Hotels and apartments in Al Hajlah, Makkah

Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Hajlah

Al Hajlah receives rolling waves of pilgrims during the pilgrimage season, and each wave carries dormant insects hidden in luggage and clothing. The method is set out in full on the full Hotels and apartments page.

The first reason

The rising street brings continuous waves of pilgrims and visitors

Ibrahim Al Khalil Street climbs steeply towards the mosque courtyards and pilgrims and visitors entering the hotels and blocks bring their packed luggage with them. Each new wave of arrivals may carry insects that were dormant in suitcases.

The second reason

Buildings clustered on steep ground with minimal gaps between them

Buildings in Al Hajlah are stacked on either side of the narrow rising street between two hills, and gaps between them are sometimes a single hand span. Insects move very easily along shared pipes and through the openings that exist in every building.

The third reason

Humidity from pilgrim density and sea air from the west

Thousands of pilgrims clustering in narrow hotels and blocks raise humidity sharply. Sea moisture drifts in from the west through the tight streets, creating ideal conditions for insects to breed.

Al Hajlah on the map

Al Hajlah sits about 0.5 km from Ajyad and about 1.5 km from Al Mansour.

Open in Google Maps

Before treatment

What we check in the room, and behind it

Apartment blocks and hotels are extremely densely packed between two hillsides, with very tight gaps between buildings. Humidity is high from the density of pilgrims and sea air coming from the west.

A stripped hotel mattress with its edge piping visible

Mattress and base seams

Mattress seams in the crowded Al Hajlah hotels hold high humidity and eggs stay cemented inside seams even after surface cleaning.

A wooden headboard fixed to the wall behind a bed

The headboard

Headboard panels may be welded metal or old wood, and the tight gaps in them provide insects with refuge from the damp air.

An empty hotel corridor with guest room doors along it

The rooms either side

Adjacent rooms in the tightly packed Al Hajlah buildings lack proper partition walls, and insects move through openings that pass between them.

A luggage stand and a wardrobe in a guest room

The luggage stand and wardrobe

Metal luggage racks collect moisture and condensation, and may harbour hidden egg cases.

A small kitchen with cabinets and a sink inside a serviced apartment

The kitchenette in a unit

The kitchenette in a furnished unit is very close to the sink and standing moisture, and gaps around pipes provide safe routes for insects.

Industrial washing machines and linen trolleys in a laundry

Laundry and the waste room

The district laundry and shared storage are very close to residential units, and high humidity makes them ideal breeding grounds.

How we work

1
Walk the floor, room by room

We start from what the staff reported, open the beds, lift the headboards and check the rooms either side and the ones above and below, then mark each room as affected, adjacent or clear.
2
Treatment outside occupied hours

Seams are vacuumed first, then steam or a targeted application goes onto the seams and joints, dust into the frame voids and behind the skirting, and gel bait through the kitchens and service areas. Nothing is broadcast over soft furnishings.
3
Sealing, and the operating routine

We close the skirting gap, the pipe penetration and the gap under the service corridor door, then agree with the staff that linen is bagged inside the room itself, and what gets reported the moment it is seen.
4
Follow-up, and putting the room back

We come back once the remaining eggs have hatched, read the monitors and open the bed a second time. A room returns to service on the result of that inspection, and the room number and both dates go into the log.

What the hotel and apartment programme includes

A recorded room by room inspection

Beds opened, headboards lifted, neighbouring rooms checked, and the state of every room number recorded before anything is applied.
Treatment of the beds and seams

Vacuuming, then a targeted application on mattress and base seams, frame joints and behind the skirting, never across the open surfaces of the room.
Bait and points in the service areas

Gel bait and numbered monitoring positions through the kitchen, the stores and the service corridors, read and logged on every visit.
Drains, laundry and waste

Floor gullies, the grease trap, the laundry and the ground around the containers, because that is the source that renews itself daily.
Room release and staff guidance

What is covered and cleared before we go in, the ventilation time we set for each case, and what the staff look for when they strip a bed.
A timed follow-up and a room log

A second visit timed to the hatch, monitors read, and a record carrying the room number, the date of each visit and what was found.

Landmarks of Al Hajlah

The Grand Mosque stands just steps from Al Hajlah across Ibrahim Al Khalil Street, and Jabal Omar towers rise from the west beside the blocks. Treatment begins at the foot of the rising street and works upward through every hotel and building towards the mosque courtyards.

Ibrahim Al Khalil Street
The Grand Mosque
Jabal Omar
Al Shubaikah Cemetery
Al Hijrah Street

Questions about this district

Do insects in Al Hajlah come from pilgrims or from the buildings themselves?

Both. Insects arrive with pilgrims in their luggage, but they also establish themselves in the gaps in shared walls and move easily between one hotel and the next.

How many neighbouring units might an infestation spread to from one unit?

In Al Hajlah, one unit can spread infestation to five or six neighbouring units within a month. Tight gaps and shared pipes make the spread remarkably rapid.

Is inspecting one floor enough, or do we need to check neighbouring floors too?

One floor is never enough. We must inspect at least the floors immediately above and below. Vertical pipes connect the floors and carry insects both up and down.

Is the pilgrimage season worse than the year round lesser pilgrimage?

Year round pilgrimage may be worse because waves of visitors are continuous. The Hajj is seasonal and brief, but the absolute numbers are very high.

Does high humidity make treatment harder or easier?

High humidity speeds insect spread but may reduce the potency of some products. We select formulations designed for humid environments and high density housing.

What do we do when infestation returns after a successful treatment?

Al Hajlah is so tightly packed that neighbouring buildings are almost touching. If infestation returns, it may be new entry from an infected neighbouring unit. We inspect neighbours and seal gaps between buildings.

How much does hotels and apartments in Al Hajlah cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Hajlah.