Rodent Control in Slavic Village, Cleveland

Why rats are common in Slavic Village

The neighborhood's houses were built close together for mill workers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many on narrow lots near Broadway Avenue, Fleet Avenue and East 55th Street. The foreclosure crisis hit this part of Cleveland hard, and the years since have brought many demolitions and vacant lots.

Vacant land matters for rats. An empty lot with tall weeds, dumped tires or construction debris gives Norway rats cover to burrow, and every demolition scatters whatever was living in the old house. Neighbors next to those lots see rats under porches, in garages and along foundations.

Green space adds to the mix. Morgana Run Trail, the Mill Creek valley and the rail lines that cut through the area are corridors where rats and mice move between blocks.

Getting a lasting fix

A good plan here covers your own property first: treat and collapse burrows, trap inside, and seal the foundation, sill and garage. Then deal with the source. If an empty lot or vacant house next door is feeding the rats, report it. Cleveland's health code declares a rodent-infested premises a nuisance, and residents can file complaints through 311 or the Department of Public Health. Vacant properties are also listed as a 311 category.

Older homes here often have stone or block foundations with crumbling mortar, so expect the sealing list to be longer than in a newer suburb.

Services people call about in Slavic Village

• Rat Control
• Rat Burrow Treatment
• Rodent Exclusion
• Basement and Garage Rodents
• Commercial Rodent Control

Slavic Village rodent questions