I SMELL A RAT
Uploaded in the Dec. 13, 2025 issue.
So a few weeks back, I’m crossing the yard to walk in the door and I spy a dead mouse lying on the grass, tummy up, rigor mortis not yet settled in.
But upon closer inspection, it’s not a mouse – it’s a rat. A young one. I figure one of the neighbor’s cats got him – glad they’re earning their keep.
When I casually mentioned this to a friend, the response was anything but casual. She referred to the rat “problem” as an “infestation.”
“Talk to Craig London.”
I call the jovial Mr. London. He lives out in the Rocking K neighborhood, and says he recently got rid of five in two nights.
“I could hear ‘em in the barn … and then they took a few eggs.”
By the way, London has three cats and the neighbor’s two are also frequent visitors.”
Lunch: I thought you said a good cat will keep the rats away.
London: Well, I guess I have five that aren’t worth a damn.
London said at Elks this week, one guy who lives off Barlow has caught 30 at his property over the past few years. It’s gotten so that he’s set up a Ring camera in his attic to keep tabs.
“Jake Rasmuson lives over there, too. He’s got a bunch of rental properties around town. You should talk to him.”
So I call Jake.
Jake says up until about two years ago, he’d never killed a rat. Now it’s a consistent thing.
“They’re in every neighborhood. And I’ve got pest control at every property.”
“You should talk to Brandon,” he says.
Brandon Helmbolt is the local Dewey’s Pest Control guy, and he says he’s “inundated” with rodent issues right now in Inyo and Mono counties, so much so that he’s hired an extra tech in Bishop (first time that’s happened in twenty years), and is likely to add another in 2026 after the company set a sales record this year.
Helmbolt, a Bishop native whose grandparents moved here in ’52, said his normal day used to be 15 calls. Now it’s 25-30 stops. And he added four new clients in Aspendell on Tuesday alone.
“Both in Mammoth and Bishop, there is so much rodenticide being put down,” he said. “And within the past ten days, I’ve been getting calls from Chalfant because cars are getting eaten.”
“Rats are so much more destructive than mice.” And its rats which are prevalent right now in areas that back up to ranch land or open space.
In Bishop, ground zero appears to be in the McLaren area as well as the neighborhoods off Barlow.
“At least do a cursory check of your attic,” he said. “Because if they start eating into your plastic tubing [for your water lines], it could quickly become a $15,000 problem.”
Helmbolt says the world changed when David Muir did a story on his ABC World News Tonight program this past spring about the rash of hantavirus deaths in Mammoth Lakes.
“My phone rang 62 times that night. And it’s been ringing nonstop ever since.”
You can ring him at 760.920.4949.
Bishop City Council was packed on Monday night for discussion of a proposed transitional housing project.
The location would be the Elms Motel, which would house approximately 30 residents for anywhere up to 24 months, with most stays lasting less than six months.
A company called Kings View based out of Fresno would be the service provider.
It was an informational item for Bishop City Council. The extent of Inyo Supervisors authority would be the ability to direct $1.3 million in bridge housing funds.
But that’s dependent upon property acquisition by a managed care provider – in this case Blue Shield.
The argument for is pretty simple. In a world where it often takes $800,000 to build an affordable housing unit, here’s an opportunity to acquire 30 beds for not much more.
And as Steve Peck of Aspendell said during public comment, “We will have homeless [in Bishop] whether we help ‘em or not … we have a [moral] obligation to help.”
Many neighborhood residents, however, spoke against the proposal, citing safety concerns.
Kevin O’Hara observed, “This is not a low-risk endeavor.” Tim Pomykata added, “Kings View will need to be transparent in sharing how it deals with problem residents.”
Others fumed, “Bridge housing? Where is it a bridge to? What affordable housing do we have in place?”
And still others noted the proximity of the Elms to the county wellness center not 200’ away.
So it feels to them as if all the county services for the indigent population are being shoehorned into their neighborhood.
“And I’m not sure if we want this next to hotel row,” chimed in Aaron Schat.
There was no discussion as to the economic impact of eliminating a TOT [room tax] producing property in favor of one that costs significant money to operate (with two FT staff on 24/7).
The Elms is one of several bridge housing sites under consideration.
