Company Compassionately Solves a Severe Rodent Infestation

IRVINE, Calif. — Los Angeles and the state of California have been facing intense rodent infestation problems in recent years. In November 2018, LA County Department of Public Health reported a flea-borne typhus outbreak, which is spread through infected rats and other small mammals, in downtown LA. Three months later, LA City Hall was so infested with rats that a motion was filed to remove the building’s carpets out of typhus concerns.

Eight years later, rodents remain a problem and are impacting whole communities and neighborhoods in the region.

Rodents Stop, a family-owned rodent control company that has been serving homes and businesses throughout Southern California for over 20 years, is tackling the rat-ravaged region in the United States with compassion. Heather Goldfarb, general manager at Rodents Stop, said the company aims to give back to the region through its services, and it recently took the opportunity to do so by providing a gratis service.

In late 2025, an Irvine, Calif., home became the subject of news articles and segments for a rodent infestation that was affecting the health of the people living in the house as well as the surrounding neighbors and homes. A 94-year-old woman, her daughter and son-in-law, who Goldfarb said is an army veteran, were all living in the home.

According to 6abc, the house was declared a public nuisance by the City of Irvine. The city had also contracted another company to handle the rodent control efforts, but Goldfarb said the pests kept coming back due to the home’s rat-conducive conditions.

“I reached out to my boss and was like, I saw this story on the news, this family seems like they really need help,” Goldfarb said. “I would like to just see what we can do.”

After four weeks of waiting for the city’s approval, Rodents Stop was permitted to step in and help free of charge. The days of work at the house were labor intensive, Goldfarb said, and the Rodents Stop technicians worked hard to improve the conditions. Ten to 12 technicians worked for four days and for about 14 hours each day, Goldfarb said.

© Rodents Stop

“We gutted the house,” she said. “[The rats] were nesting in the walls. When the guys took off some of the dry walls, droppings just piled out.”

The technicians were able to remove all the nests in the house, including those in the walls. Goldfarb said the technicians also had to spray bleach in the house as part of the cleanup due to the extent of problems the rodent infestation caused, which the company would otherwise not use.

© Rodents Stop

“We were able to get all of that scent out of there so there was nothing for [the rats] to follow,” Goldfarb said. “We trapped a ‘ton’ while we were there.”

Although surrounding neighbors were initially upset about the rodent infestation, the community came together to support Rodents Stop and the affected family, Goldfarb said. One community member brought the technicians lunch and helped the family get connected with resources they needed since they were not able to return to the home. Other residents gave Goldfarb a gift.

Recognition wasn’t the company or Goldfarb’s goal. She said she wants the company to continue helping people in need through its services. However, Goldfarb also said that boils down to the resources available — a factor she and the company are navigating through grants and programs.

In watching the situation unfold, from the news coverage and city involvement to the final treatment, Goldfarb said negativity was overshadowing the solution. It can be difficult for individuals or families who lack social and economic resources to find a way to solve extreme pest issues, she said, especially if there is a level of embarrassment or shame attached.

As Rodents Stop looks for more ways to give back to its service regions, Goldfarb and the company seeks to provide support without judgment.

“It’s so many different variables of things that happen, and it’s really easy to judge from the outside,” Goldfarb said. “But my guys, everyone’s been here for so long that they see all of these stories and all of the human aspects behind it, and it really takes you to a place of just no judgment.”