A valley woman is dealing with a giant rat problem and she claims her emails to First Service Residential (HOA) have gone unanswered for too long.
Creepy crawlers have been playing house in Anna De Chirico's home for at least six months.
"I woke up to a complete flooding in the kitchen area," said De Chirico.
The Clark County resident claims rats have been chewing everything inside her one-bedroom home near Warm Springs Road and Fort Apache Road.
"They (pest control) pulled the dishwasher and it seemed like rodents inside the wall were coming from outside through the rooftop, inside the wall, ate all tubing causing a major flood in the kitchen and dining room," said De Chirico.
The massive rats have left her fruit halfway eaten and have invaded her bedroom.
"The spring box in the bottom was all chewed up," said De Chirico.
Throughout the months she has documented each incident. De Chirico has more than 20 photos on file. Photos she’s attached to every email she sends to the HOA company.
This is inside the stove. This is urine and again feces," said De Chirico.
Anna showed 13 Action News a copy of her lease which states that the landlord is responsible for taking care of the issue. Even though pest control has shown up numerous times the rats don’t go away.
"This is not an inside problem," said De Chirico.
In hopes to get De Chirico some answers, 13 Action News showed up to the HOA office on West Sahara only to be told by one of the community managers to call the same manager De Chirico has been reaching out to.
After calling that manager numerous times and leaving a voicemail, 13 Action News was unable to get a comment from First Service Residential.
"I am a very clean person and I associate rats with filth," said De Chirico.
Anna De Chirico hopes she doesn’t have to move out of the house she loves and believes it would be perfect if it didn’t have the constant rodent problem.
According to Pest World, these tips can help prevent mice and rodent infestations.
- Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens and openings to chimneys.
- Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the home, using caulk, steel wool or a combination of both.
- Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly.
- Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
- Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
- Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains that provide the perfect breeding site for pests.
- Inspect items such as boxes, grocery bags and other packages brought into the home.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep shrubbery trimmed and cut back from the house.
- Contact a licensed pest professional to inspect and treat the pest problem.
