Frightened Tourists Are Canceling Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals Over This 'Unprecedented' Health Risk

If you thought Lake Tahoe was a guaranteed quiet escape into nature this summer, think again. A weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe in 2025 is frustrating, and now, something weirdly gross has taken hold, causing people to bail out of their vacation plans. There's been an explosion of mice and rats in the Tahoe region, in "an unprecedented invasion of rodents" that locals are calling the "year of the mouse," per SFGate. It's become a serious infestation that's freaking out renters, property managers, and health officials alike.

In mid-July, Agate Bay Realty Lake Tahoe sent a notice to all their upcoming renters, saying that North Tahoe is dealing with a "surge in mouse activity" (via SFGate). They warned that hardware stores around Tahoe have even run out of mouse traps, as about 10% of their properties are being hit.

However, you can still try to salvage your Tahoe trip if you're willing to take precautions. Check for signs the minute you walk into your rental property: droppings, chew marks, or evidence of traps. Keep food sealed well, clean up immediately after eating, and don't leave snacks or pet food lying around. Outdoors, you should avoid camping or spending time where rodents or burrows are obvious, and use repellent containing DEET. Pet owners should be especially careful about flea prevention; if you start feeling flu-like symptoms after being exposed to the insects, don't wait, and contact the El Dorado County Health Department online or by phone.

Some might wonder what the big deal is with having a rodent roommate. Wild rodents in some parts of California can carry plague and hantavirus. The plague isn't some medieval fairy tale; it's very real and still present in the Sierra Nevada. Health officials recently confirmed that a Lake Tahoe resident contracted plague after a flea bite while camping. The bacteria can linger in wild rodent populations and jump to humans through infected fleas. Untreated, it can lead to severe illness or even death, though it's now treatable with antibiotics if caught quickly. Rodents can also carry hantavirus. Earlier this year, this virus made headlines around the world when Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, died from it.

Pest control companies are overwhelmed. One professional claims that calls have increased by about 10 times the normal amount. Some horror stories include pulling 70 rats from one house, and even up to 150 from a vacant home. Rodents are chewing through housing siding, getting inside walls, and invading rental cabins. Vacant homes (especially in the off-season) are looking like breeding grounds. All of this is prompting some tourists to cancel their picturesque Lake Tahoe road trips outright, while others are thinking twice about it.