City Fights to Control Mold, Rats and Pigeons

By Judith Kahn

Helen Zverina, a senior environmental health inspector with the SF Department of Public Health, gave an update on several important issues at the Richmond District Community/Police Forum held Sept. 19.

According to Zverina, there are four main problems the department is working on: Improper handling of garbage; fighting to keep the district's rodent and bird populations under control; animal waste not being picked up by animal owners; and black mold.

The improper handling of garbage is a problem, and could be contributing to an ongoing rat problem in the Richmond. Many residents have inadequate containers and inadequately covered garbage, which directly contributes to the overall increase of rats and pigeons living in the City.

Zverina said problems caused by mold are some of the hardest to solve because of all of the research that is necessary to show conclusively that a particular type mold, or quantities of mold, cause particular illnesses. In addition, mold removal can be very expensive. Therefore, many property owners opt to do little about the problem.

According to Zverina, there are some very inexpensive measures that can be taken to prevent mold. For example, residents can buy a device in any hardware store which measures humidity.

In order to prevent mold, the humidity inside should not rise above 60 degrees. If the humidity increases to 70 degrees or more, mold will occur.

Additionally, she warned residents to be aware of leaks in walls, since black mold can grow inside the wall.

Animal waste, says Zverina, is also problematic since it stinks and draws flies. She said many residents who have pets are not cleaning up after them.

Another issue of concern is the increase of bedbugs, according to Zverina. Since they are very difficult to eradicate, tenants have to be willing to do a lot of work to clear their homes of clutter and to put items in sealed bags or storage containers before a treatment can be effective. Bedbugs have not yet been shown to transmit any diseases, but they can prevent a person from sleeping well, cause itching and anxiety. In severe cases, bedbugs can cause anemia.

The health department is being proactive to try to communicate with the public. It wants to determine what health hazards exist throughout the City. Currently, health advisors are walking through the neighborhoods every two months taking surveys. They hope this will enable them to get a more accurate picture of what health hazards exist and in which neighborhoods.

During the forum, which was held at the Richmond Station at 461 Sixth Ave., educational literature was available on how to control mosquitoes and rats as well as how to protect against the West Nile Virus, which was recently discovered at the Presidio. The literature on mosquitoes pointed out that problems with mosquitoes start at home. It provided tips so homeowners can prevent breeding mosquitoes.

A few of the tips included: recycling old bottles, buckets and cans; cleaning garden ponds and keeping them stocked with fish; clearing clogged gutters and drains; and emptying water from flower pots. Filling tree holes and stumps with sand and clearing clogged gutters and drains of standing water are some other preventive steps residents can take to guard against mosquitoes.

During the forum, Zverina also outlined the steps it takes to enforce the city's health codes. She said code enforcement usually takes from 7 to 21 days.

To contact the Heath Department, call (415) 252-3805. The department's Web site is at www.sfdph.org/eh.