Rodent droppings trigger alert at Pittsburgh Family Dollar store

The Allegheny County Health Department has issued a consumer alert for a mouse infestation at the Family Dollar on Chartiers Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Crafton Heights neighborhood.

An inspector on Wednesday found “too many rodent droppings to count” throughout the store, “under every shelf checked.” Droppings also were found on top shelves along the store’s rear wall, and urine stains were found on some shelves.

Rat and mouse droppings were found along a side wall, including an enclosed area for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, which the inspector noted as “a potential source of entry into the building.”

Gnawed packages and gnawed food were found in aisles containing pet food, chips, bread and candy and in an area where food was displayed near the registers.

The inspector discarded a loaf of bread with a hole eaten up to 4 inches deep into the center.

The store staff was directed to take corrective action, including cleaning rodent droppings, checking food products daily, removing all damaged or contaminated food, removing kick plates under shelves and taking proactive measures to eliminate rodents beyond use of a pest control company.

The store’s pest control provider had made its most recent monthly visit on Feb. 11, with no emergency action taken, according to the county inspection report.

A Family Dollar spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.