The most common household pests are rats, ants and cockroaches. To a lesser degree, you need to be concerned about spiders, silverfish, snakes, centipedes and all kinds of night bugs. Control them yourself with store-shelf pesticides or contact an extermination service. They are listed under Exterminadores in the Yellow Pages.

Mosquitoes are the most deadly enemy. Mosquito-transmitted diseases include Dengue, a type of flu which may prove deadly in one of its varieties. Mosquitoes are most prevalent during the rainy seasons. Remove any containers where water may accumulate in your yard to prevent providing a breeding place for mosquitoes. Make sure your home is adequately screened. Use flying-insect sprays to control the mosquito population around your home. Low, dark spots are favorite daytime hiding places for these creatures.

The sting of local centipedes is painful and may in rare cases require medical treatment.

Related links Monkeys Green Iguana Fauna Manatee Boas

There are no monkeys endemic to the island. In 1938, a project managed by the University of Puerto Rico established colonies of Patas and Rhesus monkeys in two islets neat the southwestern shore of the mainland. The islets, named Cueva and Guayacán, would provide a steady supply of monkeys for laboratory research. Somehow throughout the years monkeys found their way to the mainland, where they continued to reproduce. By 2005 monkey populations are estimated from one to several thousands. Farmers in the southwest are urging for governmental action to control the monkey population, but monkeys continue to propagate uncontrolled throughout the island.

Boa constrictors have been caught in Barrio Miradero in Mayagüez and neighboring cities. It is said that some boas escaped from the Mayagüez zoo and reproduced in the wild. Boa constrictors are dangerous animals. If you should spot one, avoid any interaction with it and contact Departamento de Recursos Naturales ((787)999-2200) at once. Boa constrictors should not be confused with the Puerto Rican Boa, a native species in danger of extinction.



Termites (locally known as comején are among the pests that can cause the most damage to property.
The West Indian mole cricket, known commonly as la changa, is a burrowing insect that iis harmful to certain crops and to golf turfs.

Puerto Rican snakes are not poisonous. Even so, snake bites should be treated by a physician to prevent infection and complications. It is advisable to study photos or live endemic snake species, particularly since poisonous species are introduced in the island, at times by accident and other times by irresponsible citizens.

A species of mongoose (mangosta) thrives in the countryside. They are often referred to incorrectly as ardillas (squirrels). Some learn to approach humans for food scraps. They should not be fed and it is advisable to stay away from them. Their bite can infect a person with rabies. The bite should be treated immediately by a physician.

Killer bees have been reported at some locations throughout the island. They do not seem to be quite prevalent yet.

If stray cats and dogs or other animals are a problem in your neighborhood, call your Municipality's Department of Environmental Control (División de Control Ambiental Municipal is one of many similar names for this dependency).

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