Baltimore's Interagency Sweep Team

Baltimore City has established a comprehensive rodent control initiative known as the Interagency Sweep Team. The Interagency Sweep Team consists of (1) Rodent Control, which is centralized in the Health Department, (2) Housing Inspection and Property Maintenance, which are a part of Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and (3) Sanitation Police and Solid Waste, which are within the Department of Public Works (DPW).

The underlying cause of the City's rodent problem is the availability of food and shelter. Properties need to be free of trash and debris, high grass and weeds, unused materials, such as lumber and boxes, and abandoned vehicles. Treating and baiting a property that is unclean is ineffective.

The Interagency Sweep Team is effective in that HCD and/or DPW will clean certain problem properties or alleys prior to a visit from Vector Control. Once a property is cleaned, Vector Control is immediately notified and a Pest Control Worker investigates within three to five days. The Interagency Sweep Team has been successful in its fight against rodents because it not only addresses the immidate problem, rats, but also the factors that cause the infestation.

4 Steps to Requesting an Interagency Sweep

• Organize an educational meeting for the community
• Set-up a trash policy and community maintenance plan
• Make a list of concerning properties
• Contact Vector Control's public educator, Jason Morgan to request a sweep

Contact Information:

Baltimore City Health Department
Bureau of Vector Control
3501 Brehms Lane
Baltimore, MD 21213
Phone: (443) 984-3175
Email: RATRUBOUT@baltimorecity.gov

Rat Facts

The most common rodent in Baltimore City is the Norway Rat, also known as the Brown Rat. Below is a list of facts on the Norway Rat.

• They will eat nearly any type of food, including pet food and fresh food scraps.
• They can gain entrance to a building through any opening larger than 1/2 inch across.
• They will jump up to three feet and climb to find food or shelter.

Reference: http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcnorwayrat.htm

Stay Safe

• If you see a rat, do not attempt to catch it by hand. Rats can be aggressive and will bite.
• If you are bitten or scratched by a rat, wash the wound with soap and water and see a doctor immediately. Rats may carry diseases and at the least, rat bites can cause infection. Also, report the bite incident to the Health Department by calling the City's 311 complaint line.
• Always wear gloves when handling rat traps to protect from diseases.
• Dispose of dead rats by placing them in plastic bags, sealing and putting them in the trash. Do not touch the rodent with bare hands and wash hands thoroughly after handling traps.

The Role of the Bureau of Vector Control Program

• Maintain strong relationships with community groups
• Be available to the residents to assist in implementing educational workshops for prevention of rodent infestations in their neighborhoods.
• Provide information to citizens about the impact of sanitation practices and diseases associated with rats.

• Provide referral services for community groups to other City agencies responsible for trash removal, vacant lots and bulk trash cleaning.
• Provide exterior rodent control services proactively and reactively.

Investigation. Our Pest Control Workers perform about 19,000 exterior property inspections per year to locate borrows and rat nests. The Bureau locates and baits about 29,000 rodent burrows and nests per year. About 30% of the properties we inspect have rodent infestations. Exterior inspections can range in time from as little as 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the size and uniqueness of the property.

Baiting. We only use redenticides when rodent activity is identified on a specific property. We never bait on the surface or in an open field. Baiting is done to minimize risk to chidlren and pets. The property owner must obtain the services of a commerical pest control vendor for interior inspection/baiting or long-term exterior baiting.

Right of Entry. If you request services for rat abatement from Vector Control you will be required to sign a property liability release. You may print one out by going to www.baltimorehealth.org/info/rightofentry.pdf. Please sign it, date it and include your 311 Call Center SR#. Last, please return the signed form to the Vector Control office. The address is on the form.