*WARNING: due to the nature of the story, the video may be graphic or unsettling for viewers.*
CHULA VISTA (KGTV) -- A Chula Vista family says after a decade of owning their home, rats have become a sudden and constant 'nightmare.'
Ray Collier, who lives on Indian Creek Drive, says his family got their first whiff of trouble in May, with the first droppings. That first night, Collier's traps resulted in three rats.
Since then, every time he's set a trap, it goes off soon after. In all, his traps have collected 23 rats in the last three months.
Collier says there has been no recent construction around the neighborhood, so he's not sure where the rats are coming from.
He says he has an avocado tree, but it's been there since the family moved in a decade ago, and this is their first-ever rat problem.
According to officials at the County Vector Control program, the answer may be found in those winter rains, helping grow the rats' food source.
While the county hasn't seen a spike in complaints, they expect the number of complaints to grow when the temperatures cool, forcing the rats inside.
