Durham County, NC Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Sec. 20-4(d) requires that refuse and solid waste be stored 'in a manner that will resist harborage to rodents and vermin,' naming lumber, boxes, barrels, bottles, cans, tires, paper, cardboard, rags, old furniture, and other bulky waste and white goods as the regulated materials, though it allows firewood and building materials to be stored on a property if kept safe and free of nuisance conditions. That storage duty is reinforced by Sec. S. S. 153A-121, 153A-123, and 153A-140, which makes it unlawful to create or allow 'accumulated junk, tires, trash, refuse, or construction debris that is a breeding ground or nest for mosquitoes, insects, rats, or other pests' on any parcel.

The same nuisance section also reaches uncovered wells, open pits, and unsecured vehicles or appliances that could shelter rats, and it separately caps grass and noxious weeds at 12 inches to limit rodent cover, with exceptions for landscaping, erosion-control plantings, and food gardens. Backyard composting adds its own condition under Sec. 20-12(b)(2): composting activity may not create conditions conducive to the breeding of rodents and insects, and materials attractive to animals such as raccoons and opossums must be protected from access. S. 14-399.