From The New York Times: For centuries, New York City’s white whale has been the common rat. Traps have been set and poisons brewed, to little apparent effect. Emergency conclaves have been called at City Hall. There have been 109 mayors of New York and, it seems, nearly as many mayoral plans to snuff out the […]
Wired: Plague, Fleas, and the Rats of New York City
From Slate Magazine: IN 2013, NEW YORK City’s Health Department made over 95,000 rat inspections. The Health Department keeps tabs on rats because they are well-known filth spreaders, but it’s the little insects living on rats that infect humans with some of our most feared diseases. Rat fleas transmit plague, as well as several other things you really don’t […]
Daily News: Rats Gone Wild on New York City Street
Rats disgusting! A mob of rats was spotted kicking the tires on a parked Honda early Thursday morning, fearlessly scurrying about and frightening passersby. The rodents roamed Ave. D near 10th St. outside a market in Alphabet City, making an easy meal of the overflowing garbage from a nearby can. Veteran Daily News photographer Sam […]
AMNY: Subway Stations Without Garbage Cans Cleaner, Fewer rats: MTA
From: AM New York There is less trash and fewer rats lurking at subway stations where garbage cans have been nixed, the MTA said Thursday. The agency began experimenting with taking out the cans as part of a pilot program in 2011 to decrease the number of garbage bags in stations — as well as the […]
Poisons Used to Kill Rodents Have Safer Alternatives
From Audobon: Clinical assistant professor Maureen Murray of theTufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in central Massachusetts was doing a good job of keeping her emotions under wraps as she clicked through photos of her recent necropsies. But I was watching her eyes as well as her computer screen, and they revealed anguish. Like her colleagues […]
Poisonous: How Does Rat Poison Affect People?
From Livestrong: Various rat poisons used to control rodents have potent effects on people if ingested. Many rat poisons contain anticoagulants, which are medications that interfere with blood clotting. As rats have become resistant to poisons, new superwarfarins that are more toxic to both rats and people have been marketed. Several other rat poisons are used […]