Woman's rat-infested home gets serious help

HOUSTON, Tex. -- A local pest control company is lending a helping hand to an elderly woman whose home is infested with large rats.

Eyewitness News first reported about the woman's problem earlier this week.

The moment you walk in to 93-year-old Ana's home, you can smell a foul odor. Ana said it's the smell of rat feces and urine that has compiled over several years.

She said the rats crawled in to her home after Hurricane Ike. Her home was damaged during the storm and went months without being fixed. Holes could still be seen in her ceiling and in the walls.

Texan Pest and Termite heard about Ana's story, and contacted Eyewitness News. We put Texan Pest and Termite owner Chris Carver with Ana. Carver called a team of his experts to put out more than two dozen traps inside and outside of Ana's home.

Upon arrival, the exterminators inspected Ana's home.

"Rats, squealing rats. Scratching rats in the walls. They are everywhere. Everywhere," said Craig Carver. "There are holes everywhere that the rats are using for highways."

Carver said the problem was worse than he thought from seeing our report earlier this week. Carver noted several holes outside of the home where the rats enter.

Carver also inspected the garage. He said the rats have built a big nest inside. We also noticed hundreds, if not thousands, of roaches lining the garage walls.

"This is, I think, their main hub in here," said Carver.

In all, Texan Pest set out more than two dozen traps, which included eight exterior, six interior and twelve wooden traps in the garage.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, with all my heart," said Ana. "That's why I want to tell. People like that, there is not many in this world, and be peace if there's more love."

What Ana didn't know is her desperate story gave Carver a reason to get out of bed and give back, too.

"I was dying," said Carver. "My cousin gave me a kidney four weeks ago."

Texan Pest has committed to free pest control and maintenance for one year. Workers will be out every other day to change out the traps and reset.

Ana has no living relatives in the United States.