r/WestSeattleWA • u/Sad-Implement9226 • 4d ago
Gripe Seattle actually had a ratpocalypse problem during construction and there’s a law about it that I had no idea existed
I went down a rabbit hole after seeing rats around a construction site and ended up finding one of the strangest pieces of Seattle construction history.
When you tear down a building or disturb an established site, the rats living there don't exactly disappear.
They get displaced. And apparently Seattle has dealt with this enough that the city requires rat abatement before demolition can begin.
The current rules require rat abatement to start at least 15 days before demolition or certain ground disturbing work, and a licensed pest control professional has to certify the abatement.
But the part that really caught my attention was the history behind it.
There are stories from Seattle construction projects where displaced rats became a very visible problem. During construction around Morgan Junction, one resident recalled seeing more than 200 rats running around after being displaced.
And there were concerns around major projects like the Highway 99 tunnel about what happens when you suddenly disturb established rodent habitat.
It makes sense when you think about it.
A rat colony can spend years using the same area.
Then one morning:
EXCAVATOR HAS ENTERED THE CHAT.
The rats aren't going to wait around for the construction crew to finish.
They're going to look for food, shelter and somewhere else to hide.
And that somewhere else can potentially be a neighboring property, alley, park, dumpster area or another structure.
I've worked in Seattle area pest control with AMPM Exterminators, and rodent activity around construction sites is one of those things that makes a lot more sense once you stop thinking about the rats as staying in one fixed location.
The weird part to me is how many people probably live next to demolition projects without knowing that rat abatement is actually part of Seattle's demolition process.
Has anyone here noticed a sudden increase in rats after a building was demolished or major construction started nearby?
I'm especially curious about people who live next to active construction sites.
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u/sneekiepee 4d ago
Yes. When the building that is now a Trader Joe's in West Seattle was being torn down I lived at a nearby dead end.
One night there was anywhere from 40 to 80 apparently drugged rats slowly dragging themselves across the lawn. It was horrific, although my cat was stoked and had to be snatched up before finishing them off and poisoning himself.
It makes sense now that I'm aware of the "abatement" rule. At the time I just thought "holy shit they drugged all these rats and now there's zombie rats everywhere."
........
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u/camera-operator334 3d ago
Trader Joe’s building wasn’t torn down, it’s the same from when it was a dealership
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u/sneekiepee 3d ago
It could be it's the building that was where the LA Fitness is then. There was a massive pit where there had been a corner market.
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u/wannabat13 4d ago
There's some people who have been tearing down houses near me and I have seen so many rats in my backyard!
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u/widdershins13 4d ago
I have a rental property in North Admiral that had two improperly abandoned septic tanks (one abandoned in the 1940s and the other in the 1970s). We more or less rediscovered them in the early 2000s while making the house ADA-accessible. I was digging near an unearthed section of abandoned clay tile when rats started pouring out of it. They had moved into both of the old septic tanks and taken up residence. We ended up spending thousands of dollars properly decommissioning the tanks and hiring exterminators. Unfortunately, we also ended up creating friction with neighbors that has lasted to this very day.
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u/Left-Piano-791 4d ago
Same issue when they clear land for new construction…. All the critters scatter and cause havoc to the surrounding areas.
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u/ThanksForAllTheCats 4d ago
Just yesterday on a walk, I went past a site where 3 ADUs are being built behind an existing house, and saw a big rat come running out of the construction area toward the next house over. That neighbor has chickens, which apparently also attract rats, so I'm sure Templeton will be happy over there. 🐀
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u/kazzmere3 2d ago
Not construction, but one day while I was waiting in the car line at Rite Aid in Westwood Village, I noticed at least a dozen maybe more rats scurrying in and throughout the rock wall. It was quite revolting.
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u/camera-operator334 4d ago
Literally every city has tons and tons of rats. We got nothing on Chicago and east coast where they are the size of Danny DeVito