'I'm Ready To Move': Rat Problem Gets Out Of Hand In Ridley Township Neighborhood, Terrifying Homeowners
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- Some new neighbors in a Delaware County community have homeowners terrified. Rats have moved into part of Ridley Township and residents want township officials to remove them.
Neighbors say the rat problem has gotten out of hand as they have already done a lot of damage.
The rodents have been seen all over Buse Street, near MacDade Boulevard, in Ridley Township.
"I have no idea," Chris Bannon said when asked what he thought was attracting rats to the neighborhood. "A couple years ago there was construction by the Acme. It just started since then."
Bannon moved to Buse Street just a few weeks ago.
"I'm ready to move," he half-jokingly said.
Bannon's next-door neighbor found two rats in her trash can as they ate right through it.
"So I screamed, she screamed, my wife screamed, 'What's going on?' But the other one was in a trash can so we have helped her get that one out. She captured them in a snap trap," Bannon said.
The rats have been seen scurrying in backyards and darting under cars looking for anything to sink their teeth into.
"Mice and rats' teeth never stop growing. They like to choose simply to whittle their teeth out almost like we would clip fingernails," Davis Earwood, of Modern Exterminating, said.
Earwood points out homeowners can also protect themselves against their new neighbors by making sure the rodents feel unwelcome.
"If you simply have a lot of garbage sitting out, you wanna make sure you have a good trash can lid on top of your trash can," Earwood said.
Ridley Township officials say Code Enforcement put out rat traps a week ago, but the rat problem is so big an exterminator has now been called to get rid of the rodents.
Neighbors are urged to fill out a form to allow the exterminator to work on their properties.
