Dominic Anthony Walsh/Houston Public Media
Pictured is a Christmas tree outside Houston City Hall on Dec. 5, 2025.
On the nights before the Christmas tree lighting, all through Hermann Square Park, rats were scurrying, scrounging for garbage in the dark.
As Houston city officials prepared for the annual holiday event slated for Saturday, they were “aware of the rodent problem in the reflection pool and park area outside City Hall,” according to a spokesperson for Mayor John Whitmire.
KPRC first reported “dozens of rodents” living in the park outside City Hall. Images broadcast by the Houston television station — and shared by the outlet’s content partner, Grizzy’s Hood News — showed 17 rat sightings, and it was unclear if individual rats appeared in multiple video clips.
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The videos showed what appeared to be underground burrows, indicating the rodents were likely of the “rattus norvegicus” species, also known as “Norway rats,” said rat expert Janet Hurley — a senior extension program specialist focused on integrated pest management for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center.
It’s “hard to say” how many rats live in Texas, she said, with the number ranging from “more than 1,000, but less maybe than a million” — though the number of rodents is “on the rise.”
Asked if this species of rat has any redeeming qualities, Hurley said, “In my world? No.”
However, they’re unlikely to pose a safety risk to attendees of the Christmas tree lighting — unless children purposefully interact with them.
“For thousands of years, humans and rats have lived together,” she said. “These sorts of rodents — the big, fat rats that you may have in Houston, the Norway rats; or the skinnier rats, the roof rats — both of them enjoy being close to humans, but do they really want to be out with us? Not necessarily.
“I don’t want people feeding them, like I wouldn’t want people to feed squirrels,” she added, “but at the same time, knowing they’re out there and knowing they can be a problem, one of the most common things is, if you see a rat, don’t touch it.”
Dominic Anthony Walsh/Houston Public Media
A rat was seen scurrying into this hole at Hermann Square Park on Dec. 5, 2025.
One of the most significant dangers carried by rats comes in the form of another pest — fleas. If an individual is bitten by a rat-transmitted flea and begins to feel sick, Hurley advised, “Go see a doctor.”
Rovin Kavia, a technician with Houston Pest Control, said the best way to prevent rodent infestations is to remove food waste from the immediate area.
“Make sure there is no food outside. Otherwise, they’re eating the food from the outside,” Kavia said.
But according to Hurley, the omnivorous diet of rats poses an obstacle to complete eradication. In addition to the human-produced garbage spread across urban settings, the oak trees surrounding Hermann Square Park provide a natural food source in the form of acorns.
The spokesperson for Whitmire said a pest control vendor “conducted a thorough inspection and assessment” of the rodent problem in the park, and city officials “requested an increase in the frequency of bait box servicing throughout the park.”
“The work is ongoing,” the spokesperson said, adding, “For health and safety reasons, we always remind the public not to leave trash in the area.”
It’s not the first rodent problem at a city-owned property. In January, local officials announced an infestation of “drug-addicted rats” enjoying decades-old narcotics in evidence rooms.
“I think they’ve all been arrested and are awaiting trial,” the mayor’s spokesperson said, deferring to the Houston Police Department for a more concrete update.
An HPD spokesperson said “corrective measures” have been taken and the department is working with pest control professionals for prevention.
“At this time, we’re not aware of any ongoing problem,” the HPD spokesperson said — adding that no arrests have been made.