Residents in a Pennsylvania neighborhood say rats are still running through their yards and driveways weeks after they first reported the problem.
The issue is centered around Adams Drive in Rostraver Township, where neighbors told WWNY and KDKA that cameras have captured rats moving through the dark and traps have not stopped the infestation.
Resident Erin McCay said there are “hundreds of rats” and described pulling into the driveway at night as the animals scattered. She said she wants to feel safe walking through her yard and into her house after dark.
For homeowners, the case shows how a pest problem tied to one property can spill into a wider neighborhood once rodents find food, shelter, trash, animal feed, or outdoor cover nearby.
The Rat Complaints Followed an Animal Rescue Case
The neighborhood complaints followed a case at a nearby property where 105 pigs were rescued, along with cats and dogs, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
CBS Pittsburgh reported that 13 of the rescued pigs had died due to neglect, according to Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue. Rostraver police also said four of the 25 rescued cats had died.
The property was condemned after township and police action, and WWNY reported that it had been posted for sale. Earlier CBS Pittsburgh reporting said police linked trash buildup and unsanitary conditions at the property to the rat problem affecting neighbors along Adams Drive.
The Township Hired an Exterminator
Rostraver Township sent the property owner an enforcement letter in May, giving her 10 days to address the issue or face a citation, CBS Pittsburgh reported. The owner was later cited with a public nuisance charge, and the home was condemned.
Township Manager Jeffrey Keffer told KDKA the township entered into a 12-month contract with an exterminator to set traps at each home along Adams Drive.
Keffer said the township is taking proactive steps to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible. Officials said residents could see the number of rats decline over the next few weeks, while police said the investigation remained active and ongoing.
Food, Trash, Compost, and Yard Cover Can Keep Rodents Around
The CDC says homeowners should look for gaps and holes around the home, seal openings that rodents could use, keep food and garbage in tight containers, clean up outdoor areas, move woodpiles away from the house, and keep grass and shrubbery trimmed.
The EPA also advises removing rodent nesting sites such as leaf piles and deep mulch, cleaning up food and water sources, keeping kitchen garbage in containers with tight lids, and turning compost piles to cover newly added food scraps.
Those steps may not end a neighborhood-scale infestation by themselves. They can, however, reduce the places rats use for food, cover, nesting, and entry into nearby homes while local officials and pest-control crews deal with the larger source.