Ang Mo Kio market's war on rodents sees authorities step up efforts in 6-hour operation

[UPDATE Sept 11, 3pm] Ang Mo Kio Town Council told AsiaOne that during the overnight operation at Block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 market on Thursday (Sept 9), one rat and two shrews were culled. No rat burrows were found.

According to the National Environment Agency, shrews are insectivores and are not implicated as vectors that transmit diseases.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council added that 62 cages were placed within and outside the market common areas.

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Authorities have stepped up a notch using alcohol, snares and other traps to lure rodents out during an overnight operation on Thursday (Sept 9) in a market at Block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4. 

Conducted by the National Environment Agency and Ang Mo Kio Town Council, the six-hour extermination exercise ended at 3am. 

Speaking to reporters from Shin Min Daily News, a spokesperson from Ang Mo Kio Town Council said efforts will be made to ensure cleanliness of the market. 

Measures include cleaning of public areas and clearing the trash four times a day, and washing the floors daily. The market will also be closed quarterly for spring cleaning. 

This recent operation will be a relief to stall owners who have reported rat sightings in recent months. 

In an interview with the Chinese evening daily, a stall owner named Wang, 70, claimed rats would ‘patronise’ his stall everyday. He added that some of them were even "bigger than cats". 

The frustrated stall owner said he had set up cages, but since the rats were too physically strong, they were able to escape from the traps with ease – he only managed to catch two in the past three months.

“The rats usually appear in the evening and would scurry around the stall booth. Sometimes, I can also see them early in the morning,” he told the publication. “Besides ruining the fruits and vegetables, they would chew off the cartons.”

Another stall owner named Gao told reporters she had seen traces of rat droppings around the area. 

“To prevent this problem, we’ve to ensure that our stall is clean, and all our goods are placed neatly,” she said. 

In April, a rat infestation at a Bukit Panjang vegetable stall was reported in the media. Seven to eight rats were seen scurrying on the vegetables, the report said.

READ ALSO: Oh rats! Rodents 'as huge as man's fist' spotted at Woodlands restaurant

chingshijie@asiaone.com