The autumn cold is forcing rodents to leave their usual habitats and move en masse closer to human dwellings. This year, the regional public health department has officially announced a traditional large-scale pest control campaign.
Comprehensive pest control measures throughout the Slovak capital and the entire Bratislava Region will run from October 1 to November 30. Responsibilities are clearly divided among the city, businesses, and residents themselves, so everyone must do their part.
Who Is Responsible for Which Areas
The rodent control process covers various types of structures and areas, but the law divides responsibilities between public agencies and citizens:
City districts and municipalities are responsible for public spaces, parks, sidewalks, as well as buildings they own or manage.
Businesses and legal entities are required to arrange for the treatment of their own or leased commercial premises, warehouses, restaurants, stores, schools, medical facilities, as well as apartment buildings and mixed-use buildings. In such cases, certified professional companies must be engaged.
Ordinary residents must take care of their own or leased premises where signs of pest infestation have appeared — primarily basements and ground-floor areas of private and multi-unit residential buildings, as well as outbuildings or land plots used for keeping animals.
Rules for Residents and Property Owners
When it comes to private homes or apartments, residents may carry out pest control on their own. However, only certified retail products intended for household pest control may be used for this purpose.
At the same time, experts emphasize that simply spreading poison will not produce the desired effect if the premises are cluttered.
Why a thorough cleaning is necessary before applying poison
Before placing special bait stations, basements, garages, and storage areas must be thoroughly cleared of trash, food scraps, and unwanted clutter. Accumulated clutter and open food sources create ideal conditions for rodents to survive and reproduce rapidly.
Ignoring fall rodent control poses a risk not only of damage to property and utilities but also of a sharp increase in the risk of transmitting dangerous infectious diseases. Homeowners and property managers are advised not to put off sanitation measures until the last week and to complete all work by the end of November.
