Residents of the Emprius area in Salou have expressed concern over a rat plague that they claim are «climbing» their building walls and «entering homes». The situation has forced residents to install traps and ultrasonic devices to try and contain the rodent proliferation, for which they have provided images captured by surveillance cameras and photographs of droppings and dug-up soil in plant pots.
The residents point out that, although the plague has been present «for two or three years», the problem has significantly worsened «coinciding with the start of the tram works». They attribute this intensification to the earthmoving required for the future infrastructure, and indicate that they have also found «small snakes» on occasion, warning of the existing «risk of unhealthiness».
To try and resolve the issue, residents submitted a formal request to the council last May, asking for «pest control action in the area». The City Council responded a few days later, informing them that desinestation tasks had already been carried out as part of the municipality's comprehensive pest control program.
Contacted by this newspaper, the Salou City Council confirmed the activation of the protocol at the end of May following the reported incident. The specialized company Sedesa intervened quickly in the affected area. In parallel, the council has informed the tram works developers about the situation, asking them to adopt preventive measures, especially in activities involving earthmoving or habitat alterations that could favor the appearance of rodents. The City Council continues to monitor the situation and states it has no record of further incidents.
