Springfield, MO Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

City Code § 74-382 lists rodent and vermin harborage among the nuisances every property owner in the city must remove from their land. Outdoor storage that creates a potential rodent or vermin harborage, or that collects standing water for mosquito breeding, is a listed nuisance, as are dilapidated fences, barns or sheds that harbor or could harbor rats, mice or other vermin, and compost piles not maintained to prevent rodent harborage. Under § 74-381, any property owner who causes, maintains or permits such a nuisance violates the chapter; the city manager can order abatement, and § 74-386 sets fines from $25 for a first offense up to $300 for a fourth or later offense within 12 months.