A man, who is diabetic, claimed he was bitten by a rat in Hougang near the neighbourhood coffee shop.

He then told the media about a possible infestation problem in the estate, which he initially observed while drinking beer at the coffee shop in the evenings.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the man, who did not want to be named, said he was walking along the foot path one evening at Hougang Avenue 6 when a rat suddenly ran past and bit him.

As he has diabetes, he went to see a doctor immediately.

The bite wound turned out to be only skin deep and the man did not require stitches.

Rat problem

Shin Min Daily News reported that numerous rats were apparently seen near the vicinity of Block 524 Hougang Avenue 6.

Rats are said to appear each evening, apparently to look for food.

When a reporter visited the area, one or two rats were seen hiding in the grass patch next to the coffee shop at the foot of the HDB block.

One resident said he would see two or three rats every night and that he could sometimes observe them even at around 6am.

The coffee shop manager shared that pest control performs routine rounds twice a month to keep the coffee shop pest-free, but the rats keep returning.

Another resident said they have seen people put rodenticides in the burrows.

The resident added that each time they see a rat burrow, they would even block the entrance using a large rock or object, but the rats still appear.

Other residents told Shin Min that they believe it is difficult to eliminate the root cause of the rat problem.

Routine checks

In response to Shin Min's queries, Aljunied-Hougang Town Council said it has been conducting routine checks.

In addition, a pest control officer carried out an inspection on Aug. 3 but did not find any rat burrows in the area.

However, the town council is not ruling out a rat issue in the area, as the rodents may have come from a nearby construction site or the sewers.

The town council reassured residents that the situation is being closely monitored and is currently educating food places on how to store and dispose of waste properly.

"We also hope residents will cooperate by sealing food waste and throwing it into the trash bin instead of throwing it next to the bin," said the town council.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News.