Rodents Reinfest Runer River Border Post, Prompting Second Disinfection in Months

Police and customs officers at the Runer River border post have returned to their guard cabins after disinfection work to eliminate rodents that reappeared last week, marking the second such incident in recent months.

The problem emerged again on Friday when unit commanders spotted rodents in the police cabins, prompting an alert to a specialist pest control firm. Officers had been conducting vehicle checks on foot at the roadside in the interim. The firm carried out cleaning with chemical products on Monday, targeting both police and customs facilities as a precaution. Additional measures, including ventilation duct cleaning and replacement of false ceiling panels, are scheduled for completion in the coming days.

Government officials confirmed the swift response, stating that "all appropriate actions will be taken to prevent the presence of rodents." The recurring issue is linked to the border's proximity to the river, where animals seek warmth and enter via routes such as ventilation pipes—particularly during breeding season.

This follows a similar episode in February, when staff first reported rodents alongside poor working conditions, including faulty heating in the guard posts and main building. Initial treatments then sealed entry points, but the problem resurfaced quickly.

Frontier workers expressed frustration at the repeat infestation, with some reacting vocally upon finding fresh droppings, even amid concerns over hantavirus transmission from rodent excrements. Witnesses noted rodents reaching the cabin roofs.

The outbreak echoes wider rodent issues nearby, such as alerts from residents in Escaldes-Engordany's Avinguda Fiter i Rossell area, who blame river proximity and have raised health worries with local authorities.