RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

HantaVirus Found in Trapped Rodents

Six rodents trapped during routine monitoring in the last week in North County and East County have tested positive for the potentially-deadly hantavirus.

Infected rodents rarely pose a danger to people if they are in the wild and there has been just one non-fatal human case in the county, in 2004. But people can inhale hantavirus by stirring up rodent droppings, then get sick and even die. There is no treatment, vaccine or cure for hantavirus infections, which are deadly in 38 percent of cases.

“People should never sweep up or vacuum rodent droppings or nesting material when they find it,” said Jack Miller, director of the County Department of Environmental Health. “Instead, they should ventilate closed areas for at least 30 minutes, and then carefully use bleach or a full-strength disinfectant before removing them.”

The best way people can prevent the disease is to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds by sealing holes larger than the size of a dime, County officials said.

Hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which begins with flu-like symptoms but can grow into severe breathing difficulties and even death.

The rodents that tested positive during the last week included: two deer mice from Campo; one deer mouse each from Carlsbad and Escondido; one harvest mouse from Oceanside and a vole from Carlsbad. Thirty-seven rodents have tested positive for hantavirus in the county this year, compared to 21 in 2010.

Source: Associated Press

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

I am the rat killer of Boston!!! Frank the tank! This picture shows just some of my vic’s!

Seriously, we get a call about a large number of rats in a parking garage. The previous pest control company had not been able to solve the problem after months of trying. I see rub marks from the rats and follow their trail to a locked room. At the door it has a seriously strong rat odor. Those in the industry know what I mean! I tell the maintenance guy that this is the mother ship and we need to get inside. He does not have a key and said the other guy never went inside there. I told him that is why you still have rats.

Once we get inside there are rat droppings EVERYWHERE in the room. There is no doubt that this is where they are coming from but why? I find a lead out tunnel that heads into the MBTA subway system and that is the source. I set up snap traps and schedule us to come back every 3-5 days. The seven rats you see are just three days after I placed them down! In 10 days I have caught a whopping 35 rats!!! Based on rat breeding I have literally removed over 300 potential rats from the city of Boston…WHOAH!!! I should get a key to the city!

The battle is still going on as of this blog post but once we go 2 weeks with no catches I will seal off the tunnel with stainless steel mesh screening and this will eliminate the issue.

Frank Diaz
Service Specialist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

We all know about the horrible Snakes on a Train movie that bombed in theaters. Perhaps rats on a train would do better? There is no doubt that the NYC subway system is loaded with rats, just spend some time at a subway stop and you will see plenty of them. NYC is no different than any other major city and rats in the subway. It is a perfect setting for them as it gives them warmth, food, and a great place to live.

I am very impressed with the toughness of New Yorker’s…..most people would be screaming if they were stuck on a train with a rat! These folks were amazingly calm, even the homeless dude.

Nicole White
Customer Care Specialist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Are Electric Cars Irresistible Beacons to Rats?

Next time you swing by your local electric car dealer, you may want to make sure your warranty covers damage by rodent. Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder didn't have that kind of coverage for his Chevy Volt (who would?), and it ended up costing him $600.

In the aptly named "A Rat Ate My Chevy Volt," Wiesenfelder tells of how he was alerted that his Volt, which was at a parking structure in downtown Chicago at the time, had disconnected from the grid and was no longer charging.

Turns out the culprit was a rat Wiesenfelder nicknamed "Chilly," as rats have been known to climb into the housing of cars or trucks to keep warm during these colder months.

Turns out, Chilly did a little more than just climb in:

This morning, Grossinger City Chevy of Chicago confirmed that Chilly the rat had indeed gnawed through a wiring harness in the engine compartment, causing, at minimum, the warning lights and rear defogger failure… Presumably, an electric car with a thermally managed battery will be a tempting nest long after an internal-combustion engine has cooled off.

Therein lies the problem. While electric vehicles charge, their batteries are kept at a specific temperature — not hot, but warm. That warmth makes a pretty alluring bed for rats. $600 worth of damage is nothing to shake a stick at, especially if it's something that could very well happen again

SOURCE = DVICE.COM

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

More Rodents Carrying Hantavirus Found

Six more rodents trapped by County Vector Control technicians last week have tested positive for the sometimes-deadly hantavirus, County officials said this week.

The rodents, four Harvest mice and two California Meadow Voles, were trapped in Fairbanks Ranch and northern Escondido near the San Luis Rey River bringing this year’s total to 16 rodents testing positive for hantavirus, a news release stated. In 2010, a total of 21 rodents tested positive for hantavirus.

“Recent rains have created an abundance of food for rodents, which can increase the rodent population,” said County Environmental Health Director Jack Miller. “More rodents can lead to more hantavirus.” People should never sweep up or vacuum rodent droppings and nesting materials. Instead, ventilate closed areas and use wet cleaning methods with a 10 percent bleach solution or other full strength disinfectant. The best way to prevent the disease is to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds by sealing all holes larger than the size of a dime, the news release stated.

Wild rodents, primarily deer mice, carry hantavirus. People can contract it by inhaling dust particles from rodent droppings and nesting materials that contain the virus. The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which begins with flu-like symptoms, but can graduate to severe breathing difficulties and even death, according to the news release. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that HPS has killed 36 percent of all the people known to have contracted the disease.

How to Avoid Exposure:

• Eliminate rodent infestations immediately.
• Avoid rodent infested areas. Do not stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with feces and urine.
• Clean up rodent droppings and urine using the wet cleaning method described below.

Use “wet-cleaning” methods to prevent inhaling the virus:

• DO NOT SWEEP OR VACUUM INFESTED AREAS.
• Ventilate affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes.
• Use rubber gloves. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution (2 tablespoons bleach to 1 cup of water), or other full strength disinfectant onto dead rodents, rodent droppings, nests, contaminated traps, and surrounding areas and let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning. Clean with a sponge or a mop.
• Place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard in the trash.
• Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method. Thoroughly wash your bare hands with soap and water.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Mexican Chile Seized in Rat-Infested Warehouse

LAS CRUCES - Imported Mexican chile was seized by U.S. marshals on Monday after inspectors allegedly found it being stored in a warehouse infested with rodents and bugs, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in New Mexico.

An inspection in November by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration uncovered "an active and widespread insect and rodent infestation in the food warehouse," according to documents filed in federal court.

Inspectors allegedly found rodent nests and evidence that mice had gnawed, defecated and urinated on the chile products after they had been shipped to the Duran & Sons Chile Products warehouse, about eight miles north of Hatch.

Warehouse owner Carl Duran had already marked the chile for destruction and was cooperating with the FDA at the time of the raid, which he told the Associated Press was "a shock."

Apart from the chile, however, Duran's warehouse was also allegedly home to "a live cat, live birds, apparent bird nesting, bird droppings, rodent nesting, rodent excreta pellets, animal feces, animal urine, lice and dead insects and insect larvae and moth-like insects," according to court documents.

The New Mexico Environment Department barred the warehouse's contents from being taken to market following the disastrous inspection, according to the complaint, which seeks to destroy the products seized.

The complaint does not state the total amount of products seized.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, MA , Pest Control, RI