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THE Penampang District Council has urged the management company (MC) for Country Heights Apartments to take more proactive measures to prevent rats from nesting on the grounds and is keeping tabs on the garbage collection for the property.

This action was prompted by feedback about rat droppings in the common areas around one of the blocks there.

The apartment-owner, who spoke out about this, said the rodents had twice found their way into her car and bitten the wires inside the engine.

She wondered whether the placement of rubbish bins near the covered carpark for her block might be contributing to this nuisance. She theorised that the vermin could be attracted to the smell of the rotting waste in these receptacles.

The individual provided Hotline with the pertinent details, regarding her grievance, which were forwarded to the agency.

A Council spokeswoman said five personnel from its Health Division went to Country Heights, on the same day that it was contacted by the media.

She said an inspection was made of the areas on the periphery of the block in question, including the covered carpark beside the building.

They were accompanied by two representatives from the MC on this occasion, according to her.

“Our staff spotted rat burrows in several places beneath the carpark,” she said.  

“They also noted the presence of two ‘sulo bins’ near the structure.”  

She said the Health Inspectors briefed the MC personnel on potential strategies which could be implemented to reduce the rat habitats inside the compound.

“The firm’s staff were advised to cover the burrows so the rodents could not return to their nests. They were also told to have rat poison placed at strategic location on the grounds.”

She said this was the most that the Council could do as the area enclosed by the fence for the Apartments was considered private property.

“Nevertheless, a follow-up inspection will be carried out at a later date to determine the extent of progress which the MC has made in controlling the rat population on the grounds.”

Where the rubbish at Country Heights was concerned, the spokeswoman said the collection was removed once daily. 

She said a second compactor would be sent to the property, if the first one could not clear all the refuse from the property in one go.

“A check of records shows that, since June, there has only been a breakdown in this service in three instances. Some of the workers, who belong to the collection-team assigned to the Apartments, went on emergency leave at the last minute on these occasions and we were unable find replacements for them.”

She said the Council was only liable for removing the garbage from the bin centre for the property.

“Our compactor does not go to the individual blocks, so it falls to the MC’s workers to transport the rubbish from these buildings to the bin centre.”

A spokesman for the firm said “sulo bins” had been placed near each of the 47 blocks on the grounds.

“A lorry drives round to each block every day and two of our workers empty the rubbish onto the back of this vehicle. This waste is then transported to our bin centre and placed into any of the 32 of the communal bins housed there.”

He said each of the communal bins could contain up to 1,100 litres of waste.

When asked about the rat-nuisance at one of the Apartment blocks, the spokesman said action was taken to mitigate this problem as soon as the MC became aware of what had been transpiring in this part of the compound.

“The four ‘sulo bins’ were moved to a more suitable location. Sections of white tubing, with rat poison inside, were also placed in certain places around the block and covered carpark for the building.”

He said the latter structure was also hosed down thoroughly in a bid to get rid any of any rodent-related odours which may be lingering there.

“If need be, rat-traps will be placed at some locations around the affected block.”

The spokesman said any pest control exercises implemented on the grounds were carried out by the MC’s staff.