A poster is placed in the glassed display noticeboards in the lobbies of areas affected by dengue fever. Advice given verbally or by signs includes:
If you have vases or saucers under plants empty them regularly. Turn plant pots and buckets upside down to prevent them catching pools of water. Vases of flowers are forbidden in Singapore cemeteries.
Replace toilet seats horizontally when leaving your flat empty for several days, weeks, months.
Inspectors are likely to check your balconies, water pipes and gutters (even in new houses), outside areas, and bathrooms and kitchens.
Remove plastic bags from balconies and outside areas. Plastic bags left flat or crumpled on the floor or ground can act as bowls for rainwater, even the crumpled surfaces can attract shallow pools of water in which mosquitos can breed.
Cover your arms with long sleeves, and your legs with long trousers. Do not walk into long grass around a golf course looking for lost balls when your skin is uncovered. Wear long socks, trousers, hats. (My Japanese friend Yumi caught dengue fever from looking for a ball in long grass.)
Long swimsuits which protect your arms and legs from the sun can also keep off insects.
Remember to re-apply insect repellent after swimming.
Carry insect repellent to re-apply after washing your arms and face in rest rooms. The same applies if you are swimming or going to saunas in a gym and having showers or washes when out for the day or evening. The same applies or overnight when travelling by plane, or car or train.
If you run out of insect repellent, and cannot buy any, natural remedies include lavender soup, lemon or grapefruit.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
If you have vases or saucers under plants empty them regularly. Turn plant pots and buckets upside down to prevent them catching pools of water. Vases of flowers are forbidden in Singapore cemeteries.
Replace toilet seats horizontally when leaving your flat empty for several days, weeks, months.
Inspectors are likely to check your balconies, water pipes and gutters (even in new houses), outside areas, and bathrooms and kitchens.
Remove plastic bags from balconies and outside areas. Plastic bags left flat or crumpled on the floor or ground can act as bowls for rainwater, even the crumpled surfaces can attract shallow pools of water in which mosquitos can breed.
Cover your arms with long sleeves, and your legs with long trousers. Do not walk into long grass around a golf course looking for lost balls when your skin is uncovered. Wear long socks, trousers, hats. (My Japanese friend Yumi caught dengue fever from looking for a ball in long grass.)
Long swimsuits which protect your arms and legs from the sun can also keep off insects.
Remember to re-apply insect repellent after swimming.
Carry insect repellent to re-apply after washing your arms and face in rest rooms. The same applies if you are swimming or going to saunas in a gym and having showers or washes when out for the day or evening. The same applies or overnight when travelling by plane, or car or train.
If you run out of insect repellent, and cannot buy any, natural remedies include lavender soup, lemon or grapefruit.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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