Greeley, CO Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Infestation threshold
- More than 1 burrow per 900 sq ft
- Abatement notice
- 30 days to comply
- Unpaid cost
- Becomes a lien on the property
- Endangered species
- Exempt from nuisance designation
Summary
Greeley property owners, tenants and agents may not let land become infested with prairie dogs, legally defined as more than one burrow per 900 square feet, under the city's rodent-control ordinance.
No owner of any lots, blocks or parcels of land area or fraction thereof within the city, nor any tenant or agent in charge thereof, shall allow or permit said lots, blocks or parcels of land area or fraction thereof to become or remain infested with prairie dogs or prairie dog nests or burrows; provided, however, that where such nests or burrows are necessary for the maintenance of wildlife listed as threatened or endangered by state or federal law, rule or regulation, such nests or burrows may be maintained in accordance with such state or federal law, rule or regulation.(b)For the purpose of this section, the term "infestation" shall mean the presence of more than one prairie dog burrow or nest per 900 square feet of land surface area.(c)The city manager or designee shall have the right to inspect all property within the city on both public and private property to determine if an infestation of prairie dogs exists. (Code 1994, § 9.17.020; Ord. No. 11, 2012, § 2, 3-20-2012; Ord. No. 21, 2013, § 1, 7-16-2013)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9, Article II declares prairie dogs (Cynomys, a burrowing rodent) a public nuisance citywide, and § 12-467 bars any owner, tenant or agent from letting a lot become or remain infested: defined in § 12-467(b) as more than one prairie dog burrow or nest per 900 square feet of land. City inspectors may enter public or private property to check for infestation, and an owner who ignores a 30-day abatement notice under § 12-468 can be billed for city-ordered removal plus a $50.00 fee and a 20 percent surcharge.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a 30-day notice to abate a prairie dog infestation lets the city remove the animals and bill the owner, tenant or agent for the cost plus $50.00 and a 20 percent surcharge; an unpaid bill becomes a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Greeley require landowners to control prairie dogs?
What if the prairie dogs on the property are a protected species?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greeley
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