Bensalem residents voiced their frustration with a rat infestation that’s been plaguing neighborhoods near Valley Elementary School at Monday night’s Council meeting hours after Township administration said the Bucks County Board of Health had investigated several complaints.
Michelle Cooper, who lives on 2469 Williamson Court, told council that in the 45 years she’s lived in Bensalem, she’s never had a rodent problem before.
“About five or six weeks ago my neighbor told me that she saw rats in her backyard right next door to me, and I thought she was crazy. I pulled up my shade and there’s a rat just walking across my backyard.”
Cooper explained that she’s heard that the rat infestation is tied to the work done on Pasqualone Boulevard last year. When the workers were done working on the area for the night, they put tarp down instead of metal plates.
She would then go onto explain that she’s contact the Board of Health of Bucks County and had them come out to tell everyone what they can do to make sure rats stay out of their homes and backyards.
“The situation is not acceptable at all.” Cooper told the council. “Besides health, there’s children who play in their backyards, and they can’t do that if they’re rodents back there.”
Another resident, Carol T, brought up the Pasqualone Blvd construction as a reason why the rats have been coming out from the sewers and into people’s homes.
“Last summer when they opened up the sewer pipes on Pasqualone Blvd, they left them open, and the rats that lived in there infested our neighborhoods.”
She said her backyard was covered with 30-40 rats at one point, all of them eating the bird seeds from the bird feeder she had in her backyard. While she did get rid of the bird feeder, her backyard still has a rat infestation.
She also disputed the townships claim that there isn’t an infestation of rats.
“Lexis court is infested with them. Their seeing them during the day. When you see them during the day, that’s in infestation!”
Mark Cooper argued Council for future projects should have a clause that any rat or other issues caused by construction work should be responsible for the cleanup.
“If Pasqualone had been handled properly, we probably wouldn’t be talking to you people today. It’s just not right. We pay our taxes no different than anybody else, we expect service! We don’t get service, then you guys are out of a job because we’re gonna find somebody who’s gonna do it. That’s the American way.”
Kathleen Morris pleaded with the township to do something about the rats in neighborhoods near Valley Elementary School, as the rats could impact the school.
“As a teacher (in another school district), that is a serious problem if that school is infested with rats. The kids go outside and play, and if the rats are being so brazen now that they just come out during the day, we have a serious problem.”
Council President Edward Tokmajian Jr. said residents concerns over the rats have been heard and are being taken seriously, with members of Building and Planning visiting neighborhood’s that are dealing with the issue and taking a look at what might be causing them to come out.
“The Township Administration is also working with the Bucks County Board of Health to identify any potential areas’ of concern to determine weather they’re are common nest or harboring area’s that may be contributing to the problem.
Ray Buckley, a Supervisor from the Bucks County Board of Health explained the complaint process in regards to neighbors or properties that may have rats or other unsafe conditions.
Residents could contact the department to have someone come out and look at a property that isn’t being kept to see if there’s any food, water, or other harboring sources that will attract other rodents.
“Without you telling us where some of these things are, our resources are kind of limited.” Buckley explained.
Ray Buckley from the Bucks Co Dept of Health at Monday Night’s Council meeting
Those that do have messy properties would be given an enforcement letter, which if not complied by a certain date, would lead to a hearing in District Court, he said.
Buckley encouraged residents with rat issues to reach out to the Department of Health at their website or contact him directly at 215-345-3333.
This is an issue were not taking lightly, Tokmajian Jr. said, no one wants rats on their property or near their homes.
The Department of Health offers information on rodent control you can find at this link
Maria S
August 11, 2026 at 8:55 pm
Basically, it sounds like nothing was resolved at this meeting.