The worst nightmare for a shopping mall operator is a rodent infestation. It can happen in a short span of time. Rodents are opportunists that are very intelligent and adaptable. They can enter your shopping mall using whatever items that are available to access your building such as electrical wires, railings, pipes, ducts, and tree branches. Also keep in mind that rats can squeeze through a hole that is no larger than ¼-inch.

Rats have adapted well to our urban environment. They can multiply quickly in places with poorly managed environments and easily available food and water sources. Shopping malls are the best nesting place for rodents if proper rodent control programs have not been adopted by operators and shop owners. Rodents can carry and transmit various diseases, so they are a major public health risk . The presence of rodents in shopping complexes damages the business’ reputation and results in financial losses as shop owners move to other buildings due to rodent problems.

When the National Environment Agency (NEA) conducted inspections at Punggol’s Waterway Point, it uncovered some signs of rat activity in a food shop and ceiling above a common area of the mall. The inspections were carried out after a diner complained that a rat had fallen on her from the ceiling while she was waiting for her meal at a coffee house in the new shopping mall. In 2015, NEA conducted inspections at a famous shopping centre in Singapore and found rodent activity in the false ceilings of 14 food shops and food stalls. The shopping mall’s management intensified its pest control checks & treatment, and intensified housekeeping system and refuse management after the NEA inspections.

Some interesting facts about rodents that you should know

• Rats are considered the smartest animals on the planet. They are often ranked in the company of dolphins and chimpanzees.
• Rats have a very acute sense of balance therefore, they are excellent climbers.
• Most rats are crepuscular, which means they are most active around dusk and dawn, and utilize rest of the hours in a day for lesser activity and sleeping.
• Rats are very social animals and are often accompanied by their companions. So in rat infestation, you may have to deal with several rodents.
• In a study conducted in five countries in Europe, it was estimated that rodent infestation resulted in the loss of $11.8billion revenue in 2014.

Rodents have outsmarted traditional pest control methods

Using same old trap methods will not work on these intelligent pests. Pest managers and shopping mall operators need to get to the root of the problem. It should be a long-term effort, and not considered as business compliance. Rodent infestation is a serious issue for commercial properties, so it should be managed using smart practices such as using RATSENSE sensors that determines rodent activity and then dictates how traps should be placed. Based on these rodent activities, traps can be placed where the rats are travelling, and where they least expect it, thereby enabling pest controllers to catch them easily.

Presently, shopping mall operators hire exterminators after the rat problem surfaces, rather than preventing it from the outset. Rodent monitoring and control measures should be of preventive nature rather than reactive. Mall administrators need to follow good hygiene practices and adopt a rodent-proof design. If rodents have become smart, we have to outsmart them before they gnaw a big hole into our reputation. Use rodent sensor to capture rodent activity when they are most active, and then catch them using traps placed at strategic locations using real-time data from the sensors.

Interested to learn more about RATSENSE? Contact us today!

References: –
“Pest control checks done nightly: Waterway Point” Channel News Asia, March 29, 2016, accessed April 16, 2017,
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pest-control-checks-done-nightly-waterway-point-8129750

“Rat activity detected in food shop and ceiling in Waterway Point; enforcement taken: NEA” Straits Times, March 28, 2016, April 16, 2017,
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/rat-activity-detected-in-food-shop-and-ceiling-in-waterway-point-enforcement-taken-nea