Jamie and Kathy Moravasik's yard is infested with rats, and she says they're coming from a new distribution center next door.

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A New Jersey family says they are living through a nightmare after rats allegedly coming from a nearby warehouse have overrun their property.

Kathy Moravasik, who has lived in her home for 15 years, says the problem began after the new owners took over the property that once housed Maltese Iron Works, a longtime neighbor she described in a Facebook post as “quiet” and “responsible.”

When KGR Distribution moved in in 2022, Moravasik said, everything changed.

"There were things happening in our yard and that of our neighbors' but we all thought we had a family of groundhogs, as my neighbors dog was catching them," Moravasik tells Daily Voice. "But now that we know what rats do, we know it all started 12-18 months ago."

She said prior to KGR moving in, they never had any issues.

In a complaint filed on Oct. 1, Kathy Jamie Moravasik of Columbia Drive in North Brunswick reported that rats were emerging from the property behind her home, believed to be operated by KGR, according to county inspection records.

The warehouse, which distributes food, candy, and snacks, was cited for rodent activity and sanitation issues, the complaint memorandum shows. Inspectors confirmed rat activity on the exterior of the building and found that debris and food storage pallets needed to be cleaned. The warehouse was also reported to the New Jersey Department of Health for being unlicensed, records say.

“Rats have taken over our property,” Moravasik wrote on Facebook. “We couldn’t open our pool this year… our shed is destroyed… we have no grass left, just dirt and holes from rats digging.”

Moravasik has also been documenting the infestation on TikTok, where one of her videos — showing dozens of holes and tunnels in her backyard — has garnered 1.8 million views as of Saturday, Oct. 25.

“This is our yard here in North Brunswick, New Jersey,” she says in the video. “Kind of looks like the yard of an abandoned house, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, our house is not abandoned… everything is destroyed by Norway rats.”

She points to the holes in her lawn, explaining that the rats are “digging out the sand” that holds up her family’s pool of 15 years.

“I look at this yard now and it brings tears to my eyes,” she says in the video. “My yard was filled with trampolines and toys and many good memories and times in this pool. And now, I’m afraid to be out here. I can’t have my children out here, I can’t have my grandchildren out here… I feel awful that my dog has to come out here. This is our new life and it seems like no one really cares.”

Moravasik says she’s terrified to even step outside.

Health inspection records confirm that the infestation has spread to nearby homes on Columbia Drive. Health Officer Nickolas Destefano noted during multiple visits that while bait boxes were present, rodent activity persisted, prompting follow-up extermination orders.

The warehouse provided pest control receipts from Viking Pest Control and was ordered to continue extermination and debris removal. 

On Friday, Oct. 24, Moravasik said that "smart boxes" containing bait (chocolate granola bars) have been placed by exterminators in her yard. She and her husband have been doing their own trapping and a total of five rats have since been caught, she said. She can only hope that the situation doesn't get worse.

Despite those measures, Moravasik says the problem is “getting worse.”

“We take every precaution that none get inside,” she wrote. “If they do, we’re done.”