Rat invades Hougang flat, 6 pest control staff caught it after 3 days
It may be the Year of the Rabbit, but for one family in Hougang, it has been more like the Year of the Rat.
Stomper Colleen said that they have caught five rats in three weeks since Chinese New Year.
"This is a situation built up over the last three years and a matter of health and safety for not only my own family but for the residents of Block 561 Hougang Street 51," she posted on Facbook on Feb 12.
She said that the neighbourhood was infested with rats running around the corridors on the first and third storeys.
"They’re running in packs, rummaging through the rubbish bins looking for food. Our block in particular has the smallest trash bin issued to a block. This has resulted in the overflow of refuse and it has been an easy target for the rats.
"The last straw came right before this CNY. A tiny mouse ran into our living room and it took the Ang Mo Kio Town Council three days to resolve this issue. The rat was finally caught, but it took six pest control staff to get the job done.
"This incident unnerved us and we were paranoid by the idea of another uninvited guest roaming into our flat.
"We started to set mouse traps in various locations and more prominently by the stairway landing of our block. Since CNY and through February, we have trapped five rats in the span of three weeks.
"What makes the situation even more unsettling is that the rats on the stairs were left there and the town council cleaners who were supposed to do daily cleaning had not found the trapped rats. Imagine the smell of a rotting carcass just left there until the stench became evident."
The Stomper said that her family is "totally distraught" and their neighbours are frustrated as well.
On Wednesday (Feb 15), she posted on Facebook that her block finally got a brand new trash bin on Valentine's Day.
In response to a Stomp query, the AMKTC said it was aware of the issue raised by a resident regarding a rat entering her flat.
"Upon receiving feedback from the resident, AMKTC worked with our pest control service provider and attended to the matter promptly. With the resident’s permission, our service provider laid glue traps and cages in her unit. Our service provider returned the next day to discover that the rat had been caught by their trap and it was disposed of immediately," said the town council.
"While it is rare for rodents to appear on the upper floors, these incidents do happen from time to time. AMKTC has been actively carrying out weekly rodent treatments and ensuring that recycling bins are cleared regularly to reduce rats’ access to food sources. Regardless, AMKTC will continue to work with the relevant authorities to address rodent-related concerns.
"We sincerely seek the cooperation of all residents to tie up their trash bags and discard them in the bin chutes, instead of leaving them at the void deck area.
"The health and safety of our residents remain at our top priority. AMKTC will continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to maintain a clean estate for our residents."
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