Wichita Trash, Weed and Yard Rules That Affect Rats and Mice

Trash collection in Wichita

Wichita does not run a single city trash service for houses. Residents choose a trash hauler, and the city permits the haulers. A permitted hauler's truck displays a city decal on both sides. The city's Solid Waste and Recycling page says a 2011 revision was meant to keep the market open, and that under the 2012 Solid Waste Plan, local haulers must offer single-stream curbside recycling and a lower rate for a smaller cart.

For rodents, the hauler and the cart matter less than how the cart is used. Rats tear open bags left on the ground, and they get into carts with lids that do not close. Practical steps:

• Keep every bag inside the cart with the lid fully closed
• Replace a cracked cart or a lid that does not shut, and ask your hauler about it
• Rinse carts that collect food residue
• Set carts out on pickup day, not days ahead

If your hauler misses pickups, contact the hauler. The city's Solid Waste page lists the city office to contact if a hauler will not fix a service problem.

Weeds and grass: the twelve-inch rule

A City of Wichita public notice states that it is unlawful to allow excessive growth of weeds, grass and uncultivated plants on property inside city limits, and defines excessive growth as more than twelve inches tall. The notice cites Chapter 7.40 and Chapter 8.01 of the Wichita Municipal Code and says violators may be prosecuted and charged the cost of abatement.

Tall grass and weeds give rats and mice cover to travel and nest close to houses. That is why an overgrown vacant lot next door often comes with rodent problems. Tall grass and weeds on private property are one of the categories the city's Report an Issue tool sends to the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department.

Trash, junk and bulky waste as nuisances

The Code of the City of Wichita defines nuisances in Section 8.01.010, and MABCD uses it to order cleanups. Recent published notices from MABCD order owners to remove:

• Scattered trash, debris and tree waste
• Bulky waste items
• Salvage material
• Tires, metals, shopping carts and other junk

Those are exactly the kinds of piles where Norway rats burrow and nest. If the owner does not act, the notices say the department will abate the nuisance and levy the cost against the property. The Wichita Beacon reported that failing to remove bulky waste can bring a fine of up to $500, and other nuisance violations up to $1,000.

Illegal dumping in an alley or public right-of-way is another category you can report. See the reporting guide for how.

Garbage receptacles at rentals

For rentals, Kansas law adds a layer. K.S.A. 58-2553 requires landlords to supply and maintain appropriate receptacles for removing garbage and other waste and arrange for their removal, unless a government entity provides them. In Wichita, where trash service comes from private haulers rather than the city, that duty generally points to the landlord unless the lease and a valid written agreement say otherwise. This is general information, not legal advice.

Tenants, under K.S.A. 58-2555, must remove garbage from their unit in a clean and safe way. In apartment complexes, overflowing dumpsters and broken dumpster lids are a common rodent source. Report them to the manager in writing. The tenant and landlord guide covers the rest.

Bird feeders, pet food and compost

Feeding birds, leaving out pet food and composting are some of the most common reasons rats settle near a Wichita house. We did not confirm a Wichita ordinance aimed at any of them, so treat these as practical steps:

• Use a seed tray under feeders and clean up spilled seed every evening, or take feeders down for a few weeks if you see rats
• Store birdseed, grass seed and pet food in metal or hard plastic bins with lids
• Feed pets indoors, or pick up bowls before dark
• Use a closed compost bin with a solid bottom or a hardware cloth base, and keep meat, dairy and oily food out of it
• Pick up fallen fruit and ripe garden produce

Rats that lose these food sources often move on, especially if the yard also offers less cover.

Cover and clutter around the house

Shelter is the other half. Norway rats burrow under woodpiles, sheds on the ground, slabs, decks and dense ground cover. Mice nest in clutter in garages and sheds.

• Stack firewood on a rack, off the ground and away from the house
• Keep a narrow clear strip along the foundation, without ivy, deep mulch or stored items
• Trim shrubs and tree limbs back from the walls and roof
• Get stored items in garages and sheds off the floor and into lidded bins
• Put a hardware cloth skirt around the base of sheds and low decks

When burrows are already there, the rat burrow treatment page explains how they are treated and closed.

Questions Wichita readers ask

Keep reading

• How to Report Rats or Mice in Wichita and What Happens Next

  Wichita does not run a rat program. Rodent conditions are handled as housing and nuisance complaints by the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department. Here is how to report and what follows.

• Rats and Mice in a Wichita Rental: Tenant and Landlord Duties

  Kansas law does not mention pests by name, but it puts housing code compliance, common areas and garbage receptacles on the landlord, and cleanliness and trash removal on the tenant.

• How Much Does Rodent Control Cost in Wichita?

  National cost guides put a typical rodent job between roughly $150 and $900, with sealing, cleanup and follow-up visits adding to it. None publish Wichita-only numbers, so here is how to read the ranges for a Wichita home.

• All Wichita rodent guides
• Rat and mouse articles