hi Steve,

The guys said he had treated the ground to prevent termites when the house was built, so not sure how long that lasts.

Cheers for your reply.

Kevin

@Enzyte Bob

Hey we got a few of those little ghecko guys already

Cheers

Kevin

@Moon Dog

Hi Moondog,

Nice one I'll check that one out.

Cheers

Kevin

@Rammers

Hi Rammers,

Thanks fopr the tip, just checked on Lazada and is available,

Cheers

Kevin

@temploni  I only have one python but she is enough

How do you guys manage living here with only one python? I just can't imagine the difficulties. You are my hero

danfinn said to temploni . . . .  I only have one python but she is enough

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Some Expats have Tasmanian Devils when she gets angry.

    danfinn said to temploni . . . .  I only have one python but she is enough
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Some Expats have Tasmanian Devils when she gets angry.
   

    -@Enzyte Bob

temploni said he only has one python but I find it hard to believe 😂

@danfinn

We had 2 resident pythons on the farm in Oz, Male and female, while he lived in the pool pump house she lived under the timber deck by the pool, 20 odd years she grew from 5 ft to 9 ft and he was around 12 ft when we sold, harmless and no mice or rats, wish we had them lurking here as friendly pets, no mice or rats here so no pythons. In 5 years here only 1 tree snake but plenty of the small geckos and the larger tokays, the larger skinks on the ground. All seem to keep the insect population down... aside from the ants and termites.

Cheers, Steve.