RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

Rat Attacks Baby’s Face

A baby boy left sleeping in his stroller outside a Copenhagen apartment block was bitten on the face by rats this week.

The boy was left sleeping in his stroller in the courtyard of an apartment complex in the center of Copenhagen on Wednesday evening. Apparently this is common behavior in Denmark, despite the cold and other obvious dangers. As soon as the parents discovered the baby’s injuries they called an ambulance and the toddler was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.

The boy’s father later told reporters from Denmark’s Ekstra Bladet newspaper that the youngster had been bitten by rats on the face, close to his eye. Other residents from the apartment complex also told the reporters that there was a current vermin problem as dozens of rats try to escape the harsh winter conditions looking for somewhere warm to hide.

Rats are known to attack babies, and they will go for the soft tissue areas such as the eyes. There have been more than one case of death caused by rats eating babies.

Source; Morningstarr

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Near South Side Bakery Closed After Inspectors Find Rats, Unsafe Food

A Near South Side bakery was shut down after city inspectors found something customers aren’t too fond of - rats and food stored at unsafe temperatures.

Mayor Daley’s Dumpster Task Force shut down St. Anna’s Bakery, 2158 S. Archer Ave., Thursday due to a rat infestation and unsafe food holding temperatures, according to a release from the city’s Dept. of Streets & Sanitation.

Inspectors visited the bakery in response to a complaint about rodent activity and found more than 70 rate droppings throughout the kitchen. Inspectors also found St. Anna’s had problems with the temperatures in their walk-in cooler.

Food temperatures ranged from 50 to 60 degrees and more than 400 pounds of food had to be thrown away, the release said.

St. Anna’s was closed for the critical violations of inadequate pest control and for failure to protect foods from contamination. The bakery must correct their rodent problems, revamp their housekeeping and pest control programs and repair their cooler before they can request and pass a detailed re-inspection.

Source = Chicago Sun Times

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Pests are efficient hitchhikers on many things. Many people bring pests inside from firewood. Here are some tips to help avoid this.

• Stack firewood neatly Vs in one giant pile on the ground.
• Stacked firewood should allow 360 degree air circulation, this will help keep it pest-free plus aid in the aging process.
• Rotate your wood stock using older dry-aged wood 1st.
• Bring wood needed into a “staging area” like on a covered porch before bring it into the house. For example, grab a about 5-5 logs from your wood pile then to your “staging area” as this will lessen the chance that pests come directly into your home.
• Keep the wood dry and covered.
• Do not stack wood against your house as this will bridge the gap for insects to get into your home especially wood destroying pests like carpenter ants & termites.
• Do not store wood on the ground. Termites love wood-soil contact.
• Firewood generally should be seasoned to dry down for at least nine months. Burning high-moisture wood generates a lot of smoke, little heat, and can add creosote to your chimney flue and pollutes the air. Keep moisture under 20%.
• Homeowners should only bring in firewood that will be burnt over a period of a few hours.
• Store your firewood away from the home.

Pest Control, MA ,  Pest Control, RI