Skip to main content

Of Mice and Men



This is a post that I wish I do not want to post but enough seems to be enough!

These days, actually it was since quite a number of months ago, I have been noticing mouses, or should I say rats, making their presence felt in my neighbourhood. Often when I spotted them, it is not only during the nights but also during the days and they are often seem surrying from one drain hole to another, oblivious of the stares of other Singaporeans looking at them, often in disbelief.

The disbelief stems from the fact that one does not expect mouses or should I say rats to be found in a supposedly (nearing) first world country like Singapore! The presence of such rodents just speak volume on how much Singapore still has to go when it comes to getting rid of its streets free of rodents and pests.

I have never seen so many rats or mouses before in Singapore when I was young. I only know of that a rat is much bigger than a mouse from the tons of science textbooks during my primary school days which every student would need to gobble up. But now seeing so many rodents around in my estate, I am quite appalled and even before I try to put my theory into practice by trying to see how big the rodent is.. to determine whether it is a mouse or a rat, the creature just vanishes! These rats are so big that even the many cats nearby prefer not to do their due dilligence, turn a blind eye and not catch these creatures. Anyway, these stray cats in Singapore, particularly in my estate are a fortunate lot, being fed by cat lovers till they become like little lions (without a lion heart) and being so fearful of their evergreen nemesis now!

And just this afternoon, I see cockroaches, so many of them scurrying around my estate thus it is not just of mice and men, it is of cockroaches and men or of ants and men (so many red ants in the grasses these days)!

So what has gone wrong? Just some months ago, media spotlight is on rodent infestation during the height of the Geylang Serai rojak poisioning. And then now is silent, but there are still many rats around.

A holistic measure should be in place by the town council, working hand in hand with the relevant authorities to contain the situation. Just plain pest control is not necesary, one must really tackle the root of the problem, eradicate the source of these pests so as to reduce their numbers.

If these rodents, ants or cockroaches are not eliminated, it will just be sometime before the next wave of pest-related endemic comes into the fore! Anyway having said that, to contain this problem, the onus is on us: we should be more responsible in handling our food, disposing them properly into the litter bins and not having these waste food being found lying around in our estates!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vernon Leong Jun Wei

What happens to the 31 year old bride groom, Vernon Leong Jun Wei? As the news of this latest unnatural and bizzare death developed, it seemed that Vernon did not jump from the 24th storey of Hilton Hotel as was believed earlier. There were 3 video camera footages which might prove otherwises for the cause of Vernon's death. The first video footage showed Vernon at the 24th storey, making his way hurriedly into the fire escape staircase. The next video footage showed Vernon at the 2nd storey which also holds some shops and the final footage showed an unconscious Vernon motionless at the ground of the hotel. Vernon was cladded casually in a T-shirt and pants and have left his hotel room while his wife was taking a shower. It seemed that he might be escaping from something or somebody or that he might be chasing after something or somebody. What did Vernon see and experience at his last moments? The police is still investigating the case. It is really a very tragical and sad
Post a Comment
Read more

Kampong Lorong Buangkok

Amidst the blazing afternoon sun today, my Dear and I made our way to Kampong Lorong Buangkok. The visit was a timely one as there is such a high buzz being generated over the last kampong in modern Singapore. After alighting from Bus 854 from Eunos, it was not difficult to find our way to the kampong. The entrance of the kampong was distinct as you could see from the picture: the 'ulu-ness' (rural charm) is evident from the attap-roofed buildings and more unkempt conditions. A signboard with hand-written text welcome my Dear and I to the last kampong in Singapore: As we entered the kampong, I spotted a middle-aged woman talking to an old man. I had seen the old woman before on TV. She was none other than the owner of the kampong land. In the documentary, I learnt that the whole kampong land was passed to her by her late father. She has kept the land and have not gone on to sell the land to the government. If she were to sell the land, she would be an instant multi-millionair
Post a Comment
Read more

Performance Bonus

It is the time of the year civil servants receive their performance bonuses (PBs). In the coming two weeks, civil servants will not only receive their performance bonuses, special ‘growth bonuses’, would also await them for the very first time. These PBs and growth bonuses are only applicable to performers, defined as officers with assessed performance gradings above the ‘D’ grade. Typically, civil servants receive their performance bonuses in March, a 0.5 month of bonus in July and a 13th month plus AVC in December. Are all the bonuses good? To be frank, the bonuses dished out in Civil Service are averages at best. With the various bonuses being given out in these months: July, December and March, a civil servant who would like to quit would most likely try to find a ‘suitable’ month to quit so as not to forfeit his bonuses. The December bonus is generally the most generous portion. To quantify for this bonus, an officer would have to be in service till the end of January ne
1 comment
Read more