Improperly disposed trash is the root of an increase in rats in a South Side neighborhood, a multi-family property manager said. Randy Nevels, a property manager of a 27-unit residential building in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue in Avalon Park, sa
Improperly disposed trash is the root of an increase in rats in a South Side neighborhood, a multi-family property manager said.
Randy Nevels, a property manager of a 27-unit residential building in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue in Avalon Park, said he does what is required of him as a building manager but can’t seem to get rid of the rats that have set up residence in the building.
Nevels said residents in surrounding buildings aren’t disposing of the trash like they should, and the landlords aren’t enforcing that they do so.
“We have a private garbage disposal company to collect our garbage twice a week, and exterminators come once a month. I keep the building clean,” Nevels said.
He blames his neighbors for the rat problem.
“Garbage is thrown everywhere. It’s so rampant that I can’t keep the rats out of my building,” Nevels said.
The city’s Streets and Sanitation department is responsible for collecting trash for single-family homes and buildings with fewer than four apartments in them. All property containing four or more units must have a private scavenger service pick up the trash, according to Alderman Michelle Harris (8th) whose ward includes Avalon Park.
Harris said she doesn’t doubt there is a rodent issue in an area where there is a cluster of multi-family buildings. But if her office doesn’t receive a call about heaps of trash that aren’t picked up as often as they should, she can’t address the issue.
“You have plenty of garbage carts out there and people may not shut them properly, or they may not get the trash where it’s supposed to be. If I get a call in my office, I will address the issue. We can log the complaints and issue tickets to the owners. We can also get rodent control to come out,” Harris said.
From 82nd Street to 83rd Street, from Cottage Grove to Greenwood Avenues, Nevels said the rats–and the garbage they feed on–are “out of control.”
“At night, I look out my window at the alley and I see the rodents running around like squirrels. They are just running freely,” he said. “It’s a health issue.”
He said he placed repeated calls to the Department of Streets and Sanitation’s Bureau of Rodent Control within the last year, and there were poison pellets placed in problem areas only once.
The pellets helped very little, he said.
“Yeah, they put pellets down, but those rats aren’t eating pellets, they are eating steaks and potatoes. They also get their veggies and fruit too,” Nevels said.
A response from the bureau was unavailable regarding the frequency of rodent abatement in the area.
But on the city’s Web site, the bureau states: “Crews are dispatched to investigate every reported sighting and technical assistance on rat-proofing private property. Many of the rodent problems that are reported are highly preventable. In addition to residents containing their garbage, dog owners need to clean up after their pets and make sure waste materials are disposed of in sealed containers. This waste can be a staple in the urban rat’s diet. If dog owners fail to clean their pets, they are essentially attracting and helping to sustain rats.”
Harris said anyone with a complaint about rodent issues and overflowing garbage in her ward should call her office and 311.
In photo: Garbage is strewn in the alley and around dumpsters in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue, adding to a rodent problem there.
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