Mission Local published a provocative article today suggesting that the 24th street corridor from Valencia to Potrero has a severe rat infestation on its hands, as three of its restaurants have been forced by the City to temporarily close due to vermin. Super China Fun, purveyor of the questionable strategy of pricing food by the scoop, was one of the victims and will soon be replaced by a new Thai place, Chilli Cha Cha. This has prompted some to ask the question of whether restaurants should be required to reveal that they have been shut down in the past for health violations.
It’s a tricky issue: diners should have some sense of security that the food they are eating hasn’t been contaminated, but owners probably also shouldn’t be forced to wear a scarlet letter for the rest of their business lives if they’ve resolved the problem. Rats are definitely an issue in the Mission, as they’ve contributed to the prolonged closure of one of our favorite margarita pitcher-slinging spots, La Rondalla (20th and Valencia), where it used to feel like it was Feliz Navidad everyday. Similarly, local blogger Generic left his apartment in the Tokyo Go Go building because he was tired of an unending rodent infestation, and that was way over on 16th.
What about the rest of us? Tell us, residents of the Mission: Are you menaced by rats? Are they IN UR HAUS, eatin ur granola? Do you think anything should be done about it (can anything be done?), or is this just life in the Mission?
UPDATE!!!! Clever insight by commenter Elina:
The stupid landlords need to start allowing tenants to have pets. No rats or cock roaches in apartment with cats and dogs.
Is it just that easy???
[Photo]
I used to live on 16th and Albion. There was a courtyard in the back of the apartment which was in close proximity to and shared walls with several of the restaurants by 16th and Valencia. There were cat-sized rats scurrying through the yard and running along the surrounding buildings and fences ON THE DAILY.
I used to live in a warehouse on 23rd and Hampshire, and rats were eating our food everyday.
Last year I moved one block away to 22nd and have yet to see a rat around (much less in) our place.
Rats take advantage of questionable food storage (as exemplified by my former roommates). Store your food correctly and the rats will find elsewhere to congregate.
Rat locations are in close proximity to food locations. Restaurants and markets=rats. There is a ton of rats on 16th, 18th, 22nd, and 24th…where the food is. Didn’t you see the article about Gratitude restaurant being full of rats? Welcome to the Mission! The stupid landlords need to start allowing tenants to have pets. No rats or cock roaches in apartment with cats and dogs. Happy dining.
I have but one cat, and noticed a dramatic drop in cockroaches as soon as he reached about 1 year old. Good kitty!
Rats will feed off of pet food, had an issue w/ a tenant who would not stop leaving out food for her cat and dog, rats moved in and multiplied. If you’re fat and lazy, and your animals are fat and lazy, the rats will win. but that’s just me being weightist.
Yep. Coincidence! Tomorrow is SFSPCA day! Silly landlords, cats are for kids!
we live near 14th/valencia and watch the rats run by every time we are coming or going from our building. they are typically running down the street or out from under cars. we call it the great rat highway. luckily they stay out of our building. we do have a dog and she is definitely a hunter. she killed one once by pouncing on it when it tried to come in our front door.
I moved from 16th to 22nd to get away from the rats.
Joke’s on me.
my house has mice.
but mice are cuter.
we moved to a house in oakland ten years ago that was infested with mice, rats and cockroaches. Three cats inside and tito the rat terrier inside/outside completely solved the problem.
If the bubonic plague ever comes back to wipe out entire populations, it will have been born on 24th & Lilac Street.
Cafe Plague…I mean Cafe Prague…had them.
Read more on my blog…
http://www.bayareabutchers.com/2010/06/fear-and-loathing-in-mission.html
I live across from the SF General parking lot on Utah and 24th. Our yard is infested with rats and so are the ivy patches that surround the parking lot across the street
I have lived at 21st and Bryant for 15 years, first ten NO RATS! However, the last few months my cat has caught a huge rat and brought it to me DEAD, plus a baby rat and small mouse. No rodent will survive with my huge cat around. However a racoon does try to come in the house and eat her cat food.
i moved in with my boyfriend last November, and he had mice.
i brought the cat with me, and we haven’t had a mouse since, (or spiders for that matter)
Just got grossed out today while shopping for my produce at the market on Mission between 20th & 19th.
Previously I saw big bites taken out of watermelons but decided to ignore it and wash my fruits and veggies twice. I tried to trick myself…how could a mouse/rat get its mouth around a giant watermelon? This also made a funny picture in my head with a tiny mouse carrying a giant watermelon, like an ant carrying a picnic basket. So then I got distracted and forgot about it.
But today I saw rat traps and mouse traps laid out in plain sight. With guava paste as the bait…really?
Gross. Time to shop somewhere else.
A cat and a dog have made EVERY apartment I’ve lived in rat, mouse, and roach-free. I’m less than a block off 24th with an inside cat and dog and an outside neighbor-cat. I’ve never seen one rodent and only a dead roach (thanks, kitty) every 2 months or so. The pet food is in airtight containers, so no attraction for rodents.
cat foods should be high protein and should be soft to with lots of dieatary fiber.”‘