Intensive construction is exacerbating pest problems in tourist hotspots like Sliema and Valletta, worrying businesses and frustrating residents. The Times of Malta was contacted by several businesses experiencing increasing problems with cockroaches and rats this summer, with the problem most of concern to those making use of open-air areas.

Pest control experts and business community representatives both pointed to the intensification of construction work in areas with a concentration of bars and restaurants as a major cause of the problem.

This is due to the works disturbing underground pest populations and drains being exposed, often without appropriate mitigation measures and for long stretches during prolonged development works.

The local council has not received any more complaints than usual

“Some developers are aware of the problem and take precautions, but many don’t,” said Philip Fenech, vice-president for tourism and hospitality of the GRTU – Malta Chamber of SMEs, highlighting the inconvenience and health problems faced by businesses and residents alike.

The intensification of construction work in areas with a concentration of bars and restaurants is seen as a major cause of the cockroach problem. Photo: ShutterstockThe intensification of construction work in areas with a concentration of bars and restaurants is seen as a major cause of the cockroach problem. Photo: Shutterstock

“There should be some form of compliance to limit exposed drains and contain the area to prevent such problems,” Mr Fenech said. “If a drain is going to be exposed in some way, there should be pest control treatment and measures to ensure it is closed immediately as works move along.”

He added that though the problem was not new, it had recently become worse, particularly in the Sliema and St Julian’s areas, due to the increase in building work, coupled with more concentrated commercial activity in the immediate vicinity.

Exposed food waste and overflowing public rubbish bins in many tourist areas were further contributing to the situation, Mr Fenech noted.

Industry experts who spoke to the Times of Malta said that widespread pest control in hotspots could easily be carried out using modern methods such as small gas bombs, which could kill all live cockroaches almost immediately.

The effectiveness of this approach depends on the amount of water entering the drain, but due to the hot and dry Maltese summer, a single treatment could easily be sufficient for the whole season. Experts said it would only take about 40 man-hours to treat the whole of Valletta for the summer, with the necessary chemicals not prohibitively expensive. However, there seems to have been little interest from local authorities in this sort of solution.

When contacted, Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli played down the issue, saying the local council had not received any more complaints than usual this summer from either residents or tourists. He did not comment on whether the council would be willing to pay for drains to be treated.

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