Oak Lawn Residents Want Relief From Rats

OAK LAWN, IL —Residents have been lamenting the sudden rat population explosion around the village, including the dead rat we saw parking the car on the street. We will say one thing: once dead, rats quickly decompose.

Village of Oak Lawn officials want residents to know that they are baiting the alleys and other areas of the public way where the vermin have been spotted. Now that restaurants have fully reopened in the waning days of the pandemic, the rat pickings are good again in Oak Lawn dumpsters.

The type of rats most commonly found in urban and suburban areas are the light brown Norway rats. Rats are prolific and reproduce up to six times a year, with four to six rat pups in a litter. The vermin also poop up to 50 pellets per day. Norway rats originate from Asia that arrived in England on Norwegian ships, so technically, the Norway rats are not Norwegian.

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Unfortunately, there isn’t enough money in the village’s budget to buy bait boxes for residents’ private property. Rose Pest Solutions is the recommended vendor for Oak Lawn and is offering discounts for Oak Lawn residents. Rates vary depending on the severity of the infestation. The company gives free estimates and only uses tamper-resistant bait boxes. Residents can call John Bombard, who’ll come out and bombard your pests, directly at 708-295-7620. Residents who live outside Oak Lawn can call the company at 800-GOT-PESTS (800-468-3787).

However, the village wants you to know that we’re all in this rat war together, and asks that residents do their part to eliminate rat food sources.

The best way to not have rats is to take preventative measures to keep them away:.

• Eliminate bird feeders and never feed wildlife. Healthy wildlife will find their own food. In some communities, feeding wildlife is illegal.
• Clean up your dog's waste. Dog poop is like peanut butter to rats.
• Keep pet stored in covered containers.
• Elevated firewood stored in your backyard by putting it on a pallet .
• Pick up and discard fallen fruits from trees and excess vegetables from the garden.
• Clear away any debris in the yard and cut overgrowth, where rats and mice like to hid and burrow.
• Garbage containers must be in good condition and kept closed.
• If storing pet food in the garden shed, consider putting it in a metal container.