Ang Mo Kio market’s warfare on rodents sees authorities step up efforts in 6-hour operation, Singapore Information

[UPDATE Sept 11, 3pm] Ang Mo Kio City Council informed AsiaOne that a rat and two shrews were killed during the night operation in the market at block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 Thursday, September 9th. No rat dens were found.

According to the National Environment Agency, shrews are insectivores and are not considered vectors that transmit disease.

Ang Mo Kio City Council added that 62 cages were placed inside and outside the common areas of the market.

Authorities used alcohol, snares, and other traps to lure rodents out of a market at block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue during night surgery Thursday, Sept. 9.

The six-hour extermination drill was carried out by the National Environment Agency and Ang Mo Kio City Council and ended at 3 a.m.

Speaking to reporters from Shin Min Daily News, a spokesman for Ang Mo Kio City Council said efforts are being made to keep the market clean.

Actions include cleaning public areas and removing trash four times a day, as well as washing the floors daily. The market is also closed quarterly for spring cleaning.

This latest operation will be a relief for stable owners who have reported rat sightings in the past few months.

In an interview with the Chinese evening newspaper, a stall owner named Wang, 70, claimed that rats “patronize” his stall every day. He added that some of them are even “bigger than cats”.

The frustrated stable owner said he had put up cages, but because the rats were too strong, they escaped the traps without any problems – he has only caught two in the past three months.

“The rats usually appear in the evening and scurry around the booth. Sometimes I can see them early in the morning, ”he told the publication. “Aside from ruining fruits and vegetables, they chewed on the boxes.”

Another stallholder named Gao told reporters that she saw traces of rat droppings in the area.

“To avoid this problem, we need to make sure that our booth is clean and that all of our goods are neatly placed,” she said.

In April the media reported about a rat infestation at a vegetable stall in Bukit Panjang. Seven to eight rats scurried over the vegetables, the report says.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com