HOUSTON – Dozens of rats have made Houston’s City Hall their nocturnal playground, scurrying across sidewalks and diving into burrows on the building’s front lawn just days before the city’s annual holiday tree lighting ceremony.
“You can be sitting on them benches, they come right there. They ain’t gonna run away from you,” said Chris Bates, a Houston resident.
The rat problem has become severe, to say the least. After the sun goes down, you can easily find dozens of rodents running around the front lawn in Herman Square, near the reflection pool, across sidewalks and through the shrubs.
The timing couldn’t be worse for city leaders.
This weekend, Houston plans to host its annual “Deck the Hall” celebration and mayoral tree lighting ceremony at the very location where rats have established their colony.
Multiple holes dotting the grounds around City Hall serve as daytime shelters for the rodents, indicating a long-term infestation rather than a temporary issue.
When asked about the rat problem, Mayor John Whitmire’s office declined to comment, and Councilman Joaquin Martinez did not respond to requests for an interview.
A city spokesperson indicated that the Houston Parks Department is responsible for addressing the infestation.
A rat spotted running around outside Houston City Hall on December 2, 2025. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)
The Parks Department, which is currently preparing for the weekend’s holiday festivities, has yet to provide details about their plan to address the growing rodent population.
City taxpayers are expressing frustration over the city’s apparent lack of response to the infestation.
“We pay six thousand taxes for one property and other it’s like ten thousand taxes and I didn’t see my taxes around,” said Houston resident Alex Silba.
A rat spotted running around outside Houston City Hall on December 2, 2025. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)
While pest control stations are visible around the property, they don’t appear to be working.
“It’s like when you go to New York, you see a lot of rats, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen in Houston. We need to do something,” Silba added.
The Parks Department has not yet responded to questions about their pest control strategy or timeline for addressing the infestation.
Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.