FEHD Reports 96.4% No-Rat Percentage in First Half, Rat Activity Drops
RTHK · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has released results from its district-level rat activity surveys conducted in the first half of this year, revealing that Hong Kong's overall no-rat percentage stands at 96.4%, consistent with last year's full-year figure . The Environment and Ecology Bureau held a meeting with industry representatives participating in the Cross-Sector Rat Prevention Campaign to discuss pest control efforts . Officials highlighted that the number of survey locations where rat activity was more pronounced—defined as locations with a no-rat percentage below 80%—has decreased to 34, down from 44 locations in the second half of last year, marking a 23% reduction . FEHD has also significantly intensified enforcement action against rat infestations in private premises, issuing 213 pest control notices in the first seven months of this year, representing a approximately 24-fold increase compared to the same period last year .
Key Points
- FEHD's first-half survey showed a 96.4% no-rat percentage across Hong Kong, on par with last year's full-year result
- Active rat locations fell to 34 from 44 in the second half of last year, a 23% improvement
- The department deployed heat-sensing cameras with artificial intelligence for monitoring and dynamically redeployed resources
- Survey coverage will expand to Housing Authority public rental estates and Housing Society rental estates
- 213 pest control notices issued for private premises in January to July, up 24 times year-on-year
- Hong Kong recorded 28 dengue fever cases (26 imported, 2 local) and 2 chikungunya cases (both imported)
- 131 prosecutions for mosquito breeding conditions and 372 statutory notices to remove standing water were issued
Why It Matters
The continued high no-rat percentage demonstrates the effectiveness of the Cross-Sector Rat Prevention Campaign launched last year, while the expanded use of AI-assisted monitoring and broader survey coverage indicate the government's commitment to strengthening pest management in both public and private spaces .
The continued high no-rat percentage demonstrates the effectiveness of the Cross-Sector Rat Prevention Campaign launched last year, while the expanded use of AI-assisted monitoring and broader survey coverage indicate the government's commitment to strengthening pest management in both public and private spaces .