Conditions breeding rodent resurgence in North Texas
The Dallas Morning News | January 22, 2009back to: ePest News
They nest in car engines and breed litters dozens strong under half-built subdivisions. They make their way into mansions and big box stores and even burrow through the wood siding of homes. Rats are perhaps the most uncanny and abhorred mammals on the planet. And they are on the move again in the nooks and crannies of Dallas and its suburbs. Complaints have risen in Dallas and elsewhere. The Frisco school district is spending more each year to rodent-proof its schools and other properties. ABC Pest Control of Lewisville, the state's largest independent exterminator, has seen its rodent business triple in recent years. Business skyrocketed by 60 percent last year alone. Alan Smith of Plano first caught wind of a problem when he noticed a tear-inducing stench in his ceiling. "Smelling a dead rat is something you don't ever want to do in your life," said Smith, 57. North Texans have battled rodents for years. But signs suggest the population is swelling. Wild swings in the weather, the destruction of habitats by new development and plentiful sources of food, water and shelter have driven rats into places across the region. The critters can breed copiously, carry diseases and cause extensive damage. And people are finding them in modest locales and the wealthiest of communities. "We are absolutely seeing a significant increase in rodent activity over the last few years," said Dennis Jenkins, president of ABC Pest.
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