Grand Prairie, TX Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Article XV, Vector Control, defines "Rodent" at Sec. 13-330 as any mammal of the order Rodentia, such as a mouse, rat, or beaver, with incisors adapted for gnawing, and defines the "Regulatory authority" as any municipal officer, employee, or department the city manager appoints to administer the article. Sec. 13-334(a) requires that grounds, buildings and structures be maintained free of rodent harborage and infestation, and that any extermination method conform to federal and state regulations; subsection (b) separately requires that stored materials, including construction material, be kept in a manner that does not create rodent harborage.

Sec. 13-335 lists the resulting public-health nuisances, starting with the accumulation of trash, food waste, rubbish, boxes, or other un-containerized waste that may attract or harbor insects or rodents, alongside standing water and unmaintained swimming pools that can breed mosquitoes. Enforcement runs through Sec. 13-336, which lets the regulatory authority enter any premises to check compliance, and dispenses with a warrant if an imminent health hazard exists. If an owner fails to correct a violation after notice under Sec. 13-337, the city may enter and do the abatement work itself, then bill the owner; unpaid abatement costs become a lien processed through the county within thirty days of the mailed statement, and the same entry-and-lien process applies to vacant or foreclosed property.

Sec. 13-338 makes a violation a misdemeanor, and separately makes it a misdemeanor to obstruct a city representative, inspector, or abatement crew carrying out the article.