Wayne, NJ Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Wayne Township handles rodent and pest problems on business property through Chapter 113, the Commercial and Industrial Maintenance Code. The trigger is the § 113-4 definition: INFESTATION is the presence of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests on the premises, in sufficient numbers to constitute a health hazard in the opinion of the Public Officer. The Public Officer is the Township's Business Administrator, who can designate other officials to inspect, issue notices and summonses and hold hearings. The code sets no pest count; the Public Officer's opinion that the numbers are a health hazard is the standard.

Two provisions impose the duty. Section 113-8 A requires the exterior of premises and structures to be kept free of nuisances, unsanitary conditions and health hazards, and lists refuse (broken glass, filth, garbage, trash, litter and debris) and, as item (6), sources of infestation. Section 113-8 G(2) puts the elimination duty on each operator, defined in § 113-4 as a person with charge, care or control of the premises, with or without the consent of the owner. Under § 113-5 B, owners and operators cannot escape their duties because an occupant is also in violation, and occupants cannot escape theirs because the owner is.

Waste handling feeds the same rule. Section 113-8 E requires refuse and garbage to be removed as often as needed to prevent unsanitary conditions, bars storage that creates a nuisance, and requires containers to be water tight with tight fitting lids. A shopping area needs a solid, non-wire trash basket of at least 20 gallons with a lid for each 150 feet of store frontage. Separately, § 134-79 D in the land development chapter requires waste that is edible or otherwise attractive to rodents or insects to be stored outdoors only in sealed and covered containers adequate to eliminate such hazards.

Inspections under § 113-9 occur during business hours unless the violation is an immediate threat to health or safety. Notice under § 113-11 sets a period not to exceed 30 days to abate.