Josephine Teo, the Minister for Manpower, wrote a Facebook post on September 10, addressing the issue of bats entering the homes of Boon Keng Residents.
She suggested hanging shiny objects by their windows, or install a ,agnetic fly mesh or insect netting.
She said that residents of Block 14, along Upper Boon Keng Road, raised concerns about bats living in nearby fruit trees flying into their homes.
They are worried of the bats being disease carriers.
Teo said that an NParks officer and a bat research specialist have assured the residents that these bats are not carriers of virulent coronavirus strains and are important in controlling the insect populations.
She also said that the fruit trees will be pruned to encourage the bats to nest further away from the residential areas.
NParks said that most bats are shy and will only turn aggressive if they feel threatened or are handled.
So the best course of action is no action, just leave them alone.
But should you come into contact with a bat, wash your hands with soap.
So far, there are no zoonotic diseases detected, including the Covid-19 coronavirus strain, in the bats population within Singapore.
Header image source(s): My Grandfather’s Road Facebook/Josephine Teo Facebook