Archive for the Rats Category
Posted on February 25, 2010 with 2 Comments
Waybright Elementary School in Mass. has recently reopened after a rat sighting caused the school to close for a day. During school, a student saw a rat running down a stairwell. This isn’t the first time the school has had a problem with rats. In December, a construction project disrupted where some rats where living, causing them to go into the school. The school called a pest management professional, sealed off entranceway and set traps. Until they were sure the problem went away, they asked students to not leave food in classrooms and stopped serving hot lunches. They thought the problem was gone until the lone rat was spotted.
There were no signs of more rats being in the school. They didn’t find any feces or rats in traps that would indicate more than the lone rat. During the incident in the winter, there was evidence of burrowing by the rats. However, the building was swept and no burrowing was located this time around. The school reassured everybody that every precaution was taking place to prevent further incidents. They also said this is not an event isolated to just the school. Homes around the area have been having similar problems. The school has spent upwards of $30,000 already clear the rats out of the school, and expects to spend more money in the future.
If you have seen a rat or mouse in your home please contact us for a free inspection. Winter is the most common time to see a rodent in your home.
Wicked Local reported about this story first.
Picture credit: hr.icio
Posted on February 17, 2010 with No Comments
Hospitals in Mullingar, Ireland and Ballinasloe, Ireland have run into a problem over the past 4 years. Different types of rodents and insects (rats, mice, ants, silverfish) have been a common site in these hospitals. 58 total pest control incidents were recorded in the past 4 years between those two hospitals. While mice and rats where the main cause of the 32 pest control calls in Mullingar, Ballinasloe has had the problem of insects on top of it. Ants are a common insect, however silverfish not so much. Silverfish is a wingless insect that usually feeds on adhesives. When no adhesives are in sight, they will eat cotton, linen, and silk, making it a household pest.
These two hospitals aren’t the only ones to have to deal with pests. A hospital in Tullamore, Ireland has possibly an even worse problem. In the same time period, they have experienced 112 pest control calls. There is a logical reason however for this large number. During this time, they were building a new hospital in Tullamore, which tends to lead to more insects and rodents. Since the new hospital is now complete, the calls have reduced significantly. Spokesman for the hospitals have made one thing clear however, that this is a serious issue. They recognize that this is something that needs to be taken care of, and they will be implementing the strategies that they are told at once. After four years of problems at these hospitals, it will be interesting to see if the suggestions eliminate their problems.
The story was first reported on TheWestmeath
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Tags: Ants, hospitals, infestations, Mice, Rats, Rodents, Silverfish
Category: Ants, Commercial Pest Control, Crawling Insects, Insects, Mice, Rats, Rodent, Silverfish
Posted on February 10, 2010 with 1 Comment

Verdi Square, New York City
Verdi Square, the domain for drug dealers and the homeless all the way back since the late 80s, has another problem on its hands. Rats are infesting the area in the Upper West Side of New York. The problem has gotten so bad that even the Parks Department has a need for more help to clean up the area. The area has gotten to the point where it is being cleaned at around 3 times a day. What has caused this infestation? The area is filthy according to residents, with trash all over the place. Also, the renovation of a subway in 2000 has led to increase traffic in the area. With increased traffic comes more trash. Also, subway systems are notorious for an infestation of rats.
What measures are being done to clean the newly dubbed “Vermin Square”? Products to control rats are being littered all over the area. However, the rats are bigger than they were in the 80s, so after the initial stage, the dosage was upped. Trash crews are working hard to clean up the trash around the Verdi Square. Also, rat-proof garbage bags are now being used as potential solutions. Even with these possible solutions, the rats continue to dig holes around the Statue of Giuseppe Verdi. Rats are determined to find a way to stick around, and time will tell if “Vermin Square” can return to Verdi Square.
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Posted on February 5, 2010 with No Comments
1,500 cases of candy and snacks were destroyed in an unlicensed Wisconsin warehouse this week because of a serious rodent infestation.
“For a case to have gotten to this point will tell you it was pretty darn serious.” -FDA Spokesperson, Tom Gasparoli
The warehouse owner, Mark Reisdorf claimed that the establishment did have a few mice, but he was told by the pest control company the establishment was pest free. The warehouse failed to receive its license to store food products when the check to the health department bounced. The building used to be a school, until purchased by Reisdof and changed into “Mid-States Closeouts.” The FDA closed the establishment.
A rodent infestation is not an acceptable to lose business like Mid-States Closeouts will. If you are a property owner or management company, please contact JP McHale Pest Management for a free consultation and to learn more about a custom Integrated Pest Management plan for your property.
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Posted on January 20, 2010 with No Comments
Over the past few weeks, pest control companies in Edinburg, Scotland have seen an increase in rodent calls outside restaurants and other types of food establishments. Why? The obvious reason is during the winter rodents will look for warmth and get inside homes. However the reason for this increase is because of icy roads. Town works are unable to access the trash bins so the trash is not removed. Trash removal is essential in keeping a pest free environment. Sometimes it is just not possible to control some factors, which we must work around to develop a unique program tailored to your needs. (Integrated Pest Management)
Tags: garbage, icy roads, Rodents, snow, trash, vermin
Category: Commercial Pest Control, Food, Integrated Pest Management, Mice, Rats, Rodent, Winter Pests