dr. Foong-Kuan Foo
General Manager of Technical & Entomology
PhD in Entomology, University of Malaysia
Dr. Foo holds a doctorate in entomology from the University of Malaysia, where her research focused on termite biology in Southeast Asian urban environments. Her academic work laid the scientific foundation for a career that has consistently bridged laboratory research and real-world pest management practice.
Pioneering research on termite-parasitoid interactions
Dr. Foo's research on the parasitoid fly Misotermes mindeni and its host Macrotermes gilvus revealed groundbreaking findings about how parasitism alters termite physiology, behaviour, and resilience. Her work demonstrated that parasitised termites carry significantly higher fat reserves and survive starvation conditions far longer — findings with direct implications for how termite control strategies are designed and evaluated.
General Manager for Technical and Entomology
In her leadership role at Anticimex, Dr. Foo oversees SMART technology deployment, technical operations, and a specialist team of entomologists serving high-compliance sectors including pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing. She also develops operational guidelines, conducts client audits, and supports field trials for new pest management (non-tox) products.
Published author and industry speaker
Dr. Foo is the author of a pest management book, written in collaboration with the Singapore Pest Management Association. She is a regular speaker and panelist at industry events, contributing expertise on topics including rodenticide regulation, SMART monitoring systems, and the future of Integrated Pest Management in Southeast Asia.
Advocate for industry-wide standards and public education
Dr. Foo is a committed voice for raising professional standards across the pest management industry. She advocates for Integrated Pest Management as the framework for sustainable pest control, and believes that educating the public and customers — on sanitation, proofing, animal behaviour and their own role in pest prevention — is as important as any professional intervention.
PhD in Entomology, University of Malaysia
Dr. Foo holds a doctorate in entomology from the University of Malaysia, where her research focused on termite biology in Southeast Asian urban environments. Her academic work laid the scientific foundation for a career that has consistently bridged laboratory research and real-world pest management practice.
General Manager for Technical and Entomology
In her leadership role at Anticimex, Dr. Foo oversees SMART technology deployment, technical operations, and a specialist team of entomologists serving high-compliance sectors including pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing. She also develops operational guidelines, conducts client audits, and supports field trials for new pest management (non-tox) products.
Advocate for industry-wide standards and public education
Dr. Foo is a committed voice for raising professional standards across the pest management industry. She advocates for Integrated Pest Management as the framework for sustainable pest control, and believes that educating the public and customers — on sanitation, proofing, animal behaviour and their own role in pest prevention — is as important as any professional intervention.
Pioneering research on termite-parasitoid interactions
Dr. Foo's research on the parasitoid fly Misotermes mindeni and its host Macrotermes gilvus revealed groundbreaking findings about how parasitism alters termite physiology, behaviour, and resilience. Her work demonstrated that parasitised termites carry significantly higher fat reserves and survive starvation conditions far longer — findings with direct implications for how termite control strategies are designed and evaluated.
Published author and industry speaker
Dr. Foo is the author of a pest management book, written in collaboration with the Singapore Pest Management Association. She is a regular speaker and panelist at industry events, contributing expertise on topics including rodenticide regulation, SMART monitoring systems, and the future of Integrated Pest Management in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Foo is an expert in urban entomology, with a specialized background in the study of insects, particularly termites. She conducted extensive research in Malaysia on Microtermes gilvus (ground termites) and currently applies this expertise to address significant termite challenges in Singapore through both prevention and eradication strategies.
She is the General Manager for Technical & Entomology for Anticimex Singapore. In this role, she oversees SMART technology systems, operations, and sales inspections, while leading a team of entomologists who perform specialized technical work and research.
Supporting commercial clients in a regulated world
Dr. Foo and her team focus on providing support to commercial customers, particularly those in the food and manufacturing industry, where meeting regulatory standards is increasingly challenging. Her research and fieldwork have established her as one of the country's most in-demand regulatory advisors when it comes to pest control.
Data as the foundation for better pest management
Her team uses data collected by Anticimex SMART devices to make recommendations and improvements regarding proofing, sanitation, and monitoring strategies. Dr. Foo acknowledges the challenge of educating customers about the importance of prevention and digital pest control.
“Customers are more knowledgeable today than ever before. They have numerous sources of information and are aware of the importance of integrated pest management to prevent pest issues. However, many of them are still skeptical about the effectiveness of prevention and digital pest control and believe that chemical treatments are always more effective. My job is to demonstrate that this is not always the case. With the right pest prevention strategy, treatments that are more aggressive are becoming less and less necessary”, she affirms.
Prevention is key
Dr. Foo also emphasizes the importance of proper site proofing, which involves sealing and securing pest entry points.
Not only does a pest infestation mean direct economic loss in production time and materials, but it also damages brand image and can cause regulatory stoppages. Pest prevention is definitely more cost efficient and effective than reactive treatments.”
Collaborating with the industry to raise the bar
In some cases, chemical treatments are still necessary, and Dr. Foo often collaborates with chemical producers to test the effectiveness and environmental impact of new products.
"Our goal at Anticimex is to minimize the use of harmful chemicals and prioritize non-toxic treatments. I’m proud to work for a company that leads the way in digital pest control and minimizing the use of harmful substances. This is all thanks to the significant investments the Group allocates to R&D, expert training and talent development.”
Looking ahead
Dr. Foo has a clear view of the future of pest control. She believes in the power of data to combat pest-borne diseases and property damage, and the importance of integrated pest management in preventing pests and reducing the need for harmful biocides.
"People will be more aware of the dangers of pests and more knowledgeable about prevention methods, such as managing waste to avoid infestations and sealing entry points. I also believe that digital pest control will become more common in commercial spaces and homes. Anticimex was a pioneer in digital pest control and is now leading the way in data intelligence, which will be a major game changer in the coming years.”
Scientific papers & citations
Dr. Foo wrote 13 scientific papers on termites, specifically the Misotermes mindeni (Diptera: Phoridae) and the Macrotermes gilvus (Hagen) (Blattodea: Termitidae) in Malaysia and Singapore.
- Research Gate: Scientific contributions by Dr. Foong-Kuan Foo - 6 scientific papers and 4 citations.
- Longevity, trophallaxis, and allogrooming in Macrotermes gilvus soldiers infected by the parasitoid fly Misotermes mindeni
- Subterranean termite management
- Identification and habitat of common subterranean termite species of Singapore
- Prevalence of a Koinobiont Endoparasitoid Misotermes mindeni (Diptera: Phoridae) in Colonies of the Fungus-Growing Termite Macrotermes gilvus (Blattodea: Termitidae) in Malaysia
- Physiological changes in major soldiers of Macrotermes gilvus (Isoptera: Termitidae) induced by the endoparasitoid Misotermes mindeni (Diptera: Phoridae)
- Morphology and Development of a Termite Endoparasitoid Misotermes mindeni (Diptera: Phoridae)
- Termites of Singapore: a scientific guide for pest management professionals, by editor, Chow-Yang Lee ; contributing authors, Foong-Kuan Foo [and six others], 2014.
- Journal article: Effects of Body Size on the Biological Fitness of a Koinobiotic Phorid Parasitoid and on the Parasitoid–Termite Host Relationship, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 110, Issue 2, March 2017, Pages 227–232.
- Journal article: Morphology and development of a termite endoparasitoid Misotermes mindeni - Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 104, Issue 2, 1 March 2011, Pages 233–240.
- Survey of Natural Parasitism of Macrotermes gilvus (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) by Misotermes mindeni (Diptera: Phoridae) in Malaysia, Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
Press & media appearances
- Rats in Singapore: 2 can become 2 million in 2 years if there is no intervention - The Straits Times, by Hazel Tang, Published Febr. 25th of 2025
- Distinguished speaker at the FAOPMA Pest Summit - 13 Sept 2017 - on SMART - The modern solution for pest control (download presentation).
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