The rat 'apocalypse' forcing residents in a northwestern state to catch vermin with their bare hands

By ALYSSA GUZMAN, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:54, 2 May 2026 | Updated: 18:54, 2 May 2026 Night after night, Doug Perry and his wife Barbara were plagued by the sound of rats munching on cables and scurrying around their Idaho home as they tried to sleep. The couple got so fed up, they filled their house with sticky glue pads and traps and set up a Ring camera in the kitchen to try and catch them. Every night, they would be woken by a notification that the vermin invaders were back in their kitchen. But Doug said the 'smart' rats often evaded them, escaping back to their hideout through a tiny cable hole behind the TV before they could get downstairs to catch them. 'My wife was going crazy,' Doug, 71, of Boise, told the Daily Mail. 'It was a long, drawn-out process. 'They're so quick and so fast. They can jump 6ft. They're horrible.'  For several years, this has become a common occurrence for residents of Ada County as sightings of vermin have been growing at a rapid rate and costing residents thousands in private pest control.  Residents, like Doug, told the Daily Mail they've had to take matters into their own hands as lawmakers have failed to help them.   'We tried everything and nothing worked,' Doug told the Daily Mail.  Doug Perry and his wife, Barbara, found a large rat on their kitchen counter around 3am in January 2025 Doug told the Daily Mail the rats were coming through a small cable hole behind a TV at their home in Boise. He caught a rat by hand  That is until one night in January last year, Doug scurried faster than a rat to his kitchen, catching the massive vermin by the tail with his bare hands after getting a Ring notification. 'I just had to kill him in my kitchen. It was a war,' Doug said. 'It was a nightmare.' After that, the couple was miraculously left alone, and peaceful sleep was finally theirs again, but they are one of the lucky ones in the county. People across Ada and the Treasure Valley area are being terrorized by the beasts with the population of Norway and roof rats growing to 'apocalyptic' levels, according to residents. Norway are the same species as the ones in New York City. Speaking to the Daily Mail, State Representative Steve Berch warned: 'Not dealing with the issue properly or in a timely manner can – and will – result in tens of thousands of dollars in damage.' Idaho runs under what is known as Dillon's Rule, which subscribes to the notion that the state government is the principal source of authority. It limits local government's authority to create programs and procedures without the state's approval. Rats are not mentioned in the state's law, so local governments have a hard time addressing the problem on a smaller level.  There is also not a local agency that is currently tasked with dealing with the problem. Your browser does not support iframes. Residents have been laying traps and calling in private pest control companies to deal with the problem The local government is unable to help residents as it cannot do so without state permission  In March Berch introduced a Senate bill, called the Rodents of Unusual Size Act, after his constituents contacted him about the growing problem. It failed in the State House, with 13 representatives, whose constituents live in the hotspots of Ada and Canyon Counties, voting no. If four of them had changed their mind, the bill would have passed. Berch, a Democrat, blamed Republicans for letting the bill fail 32-38, as every Democrat had voted in favor of it. 'Remember who to hold accountable: A short-sighted legislature, controlled by the majority party, that wouldn't even approve the development of a plan – not spend money – just develop a plan to figure out what needs to be done,' he wrote on Facebook after it failed to go through. Some Republicans argued controlling the rat population would harm local pest control companies, but Berch said it would actually result in the exact opposite, as the state would have contracts with them to manage the infestation. 'It's a new invasion of an invasive species,' Berch told the Daily Mail. 'To deal with that, they would actually turn to the private sector for that expertise.' He also said without mass efforts across the impacted counties and the state, Idaho could see a statewide infestation. He fears the state will wait until it's too late to react and it won't be possible to get rid of them. Residents have been sharing photos to Facebook of the increasing number of rats taking over their neighborhoods State Representative Steve Berch introduced a Senate bill, called the Rodents of Unusual Size Act, after noticing rats in his area but the bill failed to pass Ryan Davidson, the District 1 commissioner for Ada County, spent his summers growing up killing pests with his father's company, but he never came across rats until recently. He saw his constituents posting photos of rats on their social media pages, and he worried the county wasn't prepared for the problem. 'This is something new,' he recalled thinking to the Daily Mail. With the state legislature not passing new laws to help the county, Davidson told the Daily Mail that local officials are considering different avenues to help the problem without the state government. So far, they haven't been able to find a workaround, he said. 'We’re still trying to figure out what exactly the extent of our authority is,' he added. Their best chance is to have a voter-approved abatement, much like the county did for mosquito control. It would create a new taxing district to pay for private pest control. In the meantime, homeowners can expect to spend thousands of dollars to rid their homes of rats that invade their attic, crawl spaces, and kitchen pantries. And they may have to do it repeatedly if the problem isn't eradicated on a large scale. Ryan Davidson, the District 1 commissioner for Ada County, said the county is looking for ways around the state, but so far can't find any. For now, getting rid of the pests lies in the hands of individuals   The City of Boise has increased its efforts to educate locals on how to prevent a rat infestation, including telling them to seal entry points, reduce moisture by fixing leaky pipes, and make sure to trim back trees and shrubs that could provide cover for rodents. Politicians have largely blamed the influx, that started in 2002, on those moving into the area from California, Oregon, and Washington for bringing the rats to Idaho – despite the lack of proof. Norway rats have been spotted in Washington, and roof rats tend to like warmer climates. Treasure Valley also offers convenient throughfares for vermin through its irrigation canals. The City of Eagle has been largely determined as the origin of the infestation and many people have dubbed the pests 'Eagle' rats. Eagle spokesperson, Laura Williams, told the Idaho Statesman the city is 'aware of the problem' but that officials are stuck 'in a holding pattern at the moment' as state and city law does not address the rat population.  For now, the problem is growing and legislators are waiting for the new session to open to beg state lawmakers for any help they can get. No comments have so far been submitted. 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