Concerns rise at Humble Walmart as new video highlights return of rats

A recent video showing rats on fresh produce at a Walmart in Humble, Texas has raised concerns among shoppers. Just over a month after a previous incident involving rats, new footage suggests that the rodents may have returned to the store. The video, posted on social media, captured a rat crawling across cucumbers inside the Walmart located along North Sam Houston Parkway.

Reporter Deven Clarke, who first covered the story last month, highlighted the health concerns associated with rodent activity in a retail environment. Harris County Public Health had previously cited the store after finding a dead rat on a glue pad behind a freezer. At that time, the store took immediate action by bringing in pest control and removing affected produce.

Returning to the store after the latest video emerged, Clarke spoke with shoppers who expressed frustration and dismay over the situation. Many customers were disturbed by the reappearance of rats on produce items, with one shopper, Esperanza Salazar, stating that it was “very upsetting” and urging immediate action to address the issue. Another customer, Alysia Gradney, noted that customers expected measures to be in place to prevent such incidents from occurring again.

In response to the recent video, all produce shelves in the store were emptied, and produce items, including cucumbers, were later observed to be placed in bins next to the vacant shelves. However, neither a store employee nor a Walmart spokesperson was able to confirm whether the cucumbers in question originated from the same source as those shown in the video.

Harris County Public Health confirmed evidence of rodent activity at the Humble Walmart once again, prompting officials to shut down the produce section, discard food, and issue citations for unsanitary conditions. Inspectors met with store leadership and pest control experts to review corrective actions already taken, with a follow-up inspection scheduled within the next 24 hours.

Given the repeated incidents involving rodents at the store, some customers are now calling for the entire grocery section to be shut down until the problem is fully addressed. Community members are expressing concerns about the store’s food safety practices and are encouraged to report any food safety issues to Harris County Public Health.

As the store works to resolve the rodent issue and regain customers’ trust, ongoing site visits by health officials aim to ensure that the problem is fully resolved. The health and safety of customers remain a top priority for Walmart, which has stated that additional preventative measures have been deployed onsite with its vendors. Until the rodent issue is fully resolved, the produce cooler at the Humble Walmart will remain out of service.