JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville mother says her rental home has been overrun by rats, with rodents crawling through walls and even into bedrooms.
Tiffany Lester, who pays $1,600 a month for her Greenleaf Road home, says pictures show the full extent of the infestation — dead rats piled next to her granddaughter’s toys and even three rodents crammed on a single glue trap.
Lester said she has tried her own fixes after pest control repeated, failed to fully stop the rodents.
“I was in the bathroom and I heard ZOOM! From my room into the bathroom, and I’m like OH!” Lester said.
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She described the relentless activity: rats leaving droppings, chewing on food, and creating a constant source of stress for her family.
“They sent pest control out, and the guy came out. He said the laundry room was the source,” Lester said.
In June, Second Avenue took over as the property’s management company. Frankie Morrow, senior vice president of operations for Second Avenue, said the company has worked to address the problem.
“We were out there, and we did the trapping by August 11. The additional work… holes in the homes that allowed the mice to come in. That work was completed August 26,” Morrow said.
But Lester said management hasn’t done enough.
“They’re just doing the bare minimum, like putting a bandaid on it,” she said.
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Pest control has laid glue traps and sealed holes, but more continue to appear. At one point, Lester even tried covering a two- to three-inch rat hole with gorilla tape.
“Pest control said they don’t break drywall to remove dead rodents. So, we had to deal with the smell until he fully disintegrated,” Lester said.
She said the situation is physically and emotionally draining.
“It’s inhumane for us to have to live like this. I literally got back from dialysis right before you got here. I’m winded. I’m tired. It’s a lot to deal with,” she said.
While no rats were visible during a recent visit, evidence of infestation was clear in closets and bedrooms.
“I just feel overrun and taken over and violated,” Lester said.
Morrow said Second Avenue has been responsive to Lester’s concerns, noting that efforts have been ongoing to trap rodents and seal points of entry.
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