- City officials, the Douglas County Health Department and exterminators address the ongoing rat infestation in South Omaha.
- New measures to control the rat population include increased waste management and public education.
- Residents express concerns over health risks and property damage.
- Health department emphasizes the importance of community cooperation.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A recycling facility at 39th and D has been the suspected cause of a rat infestation for months. South Omaha City Council Member Ron Hug hosted a meeting where new measures to control the rat population and community cooperation were highlighted as key strategies.
Dale Brown lives three blocks away from NebraskaLand Recycling, the facility assumed to be a root of the issue, he’s lived in the neighborhood for 50 years and says he caught a 10 inch rat in his yard.
“I killed five rats and my two or three neighbors have killed probably 20 or trapped them, you know? So we’re getting them,” said Brown.
The City, Douglas County Health Department, and exterminators working for the facility said they’re putting poisonous bait in the sewers and on the recycling centers property. Anthony Flink with Recon Pest Services said rats have been taking the bait since November.