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Rats Run Rampant In West Nashville Neighborhood
A west Nashville family is living a real life nightmare with as many as 100 rats living under their home.
Todd and Jo Borman say the rodents come out at night and they can hear them in their ceiling, air vents and under their house.
They've estimated their Charlotte Park home is infested with anywhere from 40 to 100 rats.
"You can hear them scratching under the house," Jo said. "We hear them in the air ducts."
Their nightmare began on News Year's Eve when the couple's dishwasher flooded because rats had eaten through the waterlines.
Since then, the Bormans have pulled up their floors and have hired Wayne Barnes of Critter Control.
Barnes says the rats have also chewed through HVAC lines under Borman's home and he's serviced other homes nearby with similar problems.
Ironically, Metro's health department has only received three calls from the area in the past six months.
Inspector John Primm says it's likely because residents have chosen not to call or there is no rat problem elsewhere.
"Really people haven't called in because they are ashamed that they have a rat problem, but really, we are here to help you," he told Nashville's News 2.
The Bormans have dogs, as do many of their neighbors, and Primm says dog food and dog waste provide a food source for rats.
He urges anyone with a rat problem to call the health department at 615-340-5616 and officers will get rid of the rats for free.
According to Metro Health officials, rats bite over 45,000 people every year and can cause disease like bubonic plague.
Homeowners are advised to keep a clean yard and put away dog food in metal containers to help deter the rodents.
Credits: By Andy Cordan - WKRN.com
