Is it the restaurant behind me causing my rat problem?

It can contribute. Rats travel from food sources along fences and drainage. Sealing your house and trapping along your side of the fence helps regardless of the source.

Who do I call about an overflowing dumpster?

Trash accumulation on private property is a Killeen Code Enforcement matter. See our reporting guide.

Do apartment complexes on the Loop have their own pest control?

Most complexes contract a provider. Report activity to management in writing and ask when the next service visit is scheduled.

A rat with a long, thin tail and large ears crossing damp reddish ground.

Rodent Control near Stan Schlueter Loop and WS Young Drive

Busy commercial corridors, apartment complexes and Lions Club Park, with homes that back up to strip centers.

Rodent help in Stan Schlueter Loop and WS Young (254) 276-0111

Stan Schlueter Loop runs across south Killeen, and WS Young Drive runs north and south through the middle of the city past the Killeen Mall, which opened in 1981. Together they carry a large share of the city's shopping, restaurants and apartment complexes. Lions Club Park, at 1600 East Stan Schlueter Loop, is the largest park on the corridor at about 68 acres, with a pool, sports fields and a 1.4-mile hike and bike trail.

Where the rodents come from

Strip centers and restaurant rows produce a lot of food waste. Rats living around dumpster enclosures and grease bins move into the yards and apartments that back up to them, usually along fence lines and drainage. Apartment complexes on these corridors have their own trash areas, laundry rooms and landscaping beds that need attention.

Many of the homes behind the corridors are slab houses with attached garages. Their weak spots are the garage door, brick weep holes and the gaps where AC lines and cables enter the wall.

Homes near Lions Club Park

Lions Club Park has 14 athletic fields, a pool and a 1.3-mile walking path, and big weekend crowds leave food waste behind. Trash cans and concession areas at any busy park draw rats. Homes that back up to the park or its parking lots should keep a mowed strip along the fence, watch for burrows and keep their own trash carts closed. Report overflowing trash on private lots to Code Enforcement.

Getting it handled

If your yard backs up to a commercial lot, mention it when you call. A technician should check the fence line for burrows and runways and look at your garage and roofline. Businesses on the Loop and WS Young can find more on commercial rodent control. Renters in the complexes should report rodents to the office in writing; see rental and apartment rodent control.

Stan Schlueter Loop and WS Young rodent questions

Is it the restaurant behind me causing my rat problem?: It can contribute. Rats travel from food sources along fences and drainage. Sealing your house and trapping along your side of the fence helps regardless of the source.
Who do I call about an overflowing dumpster?: Trash accumulation on private property is a Killeen Code Enforcement matter. See our reporting guide.
Do apartment complexes on the Loop have their own pest control?: Most complexes contract a provider. Report activity to management in writing and ask when the next service visit is scheduled.