Latest news with #rats
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Rats thrive in Sarajevo as rising diseases cause crisis
In Sarajevo it is, once again, the Year of the media posts from residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital have shown an abundance of rodents swimming in the Miljacka river which flows through the centre of the long accustomed to poor public services have also posted photos of overflowing rubbish containers and illegal dumping – along with complaints that the authorities have failed to clear away dead animals from public areas including children's all makes for a wonderful environment for rats to thrive. For humans, however, the picture is rather less rosy. Health experts blame a failure to control Sarajevo's rodent population for an alarming rise in the number of cases of rat-borne diseases. In just one 24 hour period this week, the country's largest hospital reported a dozen cases of leptospirosis. That follows a steady stream of other infections earlier in the of the disease's nicknames, rat fever, reflects its key vector of infection. It generally spreads to humans through water or soil contaminated with rodent urine or can range from headaches and muscle pain to bleeding on the lungs. The acute form of the illness, Weil's disease, can cause jaundice and even kidney local authorities in Sarajevo have declared an epidemic, allowing the imposition of emergency measures, including a long overdue municipal workers armed with disinfectant sprays have been deployed to carry out an urban "spring clean" in public areas across the city, while additional rubbish collections are being arranged. Schools have been directed to clean their playgrounds, mow any grass areas and check their basements for current all-action approach is a stark contrast to the laissez-faire situation of the past two years, during which there were no pest control measures in Sarajevo at all. Officials blame a botched tender process for extermination and sanitation work, which has allowed the city to go to the rats – and, for that matter, the dogs, as packs of strays are also a common sight around the Canton Health Minister Enis Hasanovic described the situation as "not a health crisis, but a communal crisis", due to local authorities failing to fulfil essential municipal hygiene a former director of the Sarajevo's University Clinical Centre, Sebija Izetbegović, believes the health situation could deteriorate further. Now a member of Sarajevo Canton Assembly, she points out that "well-fed rats" are currently so numerous in the city that "we can also expect hantavirus".In one respect at least, Sarajevo has been lucky. Left untreated, leptospirosis can be deadly, with a mortality rate of more than 50% for people who suffer from severe bleeding of the so far none of the cases reported in the current epidemic have been serious.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Allston residents search for solutions to rat problem
Residents in Boston's Allston neighborhood tend to have a moniker for the area: Rat City. The title even graces their annual Rat City Art Festival. While neighbors may have adopted the name, they have grown tired of the problem. Boston Inspectional Services toured parts of Allston on Wednesday with neighbors guiding them through worst areas. "I see the rats coming. They go under here, and they come out with food," said Paula Alexander, talking with Inspectional Services. "It's always overflowing." Alexander has issues with rats getting under her property. They tend to get through the lattice along her home. Inspectional Service reps say rats love to chew through it and may leave a greasy residue called sebum. That oil will rub onto objects that they frequently pass through. It is a sign that a homeowner may have a problem. Tips to keep rats out Inspectional Services suggest homeowners line spaces under porches or homes with galvanized metal with gravel on top. It will halt the rats from creating burrows. "Take any kind of vegetation or overgrowth out," said Charlie McGevna, an Inspectional Services rep talking with neighbors. "You want to have clear sight lines." Rats gravitate toward dark, damp, and hidden locations. This can be a trash can. Neighbors in Allston have had rats chew through the heavy plastic, forcing some people to fix the holes with metal patches. "If all around the city, we see trash barrels exposed like that, then literally on trash day you see the rats in and out of the barrels," explains Allston resident Charlie Evangelista. He has tried putting mint on his barrels, but it didn't deter the rats. Inspectional Services suggest people get a spray bottle with water with a little bleach added to it. The smell can keep rats from coming for the trash cans.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Gut-wrenching' smell from dead rats in overflowing rubbish 'not collected for four weeks'
A concerned resident says he's regularly finding dead rats in a mountain of rubbish outside his home which he claims hasn't been collected for 'four weeks'. The resident, who lives in a block of flats on Turfpits Lane, Erdington, said the smell is "gut-wrenching". He said his neighbour can see the stinking pile of overflowing bins from her kitchen window. READ MORE: Stratford Road shop chief fumes as rats destroy clothes worth £1k "One resident lives next to to this," the Emery House resident told BirminghamLive. "Less than 20 feet from this mountain. Her kitchen looks out onto it." Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp He added: "We're now seeing rats regularly amongst the black bin bags - dead rats. "The smell is gut-wrenching." The resident, who lives in a block of around 40 flats, has called on the council to clear out the rubbish. We have contacted Birmingham City Council asking when the bin bags will be collected. Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here Birmingham's bin workers walked out indefinitely in March. The dispute was initially triggered by Birmingham City Council's plans to scrap a Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role. Unite, the union representing the city's striking bin workers, claimed scrapping the role would force 'dedicated workers onto pay levels barely above the minimum wage'. The council has since claimed that 'fair and reasonable offer' has been made - but both parties are yet to come to an agreement.
CTV News
24-05-2025
- CTV News
Garbage collection in Montreal's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve causing rat problems
Residents of Montreal's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood say a rat problem has been getting worse since the city stopped picking up garbage every week.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Derry's riverside rats 'enjoying five star all-inclusive holiday'
Huge numbers of rats are enjoying a "five star all-inclusive holiday" on one of Londonderry's most popular riverfront walkways, a pest control expert has of rats have been spotted in the last week on Queen's Quay, an area frequently used by families, walkers and cyclists.A number of measures have now been put in place to interrupt the rats' "transit routes", Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) Page, owner of a pest and rodent control business in the north west, said it appeared a large colony had set up home on the quay, adding it is a real "cause for concern". Footage of the rats first emerged last week. There have been further daily sightings over recent said they had acted following an escalation in rodent activity in the has "implemented immediate measures to assist local landowners and businesses to address this issue". Ms Page told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme there would always be rats on the riverfront."If you have food and water and harbourage, you have a perfect storm there for rat activity," she said."They have all their needs, it's like a five star all-inclusive holiday for them, they have even got the sunshine."When you see rats out and about during the day and in those numbers, then I am afraid you have a significant rat infestation."She urged the Derry public and business to play their part in getting rid of the rats. "A lot of it is to do with us, people leaving food behind. Remove the food and the harbourage and they won't be secure, they will go," she said."It's vital people don't leave any rubbish behind, that businesses' bins are not overfilled." However the scale of the colony means a controlled riddance programme will most likely be required, she added."They have a right to live, but you do not want to send those rats everywhere. You do not want them to scatter," she said. The council said site assessments have been carried out by its environmental health investigation determined the rodents had been using the planters as routes to travel from their nesting area to access food sources."The council is taking proactive steps to ensure the swift resolution of this situation, including the removal of some of planters in order to disrupt these pathways," a council spokeswoman added. Foyle SDLP assembly Mark H Durkan filmed the rats he encountered while out running."I run the quay regularly and have done for years. I have seen the odd little four-legged friend – that is to be expected on the riverfront – but never anything like this," he said."You can't have a rat population like this in an area used so much by the public. I would ask everyone to be careful about what they do with their litter." 'Rat numbers are exploding' David Greer is a certified field biologist who runs his own pest control business in County told BBC News NI the situation on the riverfront in Derry was playing out in other areas."As a business we can't keep up with demand for our services," he said. "Rat numbers are exploding, their numbers are greater than we have seen for some time. Once it gets out of control, it is very hard to get it back."
