America's Largest Grocery Chain Is Seeing A Major Pest Problem At One of Its Stores
Some shoppers have recently been disgusted with their local Kroger grocery store. A trip through the snack, cereal, and bread aisles has revealed holes torn through dozens of products on the shelves, leading them to believe the location has a major mouse problem.
The local health department in Elkhart, Ind. was alerted on July 6, and a subsequent investigation showed many mice in the back of the warehouse, although the department hasn't classified it as an infestation, according to a WSBT news report.
"They do have a problem, but the issue is they have cleaned up the problem in the back room where the dry goods are stored. So now, like any other issue, they are coming out into the store which is why people are seeing that," the Elkhart County Health Administrator said.
Images of the mice's destruction across the store have spread like wildfire around Facebook. Many customers are shocked that the Kroger location would remain open while the vermin ran amuck.
A representative at Kroger told WSBT it is complying with county health advisors and will be taking all the necessary precautions to rid itself of its mouse problem.
"Clean stores are an essential element of Kroger corporate values, so we were not happy to discover the concern. We immediately ordered improvements to the store," the representative said. "We are making operational and structural upgrades, and we have a new pest control company to address any needs. We're taking all of the necessary steps to fulfill the high expectations of our customers and the high standards we set for each store."
According to the CDC, there is a range of diseases that can be transmitted both directly and indirectly from rodents. Hantaviruses, which are found in North American rodents can cause a severe lung disease that can be fatal and salmonella are both found in mouse feces.
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While the investigation continues, Kroger and county officials are putting out more mouse traps, but the problem won't go away overnight.
Kroger isn't the only grocery chain facing rodent issues. A February rat infestation shut down hundreds of Family Dollar stores and caused a major product recall before Dollar Tree came out in March as another victim of catastrophe. Sanitation efforts ended up costing the discount grocery chain $34 million by simply being located near the infested Family Dollar distribution center in Arkansas.
