California Elementary School Infested With Rats
A California elementary school was invaded by rats, leaving students and teachers covered in itchy red bumps.
“It just felt like these little things just crawling all around me on my body,” 11-year-old Mika Slagle told KCAL. “I could see them crawling on my desk, everywhere, on my books, on my neighbor’s desk. It’s just scary. It’s just worrying to worry about your health.”
Mika is one of a number of students and teachers at Villa Park Elementary School who found red bumps covering their bodies. The bumps came from bugs that live on rats after the school had become infested with the rodents, according to Orange County Health Officials.
“They figured out that if there are rodent mites which are what these bites are caused by, there has to be rodents,” Mika said. “So they started setting traps, which led to lots of rats being found.”
Students and faculty were moved out of the school and vector control workers came to the school’s campus to eradicate the rats.
Orange Unified School District’s superintendent released a statement regarding the issue.
“The District is aware of the rodent issue at Villa Park Elementary School,” the superintendent’s statement reads. “This issue was first discovered when some staff and students reported bug bites, which through the investigation, were identified to be rodent mites. While rodents live throughout Southern California in bushes and trees, it is likely that these were disturbed with work preparing to demolish the vacant 1920’s buildings on the campus. We appreciate the support of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District and will continue to work with them to resolve this issue.”
Two classes were moved from Villa Park Elementary to the nearby Serrano Elementary School as a precaution while the rats were eradicated.
Mika says that she is nervous to return to school after having been bitten by the rodent mites.
“I’m more scared, I’m more worried,” she said. “I don’t want to come back.”
According to MommyPage, Wendelynn Ross, the mother of a Villa Park Elementary student, shared an update on the situation on her Facebook page.
Ross wrote:
Including today, there are 9 school days left with 3 being half days.
For those who have been following my school updates here you go…
The MPR Room where they are going to put the 3 5th grade classes had been cleared of “rodent mites” BUT Found fresh “rodent droppings” all over the stage of the room. Currently 2 5th grade classes have been bussed to Serrano elementary while the 3rd 5th grade class has been put “somewhere else” on campus.
Grades are already recorded so here is my question…what do you do?!
The information I’m privy to is ONLY PRIVY to 5th grade parents!!
So what the f*** people!? Thoughts?!?!?!
**Update….the 5th Grade class is outside “playing” because they have no current classroom!!!