HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA / RankWire.AI / – Mice and pigeon infestations have driven up pest-control spending at hospitals in the Halifax area, according to documents obtained by CBC News. Dartmouth General Hospital recorded the biggest percentage increase in the province over five years. Its pest-control costs climbed from $9,545 to $120,012 last year, a rise of 1,157%. The nearby IWK Health Centre spent $180,000 last year dealing with pigeons. Health officials say fixing the problem will take years.
At the QEII Health Sciences Centre, which includes the Halifax Infirmary, Victoria General and Rehabilitation sites, the budget rose from $35,942 to $323,075. Nova Scotia Health said it has trapped 1,435 mice or other rodents across the QEII’s 2.9 million square feet over five years. Another 321 rodents were caught at Dartmouth General. The authority acknowledged that the problem at the QEII goes beyond what is normal for a port city.
Visitor Jordan Bonaparte said he saw mice running through the halls of the Halifax Infirmary’s emergency department on November 7. He said a paramedic told him there were at least as many mice as patients. His family member waited nearly six hours in the hallway before being moved to a room. Within minutes, he said, a mouse climbed onto the patient’s bed, heading toward her food. Long emergency waits have also strained hospitals across Canada.
Construction and old buildings blamed
Chris Smith, Nova Scotia Health’s senior director for facilities operations, said the volume of sightings has grown exponentially in recent years. Extensive construction surrounds both the QEII and Dartmouth General. Smith said he knew breaking ground on the QEII expansion would stir up pests. The increase, however, has been larger than expected. He added that the buildings are old and see hundreds or thousands of visitors, deliveries and equipment moves every day.
Smith said rodents do not belong in health-care settings, even in a port city where they are a common sight. He said the authority must do whatever it can to keep hospitals clean, sanitary and safe. He called it a problem years in the making and said it will most likely take several years to bring under control. Staff and patients are being asked to watch for mice and report every sighting.
Daily exterminator visits and sealed gaps
The health authority has hired professional exterminators who visit every day. Staff reports help crews decide where to place traps. Teams have also begun external inspections, searching the buildings for small holes. Smith said the work has generated 100 to 200 work orders to seal cracks and crevices, and any remaining gaps are being addressed. Hidden pests can create other hazards in buildings, such as dead animals in air conditioning systems.
The IWK, a women’s and children’s hospital next door to the QEII, said its main issue was birds rather than mice. In a statement, it said the cleanup included removing pigeon droppings and nests and fitting netting and spikes to deter birds. Some costs will continue as monitoring goes on. Bonaparte posted a video of his visit to his podcast pages, The Canadian Gothic. He said accepting mice in an emergency room sets an unreasonably low bar for health care.