Child Detention Center in Ireland Crawling With Rats as Major Infestation Strikes

Rat infestation has severely affected a youth detention center near Lusk in Co Dublin, Ireland, it was reported on Wednesday, June 29. This is due to increased rodent activity, as well as major pest control issues involving insects, mice, and diseased rabbits inside the campus since two years ago.

Local authorities previously conducted an audit at the facility and found that it has failed health protocols and sanitary regulations, leading to the shutting down of its kitchens. This inspection comes as the rat activity was reported at the center in February 2020, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While it is not clear how the rodent infestation started, initial investigation suggest the rats are believed to have infiltrated the main kitchen area through an internal drain. For the meantime, further sanitation and mice eradication efforts are possible in the coming months.

There were no immediate reports of human deaths at the detention facility. It is also known as a holding site of Russian-Irish Anastasia "Ana" Kriegel's murderers named "Boy A" and "Boy B." The incident occurred back in Lucan near Dublin in 2018.

Detention Facility Inspection

(Photo : CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images)

Following its audit, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) suspended the certification of the detention center's catering department, located at the Obsertown campus in North Co Dublin, according to Dublin Live.

Pest controllers confirmed that all attic areas and boiler rooms since early 2020 were infested with rats. They removed eight mouse carcasses from a single loft during the initial inspection. A facility's staff also claimed that mice were seen running in the premises in October 2020.

A worker also said there were several dead and diseased rabbits in the same year, as cited by the Irish media outlet.

Last February, a pest controller also noted that a rat ran in front of them into the kitchen, days before the NSAI audited the facility.

Also Read: Rat Infestation Causes First Outbreak of Hantavirus in Washington, DC

Rat Infestation

A rat contagion is not always evident until the population of rodents multiple exponentially. In addition, the infestation will only manifest when their presence through food bites, fecal matter, and urine have started to take a toll for affected inhabitants.

The United States' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sightings of a mouse or a rat only sinks in when the infestation is already severe. The agency provides the following signs of a rodent infestation:

Rodent droppings at cupboards, drawers, food packages, or under the sink
Nesting material like dried plant matter, fabric, and shredded paper
Chew marks on food packaging
Holes through floors and walls
Foul smell from a hidden area

Dublin Rat Problems

The pest control issues at the child detention facility in Dublin is only of the instances that the metropolitan is facing when it comes to rat infestation, which mostly occurs amid the presence of food or leftover ones.

In March 2022, the Irish Mirror reported that giant rats laid siege at a Dublin home, wherein a mother of three sought the help of local authorities due to the said infestation, including scratches on the wall at night.