Rat Holes In Edgewater Give Residents Sinking Feeling
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A story you will only see on CBS 2.
Longtime residents of the Chicago's Edgewater community said they've never seen anything like it: Dozens of rat holes in one backyard.
CBS 2's Jim Williams has the story.
The city of Chicago told CBS 2 crews have been here three times this month alone. A colony of rats they call them in Edgewater. One startled Kenneth Dennis' mother.
"A big rat jumped at her and she jumped and fell and the rat went this way," Dennis said.
Toward at least 30 rat holes we counted in the backyard of a building in their 5700 block of North Kenmore.
"There's just too many holes here with too many rats," said Leo Romano, a contractor in the area who said he's alarmed.
"There's children playing on this property. There's children that walk up and down the street and the alleys behind here," Romano said.
He and residents said a city crew was just here this week and stuffed the holes with poison. And though a dead rat was present, that effort, and others like it, have been futile.
"My mom called the city. The city comes out and they bait. And as soon as they bait, the rats are back out," Dennis said. "It's like candy to them."
City records show there have been 145 reports of rats in Edgewater since the beginning of this year. Six reports in this block alone. And yet....
"They just keep digging deeper and deeper and more colonies grow," Romano said.
CBS 2 has confirmed that it's a CHA building. In a statement, CHA spokesperson Molly Sullivan said it "has monthly pest control services at this property and will increase the services to assist in mitigating any continuing rodent issues."
Meantime, the Department of Streets and Sanitation said crews will return next week, going door-to-door on the block. Hoping to keep rats away for food sources.