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Rats in area - does the City Council have an obligation to provide pest control?

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  • 20-07-2020 7:31pm
    #1
    Pen Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭


    TL;DR - two rats in vicinity; not in anyone's property (yet); does Council have obligation to take care of it?

    A bit of an odd one.

    We've noticed two rats in and around our area. They scurry in and out from undergrowth near us which has grown in an unused path. They have been there for a number of weeks.

    It is not on anyone's private property, and therefore none of us would have the obligation to deal with it. Moreover, I doubt our letting agency will deal with it since they are not in the property (yet...!)

    My concern is the winter, when they might try make a move inside. Notwithstanding ourselves, we have number of elderly neighbours who I would be concerned about if the rats made their home there.

    Does the city council provide pest control for "public" areas? Do they have an obligation to? A Google throws up no answers, so just putting it out there.


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    #2
    Fabio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,259 ✭✭✭Fabio


    I don't believe they do. However, it's worth a call to them anyway to let them know.


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    #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    If you can see two there's at least 5/10 of them .......... might even be multiples of that if there's food source about.


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    #4
    Cork Trucker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,553 ✭✭✭Cork Trucker


    HSE are responsible for them in public areas, on council property the answer is no, even if inside it, there’s been instances on the Northside a bit and only after a long hard battle did the council call in pest control. My car is in a shed on the property and I had 2 rats on top of the engine last week, I was told it’s in the tenancy agreement that it’s the tenants problem.


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    #5
    Pen Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭Pen Rua


    I contacted Cork City Council (general queries) and they have made a note that they will escalate it to the Parks Department.

    We'll see how it goes.

    The rats are coming out of undergrowth so it's not like they're in someone's garden in in someone's property for the owner to take care of...


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    #6
    Cork Trucker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,553 ✭✭✭Cork Trucker


    Do you think there’s a nest in the undergrowth? If there I’d then great, if not it’s only moving the problem somewhere nearby.


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    #7
    Pen Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭Pen Rua


    Cork Trucker wrote: »
    Do you think there’s a nest in the undergrowth? If there I’d then great, if not it’s only moving the problem somewhere nearby.

    It's hard to tell, and I'm cautious to get too close to it the undergrowth...! The second rat only showed up over the weekend; up to now we've only seen one.

    There are bins further up the laneway, but not where the rats have been. The undergrowth has some illegal dumping but nothing extraordinary.


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    #8
    Cork Trucker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,553 ✭✭✭Cork Trucker


    Pen Rua wrote: »
    It's hard to tell, and I'm cautious to get too close to it the undergrowth...! The second rat only showed up over the weekend; up to now we've only seen one.

    There are bins further up the laneway, but not where the rats have been. The undergrowth has some illegal dumping but nothing extraordinary.

    What you’d be afraid of is with 2 of them there is how quickly they reproduce. A small problem becomes a major one in a short space of time


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    #9
    Pen Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭Pen Rua


    Cork Trucker wrote: »
    What you’d be afraid of is with 2 of them there is how quickly they reproduce. A small problem becomes a major one in a short space of time

    My thoughts exactly.

    I don't really have the cash to hire Rentoki and it is "public" property. I don't think a DIY job would be sensible (as it could just put a bandaid on the problem only for it to resurface).

    I'll give the City Council a couple of days to assess/get back to me before I raise more emails - might be worth trying a Cllr?


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    #10
    Cork Trucker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,553 ✭✭✭Cork Trucker


    Pen Rua wrote: »
    My thoughts exactly.

    I don't really have the cash to hire Rentoki and it is "public" property. I don't think a DIY job would be sensible (as it could just put a bandaid on the problem only for it to resurface).

    I'll give the City Council a couple of days to assess/get back to me before I raise more emails - might be worth trying a Cllr?

    Rentokil cost me €200 a few years ago, I can’t remember how many bait boxes I got but they ate the poison and died in the cavities of the house, the smell was there for weeks after.

    I wouldn’t hold your breath with the city council, they are useless in every sense of the word.


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    #11
    MissShihTzu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭MissShihTzu


    I'd be e-mailing and tweeting your councellor, closely followed by the TD...


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    #12
    Fabio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,259 ✭✭✭Fabio


    When it comes to rats, I think I would actually burn the whole area to the ground. Maybe 5 square kilometres, just to be sure.

    I'm joking obviously but I hate the f******s. Best of luck with having it sorted out OP.


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    #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Pen Rua wrote: »
    It's hard to tell, and I'm cautious to get too close to it the undergrowth...! The second rat only showed up over the weekend; up to now we've only seen one. ..........

    How do you know you are seeing the same two all the time? Are you an expert in IDing rats?


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    #14
    Pen Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭Pen Rua


    Augeo wrote: »
    How do you know you are seeing the same two all the time? Are you an expert in IDing rats?

    One is missing an eye for he's fairly distinctive. Granted, the second is only new and has no distinctive features.
    MissShihTzu wrote: »
    I'd be e-mailing and tweeting your councellor, closely followed by the TD...

    Is there any particular Cllr I should go to in the area? Am not from Cork, so am not familiar with the political landscape here.


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    #15
    TheChizler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,455 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    Rats are found everywhere and I would have thought they were just a fact of life, unless they're actually in a council owned building they'd have no interest? Just don't give them a reason to come into your property.


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    #16
    MissShihTzu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭MissShihTzu


    [/QUOTE]
    Is there any particular Cllr I should go to in the area? Am not from Cork, so am not familiar with the political landscape here.[/QUOTE]


    You should be able to find out https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/councillors-and-democracy/meet-your-councillors/http:// for the councillors.


    https://www.whoismytd.com/ To find out who your TD is.


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    #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 11,614 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    If you've seen the movie Skyfall, there's a solution for dealing with rats.


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    #18
    mikeym
    Registered Users Posts: 3,985 ✭✭✭mikeym


    https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Rats-as-big-as-cats-Illegally-dumped-rubbish-leads-to-rodent-infestation-at-Cork-apartment-complex-83914fc3-d1ef-4f0a-949f-9b292d91a0d1-ds


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    #19
    corks finest
    Registered Users Posts: 8,691 ✭✭✭corks finest


    mikeym wrote: »
    https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Rats-as-big-as-cats-Illegally-dumped-rubbish-leads-to-rodent-infestation-at-Cork-apartment-complex-83914fc3-d1ef-4f0a-949f-9b292d91a0d1-ds

    Disgusting behaviour , going on in Norrie land for years, imagine the poor ordinarily majority of residents having to put up with that ****e year in/ out,all locals dumping despite what some claim that it's outsiders ,this ould plamas keeps being belted out, until the council cop on ,gardai get serious ,and residents take action this crap will continue to go on as has been the case for years, happening everywhere at times but constant north of the river


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    #20
    Dan Dare
    Registered Users Posts: 429 ✭✭Dan Dare


    Same problem in Orchard Court in Blackpool, the vast majority of residents have wheelie bins, a very small number do not, the council did a survey some months back, asking for proof of refuse collection, and nothing has happened to those who did not provide proof. So every morning going out to work you have to step over nappies and horrible rubbish. Orchard Court is a mixture of private and council houses, and the problem tenants are not in council houses. The people doing the dumping are Irish and not foreign nationals. At times I am ashamed to be Irish.:mad:


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    #21
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 17,038 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    Dan Dare wrote: »
    Same problem in Orchard Court in Blackpool, the vast majority of residents have wheelie bins, a very small number do not, the council did a survey some months back, asking for proof of refuse collection, and nothing has happened to those who did not provide proof. :

    I don't think anything can happen to the people who don't provide proof.
    No court will prosecute someone for failing to prove that they did not commit an offence, unless there is evidence that they did, in fact, commit an offence.

    We have zero evidence that you did something wrong but we are going to prosecute you unless you can prove that you didn't do something wrong.
    Courts just don't work like that - we have an assumption of innocence until guilt is proven.

    I'm not condoning illegal dumping, just pointing out that the above idea makes no sense.


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    #22
    Ludo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,015 ✭✭✭Ludo


    https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/news-room/latest-news/waste-segregation-presentation-bye-laws.pdf

    Bye-laws are in place to support this and fines exist. They can enforce is quite easily if they want to. Not sure if anyone has been prosecuted yet to test the full legality of it, but it makes sense to be honest and should be enforced.


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    #23
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 17,038 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    Ludo wrote: »
    . Not sure if anyone has been prosecuted yet to test the full legality of it,

    This is the crux of what you said.
    Right or wrong, I can't see it holding up in court.


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    #24
    Ludo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,015 ✭✭✭Ludo


    I dunno...I don't see the issue with it myself and it seems similar enough to TV license and they do prosecute for not having that.


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    #25
    Pen Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭Pen Rua


    Pen Rua wrote: »
    One is missing an eye for he's fairly distinctive. Granted, the second is only new and has no distinctive features.



    Is there any particular Cllr I should go to in the area? Am not from Cork, so am not familiar with the political landscape here.

    FWIW, I have not heard anything further from the Council nor the Councillor I emailed.


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    #26
    Dan Dare
    Registered Users Posts: 429 ✭✭Dan Dare


    Ludo wrote: »
    https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/news-room/latest-news/waste-segregation-presentation-bye-laws.pdf

    Bye-laws are in place to support this and fines exist. They can enforce is quite easily if they want to. Not sure if anyone has been prosecuted yet to test the full legality of it, but it makes sense to be honest and should be enforced.


    Why bother to call door to door to sixty plus households asking for proof of refuse collection if no action is going to be taken? Each weekday morning a council truck visits Orchard Court and collects sofas, old TV's and whatever rubbish is dumped there the night before. Then a couple of hours later a solitary council employee arrives to pick up the nappies, crisp packets, and God knows what else. Five days a week. CCTV is probably the answer. Orchard Court could be a lovely place to live, with the River Bride running along side, herons, wagtails and lots of other birds. Instead it is a kip,what a waste of money.


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