Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Wednesday, October 22, 1997

Shortage of inspectors
hampers isle pest control

Our neighbor on Poelua Street in Manoa feeds birds daily in his driveway, attracting huge rats in numbers. These rats have become very accustomed to the feeding and will stand their ground in front of my kids as close as three feet away. We have called the Department of Health a number of times for six months, but nothing is done. The last time, an inspector asked if he could lay traps around the perimeter of the home and this was OK'd by neighbors, but he never returned. We also called the fire inspector and building department for help because of surrounding junk, but to no avail. We have exhausted every avenue and don't want to live with this health hazard. Can you help?

Rats have been in the local news a lot lately, ever since one ran up the mayor's pant leg in Waikiki. But think about a recent report that two women were living in a home in Tampa, Fla., that was infested with more than 1,000 rats!

That's no consolation to you, but here's what inspectors found in your neighborhood.

The last report on file with the state Health Department about your neighbor was dated May 20.

At that time, an inspector closed the case because he did not see signs of rats and that "the party was doing control as requested," said Norman Sato, a supervisor for the department's Vector Control.

Your neighbor actually was issued a notice -- the first step in the enforcement process -- to get rid of the rats in June 1996.

Sato surmised that your neighbor initially complied with the directive. But rats can easily return, especially becoming "trap shy." Sato said to call his office again, at 831-6767.

Here are some facts about rats: They are sexually mature at three to four months old. Just one male and one female mating could produce an average litter of 6 to 12 babies. If there are just six couplings in that litter three months later, possibly six more litters of up to 12 babies each could result! The gestation period for rats is only 21 days so, starting with just two rats, four months later there could conceivably be 98 rats!

The other problem is that there is no law that prevents your neighbor from feeding birds.

"We try to explain that feeding the birds is not helping them, because they become dependent on the feeding," Sato said.

"That's the approach we're using, although we have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get legislation" to make feeding birds like this a punishable offense.

On top of all this, people often ask, "Why doesn't the state go back and follow up?" Sato said. "Here's the answer. Up until February or March, I had only four inspectors. I now have five, but we have to service 5,000 complaints a year, which includes many follow-ups in cases where we feel there is a serious problem."

Many of these cases get to the level of a hearing and fine, but may take months to nail down, he said. His staff handles two to three such cases a month.

Also, Vector Control does not only deal with "vectors" -- animals/insects that transmit disease -- but "a lot of nuisance complaints," Sato said, such as bird droppings and odor from trash.

That said, Sato said to call if there is a problem because "that's how we know there is a problem."

Vector Control periodically also does random trappings "to get an index of the rat population." It also will test for diseases. So far, it has found "nothing unusual," Sato said.

Is anyone on Oahu organizing trick or treating on Halloween for UNICEF?

Yes. Call Maren Wong, coordinator for the Hawaii Committee for UNICEF at 732-3191.

You can indicate what area you want to solicit and how many cartons you may need, she said.

Last year, about 40 groups of volunteers collected more than $18,000 statewide for the United Nations Children's Fund, Wong said.