New Urban Rat Control Program in a Post-Recessionary Environment

NEHA AEC - Las Vegas, NevadaJuly 10, 2014

Keith L. Krinn, RS, MA, DAAS, CPHAPublic Health AdministratorColumbus Public Health

The Norway Rat – Public Enemy #1

In the 1970’s & ’80’s most American cities had federally-funded rat control programs – including Columbus

When the federal funding dried up in the early1980’s as the responsibility for rodent control was transferred from the United States Public Health Service to the Department of Agriculture, the programs in many cities was discontinued – including Columbus.

The Columbus Rat Control Program: 1970 - 1982

Columbus, Ohio Planning Districts/Area Commissions

Fast forward – 2005-06 Complaints began to grow numerous about rats in the downtown area,

and the student residential areas adjacent to the OSU campus.

The City Council initially approved $275,000 a year for a control program that targeted the downtown and the University District. The Short North area was added in year two connecting the target areas.

A staff of five surveyed 3,670 properties in 2006 and

2007 and found signs of rat activity in 56 locations.

Program workers placed poisoned bait, issued citations for code violations and distributed information that encouraged residents and business owners eliminate harborage and food.

The CDC guidelines recommends taking steps to control rodents when they are found in at least 2 percent of locations. We killed plenty of rats those two years but the rate of infestation was well below 2%.

The Great Recession began in December 2007 and officially ended in June 2009

With its AAA bond rating, The City of Columbus was in pretty good shape, still…

• Columbus had already made deep cuts in city services to close a $114 million or 17 percent shortfall for its 2009 fiscal year

• Voters narrowly approved raising the city income tax by half a percentage point in order to prevent service reductions and restore previous cuts.

• The Rat Control Program was the first thing cut, especially given it never showed infestation rates over 2%.

City employees were required to take five unpaid furlough days.

Fast forward – Summer, 2013

Clintonville Area Commission

Headlines….

First Question

You’re the city leadership – How do you respond for the demands for service?

Consultations with Capt. Mike Herring at CDC and Bobby Corrigan

Columbus map showing the new target areas for 2014

Second Question

The City Council has approved $150,000 to begin a Rat Control Program for 2014. Where do you begin?

Assessment Results

• 50 Blocks randomly chosen for inspection• 885 of 1,665 parcels visited were inspected• Active rodent signs were observed at 34%

of inspected parcels or units.• Food sources were observed at 69% of

inspected units or parcels.

CPH Rat Control Process

Educating Residents, Assessing the Community for Active Rodent Signs, and

Issuing Recommendation Notices

Assessing Community Progress

Notice Issued if Rat Harborage or Food Sources Observed

Area Clean Without Active Rodent Signs

Violations Resolved, but

Rat Activity Persists

CPH Baiting to Eliminate Rats

City Code Violations Persist on Follow up

Inspection

Rats Observed, However Area

Properly Maintained

Work with Resident to Progressively Correct Issues or File in Court as Last

Resort

Require the Hiring of a Pest Control

Operator

Food Inspections

• The Food Protection Section inspects licensed restaurants and retail stores one to two times per year.

• Refer complaints concerning improper trash storage and rats to the City of Columbus 311 Call Center.

When will CPH issue a notice to an area resident?

• When rats are observed in an area and conditions on a residents property are helping them survive.– For example, a resident may receive a notice if

a large accumulation of bird seed is observed on the ground where rats are active.

– If rats are NOT found in an area, then having bird seed accumulate on the ground wouldn’t be a large concern.

Compost Maintenance

Good Compost Bad Compost

Compost Construction and Maintenance Tips• Avoid placing fats, meat, animal feces, and dairy

items in compost• Only place appropriate food scraps in the middle

of a compost pile, and surround them with leaves or grass.

• Place ¼ - ½ inch of coarse gravel and galvanized hardware cloth underneath of your bin if it is placed directly on the ground.

Scrap Wood Storage

Good Storage Bad Storage

Bird Feeder Maintenance

Bad Maintenance Good Maintenance

Bird Feeder Maintenance

• Place a large tray or container underneath of the feeder so seed doesn’t fall on the ground.

• Position feeders ten feet away from any jumping off points

• Place tilted baffles over the feeder when hanging off a tree or below if the feeder is hanging from a post

Assessment…

In the Alley…

Reaching Out to Residents

Returning to Clintonville to Bait

Third Question

With only two field staff in the Rat Control Program, how do you more than one activity at a time?

Requested doubling staffing for 2015

Questions?