• Norway Rats •
Hello, residents,
The City has received feedback from residents regarding Norway rats that have been spotted in Eagle, Boise, and now Garden City.
Rats can enter your home through small gaps to search for food and nesting spaces. If you spot a rat or suspect an infestation in your area or home, always wear a mask and gloves when handling the situation or call a licensed exterminator.
The City does not offer a program for rat extermination. Residents are encouraged to take preventive measures, such as:
🐀 Keep firewood stored well away from the structure and remove debris piles to reduce ideal nesting spots.
🐀 Seal any holes on the outside of the home to block potential points of entry.
🐀 Eliminate sources of moisture like leaky pipes, especially in crawl spaces and basements.
🐀 Properly seal food products in containers to avoid contamination, which can lead to disease transmission.
🐀 Put garbage in tightly enclosed trash cans that are regularly emptied outside the home so as not to serve as food attractants.
🐀 Keep debris from building up near building foundations.
🐀 Consider contacting the Idaho Humane Society for their barn cats who are spayed or neutered, ear-notched, and have received their FVRCP and rabies vaccines.
If you are thinking of laying traps, use mechanical traps rather than poison.
Poison traps are often made using ingredients that are attractive to rodents such as peanut butter or cereal grains, and people often place them in easily accessible areas. This has led to frequent accidental ingestion by children or pets, and that can be deadly.
Keep an eye out for signs of a rodent infestation and call a licensed pest control company if you suspect the pests have found a new home in your home.