Vector control: Rain can, but probably won't, drive rats into Portland toilets

PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -

With the rain, comes the rodents. A pest control expert says it's that time of year when rats are more likely to come up through the pipes and into your toilet, but it's not as common as people may think.

What happens is a rat finds your pipe, works his way up and ends up in your toilet. Why it happens, what attracted him to that pipe, who knows? But, they can do that, said Chris Roberts with Multnomah County Vector control.

He's the one who fields the phone calls when someone does find a rat in their restroom.

But, he says of the thousand rat inspections he does a year, only about 10 to 15 are found in the toilet.

Just the other day I noticed when it was raining a fairly large one was roaming in the field right behind, so I've definitely seen them in the area, Alberta Eyecare owner James Armstrong said.

He spotted the rat near his business on 21st and Northeast Alberta.

I certainly haven't seen rats inside, he said. That's not a problem.

Armstrong said he's seen the unwelcome rodents outside, but never in his bathroom. He plans to keep it that way.

I've already been trained to keep the seat down, so there shouldn't be an issue of anything getting out, he said.

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Vector control: Rain can, but probably won't, drive rats into Portland toilets