Rodent Control in Dignowity Hill and the East Side
Dignowity Hill sits on the rise just east of downtown, across I-37, and it's one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in San Antonio. It's named for Anthony Dignowity, a Czech-born doctor who settled there in the 1800s, and the streets still have Victorian, Craftsman and folk Victorian houses. Dignowity Park sits in the middle, and the old Hays Street Bridge carries people over the rail lines to the west.
Over the last decade a lot of these houses have been renovated, while others sit vacant next to empty lots. Rodents follow that mix closely.
Renovations and vacant lots
When a house sits empty for years, rats and mice move in. When work starts, they move out to the houses next door. Neighbors of a gut renovation often call a few weeks after the dumpster shows up. Overgrown vacant lots with junk piles are another source, and those can be reported to the city. The city reporting guide explains how 311 and code enforcement work.
If you're the one renovating, it's the cheapest time to seal the house. Pipe holes, crawl space vents and attic openings are all easy to reach while walls and floors are open.
Pier-and-beam houses
Most of the older homes here are on piers. Missing skirting, broken vents and gaps where new plumbing came through the floor let Norway rats and mice live under the house. Rebuilding the skirting with hardware cloth set into the ground stops most of it. See crawl space rodent control.
Noise in the attic tonight? Talk to someone who handles San Antonio rodents.
Call (210) 955-2948
Gardens and chickens
Plenty of East Side households keep vegetable gardens, fruit trees and backyard chickens. All of that is food for rats. Keep chicken feed in a metal can with a lid, collect eggs daily and pick up spilled feed before dark. Raise compost bins off the ground or use closed tumblers, and harvest fruit as it ripens instead of letting it drop.
Landmarks and streets: Dignowity Park · Hays Street Bridge · N. Pine St. · E. Commerce St. · I-37 · Burnet St. (ZIP 78202, 78208)
Questions from this part of town
The empty house next door has rats. Who do I call?
Report the property to 311. Code enforcement can cite owners for conditions like trash, junk and overgrowth. Seal your own house in the meantime.
Should I seal before or after my renovation?
During it. Seal pipe holes and vents while walls and floors are open, then do the roofline once the roof work is done.
Do older East Side homes need an inspection?
If you're buying one, yes. A rodent inspection tells you about the crawl space and attic before you close.
Other parts of town: Alamo Heights, Olmos Park and Terrell Hills, Stone Oak, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Castle Hills and Shavano Park, Medical Center, Windcrest, Live Oak and Universal City, Leon Springs and Fair Oaks Ranch, Beacon Hill and Five Points, South Side and the Missions, Monte Vista, King William and Southtown, Tobin Hill and the Pearl, Woodlawn Lake and Jefferson, Helotes, Alamo Ranch, Schertz and Cibolo, Boerne, New Braunfels.