RFCA and Baltimore County Team Up to Work on Rat Problem: Residents Must Do Their Part or Face Stiff Fines

 

 

In response to the many requests for help with rat issues, the Rodgers Forge Community Association and Baltimore County Code Enforcement have worked together to start another round of sweeps through the entire community starting in September and continuing until all neighbors  are in compliance and educated about rat prevention. 

The violations the County will be looking for are:

● Improper storage of trash not in a can with a lid

● Rat harborage

● Presence of dog feces

● Trash/junk and debris

Neighbors need to be aware that these inspections by the County are serious and costly. 

There will be no correction notices or warnings. The minimum citation is $150.00 per violation seen on the property.  

According to the Baltimore County web site, “Rats are prolific breeders so rodent control measures must include the elimination of the food, water and harborage necessary for them to carry on the breeding process.”      

To comply with the Baltimore County codes, avoid hefty fines, and help rid your yard of rats, follow these steps:

● Examine your trash cans frequently and replace if cracked or damaged (many in our alleys have rat holes in them)

● Make sure every trash can has a tightly sealed lid

● Do not allow trash cans to overfill or place trash bags, outside of cans, in the alley 

● Clean up and bag all yard debris and other junk. Do not accumulate building supplies, and if you must store materials outside, try to elevate them.

● Clean up all dog feces immediately and store it in a sealed trash can

● Do not leave outside: dog food, bird seed, or food scraps in compost piles

● Empty watering cans, water toys, and other equipment where standing water can accumulate

● Keep your grill clean and covered

● When a rat hole is present, take action every day until it is gone. Use traps, poison, and plug up the holes (steel wool usually works).

● Talk to your neighbors about doing the same and to share tips for what works

Of the 40 visits the RFCA has made to homes with complaints, 95 percent of them had dog feces in the yard or the neighbor’s yard.  Rats live within three yards from where you see them.  Inspect your property, and help your neighbors inspect their properties, as well.

The Baltimore County web site details why rats are dangerous: “Rats can destroy or contaminate food supplies. Rodent feces and urine are a source of gastrointestinal diseases such as Salmonellosis or E-coli infections, and respiratory diseases such as Hantavirus. The rat flea has been an important agent of transmission for Plague and Murine typhus.”    

All neighbors must work together, alley by alley and yard by yard, to eliminate the food sources for rats. The expectation is that every resident does what it takes to keep rats out of his or her yard. Be vigilant, and they will be eliminated. Ignore them, and they will stay and reproduce. 

Become an expert, take responsibility for your yard and your alley, and make others aware of problems. If they do not comply and are not fined, call the County immediately and report the issue at 410-8787-RATS or: 

 www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/permits/ratattack/ratcomplaints.html

 

The sweeps will be followed by a County approved rat eradication program.  There will be follow-up sweeps by County code enforcement.