Vallejo rat infestation eases after Sacramento group swoops in
Rodent infestation in Vallejo 'mostly handled'
Businesses around the Vallejo Ferry Terminal are dealing with the aftermath after dozens of rats were seen scurrying around the buildings.
VALLEJO, Calif. - Businesses around the Vallejo Ferry Terminal are dealing with the aftermath of dozens of rats seen scurrying around the buildings.
Residents said Monday that the problem has improved, partly due to a vigilante group of terrier owners from Sacramento.
The group, called the Sacramento Canines Rat Annihilation Team, or SCRAT, said it killed nearly 60 rats over the weekend.
Workers at the Panama Bay Coffee shop at the ferry building said they were scared to throw out trash at the dumpsters outside because of the large number of rats.
Reed Pratt, a barista at the shop, said the problem intensified over the last couple of weeks.
"People started noticing rats in the streets that had been run over by cars," Pratt said.
Rat infestation plagues Vallejo ferry terminal
Those who work in and frequent the area told KTVU that the infestation at the ferry building at 289 Mare Island Way has worsened in the past two weeks.
Residents in Vallejo who were fed up with the nightcrawlers scurrying around the ferry terminal shared their frustrations on social media and submitted complaints to the city.
Kent Fortner, founder of the Mare Island Brewing Co. Ferry Taproom, said the rats came near the water after a homeless encampment clean-up across the street.
"This just kind of became the highway where the rats that used to infest that area just kind of cleared out," Fortner said.
Both Fortner and Pratt said they’re finally seeing some relief.
Both Fortner and Pratt said they’re finally seeing some relief.
Infestation 'mostly handled'
What they're saying:
"The city came down actually pretty fast, I think, due in part to your coverage and a bunch of people calling in, but they came out pretty fast and laid a whole bunch of traps," Fortner said.
After the city was unable to send an exterminator on Friday, Emily Iniguez with SCRAT said her team came out to Vallejo twice over the weekend, once on Friday night and again on Sunday night.
"We're like, hey, let's go see if we can catch some rats, and we caught a lot," Iniguez said.
Iniguez said their terrier caught 27 rats on Friday night and 30 more on Sunday night.
"We had a lot of people stopping to watch, who were cheering on the dogs, who were pretty excited about it. I think people definitely recognize it's a massive problem in that specific area," she said.
At the same time, the general manager of the coffee shop said city workers were seen cleaning up the gardens, and traps and poison could be seen in the bushes.
"I think within a couple days most of it was cleared up," Pratt said.
Fortner and Pratt said they’re grateful it hasn’t negatively impacted business.
"We’re always taking good steps to clean here at our store, but we’ve also just been taking extra precautions to make sure things are as clean and as sanitary as possible to reduce any risk, and so far we have not had any incidents in the store," Pratt said.
Fortner is hoping to put it past him and remind people of what Vallejo has to offer.
"It’s tough, you feel like you get kicked a lot when you’re in this town," he said.
The city said its public works department is "aggressively addressing" the increased rodents with more traps, expanded street sweeping through the end of July, and routine inspections and clean-up.
Assistant City Manager Nalungo Conley said in a statement, "We’re committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners and the public to resolve this issue swiftly and effectively."