Anti-Rodent Work Plan Undertaken by the Food and Environment Hygiene Department
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) takes a proactive role in the Cross-sectoral Territory-wide Anti-rodent Action. In addition to continuing to step up its regular anti-rodent work, it will also examine and pilot new rodent control strategies to enhance the effectiveness of anti-rodent work, and will continue to provide support and advice on anti-rodent work to relevant departments and trades. Specifically, the rodent control measures to be taken in 2023-24 include:
- continuing with the night rodent operations in all districts to enhance the effectiveness in capturing rodents;
- continuing to apply new technologies, tools and baits, including applying T-shaped bait boxes at suitable locations more widely, piloting the use of Ekomille in more public markets and refuse collection points, and using glue traps as an additional anti-rodent method at public markets and indoor facilities where rodent infestation is particularly serious;
- engaging 3 contractors to carry out a 3-month rodent infestation assessment, drawing up anti-rodent strategies and carrying out anti-rodent work in Shek Tong Tsui Market in Central and Western District, Shui Wo Street Market in Kwun Tong District and Heung Che Street Market in Tsuen Wan District respectively, with a goal to introduce the latest and most effective anti-rodent strategies and methods;
- expanding the existing trial scheme in phases after review to allow more food premises to place large refuse bins at rear lanes, and requesting them to step up rodent control, so as to improve environmental hygiene and mitigate the problem of rodent infestation at rear lanes;
- stepping up public education and publicity and reminding the public of the importance of rodent control, including organising the School Cleaning Video Production Competition in collaboration with the Education Bureau to further enhance students’ awareness of environmental cleanliness and strengthen their understanding of rodent control;
- continuing to arrange health talks for building managers of private buildings, persons-in-charge of food premises, operators of market and hawker stalls, etc. to provide information and technical advice on rodent control; and
- exploring how the existing method of rodent surveillance can be improved, adopting thermal imaging cameras with artificial intelligence function for tracking rodent activities in individual survey areas on a trial basis, with a view to formulating a more representative new rodent infestation rate (RIR) to progressively replace the existing RIR for a more accurate reflection of the situation of rodent infestation and assist in the planning of targeted anti-rodent operations at black spots.
In addition, FEHD is carrying out strategic anti-rodent operations targeted at over 100 priority rodent black spots and allocating more resources to mitigate the problem of rodent infestation in these areas in a comprehensive and continuous manner, with a view to achieving the target of reducing the number of priority rodent black spots at least by half by end-2023 as set out in the 2022 Policy Address.
