Pests

Introduction

This page discusses discouraging, preventing, and dealing with pests and mildew.

Steps You Can Take

The environment of Hawai’i that we find so pleasant is also ‘friendly’ to much simpler forms of life. Bugs and mildew/fungus/bacteria like Hawai’i, too. It is common to see an occasional tiny black ant (smaller than this "o") scurrying around. The fact is, such things are pervasive in Hawai'i but they don't need to be pervasive in your unit.

We strive to control pest problems in our condos. We are happy to say that we have had very few incidents and we would like to ask your help keeping this record intact.

Here are a few simple ideas to avoid attracting unwanted guests:

Garbage: Take garbage with food waste out of the unit daily - or more often when it contains lots of fruit scraps or sweets. We suggest doing this in the evening (at the very least) so it does not remain in the unit overnight.

Food (1): Promptly place purchased or cooked food that you want to eat later in containers (as needed) then refrigerate. Fruit is an especially strong bug attractant. You can find containers and lids in the kitchen cabinets.

Food (2): Clean up any spilled food promptly. Leaving spilled sugar unattended, for example, is an excellent way to attract ants. Spattered grease may invite other pests to join you.

Dirty dishes and the kitchen sink: Very soon after using them, scrape and then rinse utensils, dishes, pots, and pans. Place the dishwasher-safe items in the dishwasher. Pots and pans that will be washed later should be thoroughly rinsed before staging them (frankly, at a minute or two per pot/pan, it’s usually just as easy to wash them right away). There should be ample washing supplies in the kitchen (soap, brushes, and towels).

Keeping the kitchen sink empty and clean helps. It won't have food or water that may attract bugs.

Paper bags: Paper bags can be attractive to cockroaches and other insects – especially when moist and folded. If you want to re-use them, keep them dry and carefully stored. (Maui county has prohibited stores from using those thin plastic sacks – expect paper or your own reusable bags.)

This is from the Luana Kai March 2016 newsletter:
Recently we seem to have a problem with German roaches. They are hardy and a bit difficult to get rid of. The pest control experts tell us these roaches can come in brown paper grocery bags and cardboard boxes. They like hiding out in the older press wood cabinets and enjoy all of the food being left in the cabinets. The first step in trying to eliminate them is to throwaway the bags and boxes and to limit the food being left in the kitchen cabinets.
Unwanted passengers: When bringing items into the unit that may have been outside for a while – this includes luggage! – be aware there may be some bugs that caught a ride. If you have doubts, opening such items on the lanai and being ready to react quickly is a possibility. But do know that storage of items on the lanai is not allowed – so open, unpack, then put away directly.

Wet clothes: Don’t leave wet clothing items on the floor – hang them up to dry (there should be a drying rack in the unit) or wash and dry them.

Laundry (1): Don’t leave wet laundry in the washer – wet laundry mildews quickly in Hawai’i. When you start a load of laundry, be sure that you will be there for an hour or set your phone to remind you in an hour to return to shift the laundry.

Laundry (2): After finishing with the washing machine, wipe the washing machine’s drum and (for front loaders) the vinyl door gasket with a dry towel (there should be one nearby) or a paper towel. Leave the washing machine’s door open. This keeps the interior of the washing machine dry – discouraging mildew and bacteria growth. You might also want to do a bleach load as the last of a series of loads.

If You See Bugs

In spite of your efforts, you may still see pests in your unit. There are a few things that can be done.

Household sprays: We have hand-pumped "bug spray" in the units for localized problems. Look in the cabinet under the sink or on the shelf above the washing machine for:

Use this spray (sparingly and according to the label directions) to establish a boundary between the lanai and living room, around the base of the kitchen cabinets, or (carefully and lightly to avoid any chance of contaminating food) at the base of the back splash on the kitchen counters.

Traps: We can supply so-called "roach motels", glue traps, and other temporary treatment products as needed.

Exterminator: We can arrange for an exterminator to treat the unit. Generally, they use relatively low toxicity (to humans!) chemicals. Follow the exterminator’s advice or your own inclination when determining if you should leave the unit during treatment.

What to Not Do

The one thing you should not do is suffer in silence.

Please let us know of any problem so it can be resolved quickly. Maui is to enjoy!

< 2016-09-03 >