A woman named Kelly Houghton was excited to close on her new house, only to realize after moving in that there was a stench that wouldn’t go away. Little did she know, it was from a rat infestation next door! You’ll spot rats just about everywhere you look in her neighbor’s home. Climbing up the drain spout, taking refuge on the ledge of the fence, and even climbing on the roof! Houghton explains she has no idea what’s inside the house or what the underlying cause of the rat problem is. In order to get to a food source, rodents will nibble through almost anything, particularly metal, plastic, and electrical wiring. They also have acute senses of smell. Like food, mice and rats are constantly seeking a source of water, and many homes unintentionally offer the ideal source. These rats are drawn to your home by leaking pipes, pet bowls of water, malfunctioning sprinklers, and other water sources. Because they typically employ cardboard, newspaper, cloth, cotton, insulation, and any other item that can be shaped, chewed, or torn as nesting materials to construct a safe, out-of-the-way home, rodents are drawn to cluttered areas.
Taking Responsibility
A rodent or two is more likely to establish a home or company if it is vacant for a lengthy period of time. Due to the rats, the city essentially shut down the house. The homeowner was “highly encouraged” to sign a contract with a pest treatment business. The bill will be her responsibility. Press has reached out to the owner of the rat-infested property multiple times, but she avoids all communication. Paula Dieckman, the home’s owner, decided to work with the city to hire exterminators, but the problem’s extent was so severe that the city also had to pay for other services, such as routine pickups of dead rats in the area around the home, as well as all around the neighborhood. After a Contact7 report triggered action for neighbors who were begging for assistance, an exterminator started laying the first traps at a rat-infested home in Lakewood. “I’ve never smelled anything quite as bad as that in my life,” an anonymous neighbor added. Although there was some hesitancy, neighbors were generally relieved that an exterminator was on the scene and that the problem was close to being handled. Houghton is glad she’s now able to live in her home without the awful smell and the influx of rats near her house.
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