Rodent Control in the Sunset District

Most of the Sunset was sand dunes until houses went in after the 1906 earthquake. Small lots of tract homes and row houses filled in the dunes, and the last of the sand was leveled in the 1950s. Henry Doelger built large parts of the district, blocks of similar houses that differ mostly in their stucco fronts and mirrored floor plans, often on 25-foot lots.

The Outer Sunset is the foggiest part of the city, thanks to Ocean Beach next door. Cool, damp, gray days are normal much of the summer.

Row Houses Side by Side

When the houses on a block touch, rodents can move from one to the next. A rat in your neighbor's garage can be in yours next week. Seal your own garage door, foundation vents and pipe holes, and if your neighbors are dealing with it too, compare notes. Garage and basement rodents covers the ground floor.

• Worn garage door seals
• Shared walls with the house next door
• Backyards with ivy, fruit trees and compost

Backyards

Sunset backyards are small and close together. A row of backyards with ivy on the fences, lemon trees and compost bins is a highway for roof rats. Pull vines off fences, pick fruit and keep the compost closed. Stern Grove's woods on Sloat Boulevard are close to homes along the south end.

Around Sunset District: Irving Street · Judah Street · Ocean Beach · Golden Gate Park · Stern Grove

Also serving Mission District, Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, Marina, SoMa, Richmond District, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Bayview, Excelsior, Glen Park, Castro.