State and local leaders and stakeholders gathered at the Ada County Courthouse Wednesday night to get a clearer picture of how far a rat problem has spread across all six Ada County cities.
WATCH: Ada County leaders take first step toward tackling growing rat problem
After hours of discussion, officials said their first step will be building a map of where rats are being spotted — starting with more residents reporting sightings.
Eagle neighbor Michele Bacquet, who has been dealing with the problem since 2021, said she was relieved to see the meeting take place.
"I'm grateful that we're finally talking about it."
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Representatives from all six Ada County cities, the county, health officials and the Idaho Department of Agriculture were at the table looking for a path forward.
Ada County Commissioner Thomas Dayley said better data is needed before leaders can decide how to respond.
"We need the database first, and then we know the universe we have to deal with," Dayley said. "Once we know the universe we have to deal with, then we can decide how we're going to deal with it."
The Idaho Department of Agriculture said it can collect resident reports through a form on its website.
Ada County Commissioner Rod Beck explained how residents can use that resource.
"So somebody in the audience that has a rat problem, they can call up the Department of Agriculture and say, 'here's where the rats are,'" Beck detailed.
Idaho Department of Agriculture representative Stevie Harris confirmed the agency is ready to handle those reports.
"Yes, we can create a form on the website; we can take phone calls. We can handle that," Harris confirmed.
Leaders hope to turn those reports into a clearer picture of where rats are appearing and how far they are spreading. That data could help determine next steps.
One option discussed was creating an emergency abatement district. Adam Schroeder, Director of Weed, Pest & Mosquito for Ada County, noted the health risks associated with the rodents.
"The status quo is that we have Norway and roof rats that have been identified in Ada County," Schroeder said. "Both species have the ability to harbor and spread diseases."
However, Central District Health said it is not currently seeing an increase in disease transmission. Pest control representatives also pushed back on creating an abatement district, saying they want to see existing pest control services used before new structures are created.
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While leaders work to understand the full scope of the problem, some residents are already dealing with high costs.
Bacquet said she first discovered the issue in 2021 when rats chewed through wires in her new car. She was quoted $8,000 to get it fixed.
"It's getting very costly and just outrageously frustrating. The amount of labor hours we put into dealing with the problem is absurd," Bacquet said.
Some leaders said helping residents with those costs needs to be part of the conversation. Beck said he wants to focus on addressing the root of the problem first.
"We can later figure out do we need to do something to help those that can't help themselves," Beck emphasized.
Representatives from each city and Ada County plan to work with the Idaho Department of Agriculture and Central District Health on how to get the reporting form in front of more residents.
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