Some things are a given in New York City: Rats in subways. Parking tickets. Rats in parks. Snowstorms. Rats on dark sidewalks. Noisy neighbors.
Did we mention rats?
By some estimates, there are more rats than humans in this city of 8.4 million, although it's impossible to know for sure. One thing is certain: Most New Yorkers loathe rats, and the city this year is budgeting $611,000 for a new program targeting "rat reservoirs," where the rodents congregate, in hopes of diminishing their numbers.
"This is about more than just aesthetics," said City Councilman Mark D. Levine, describing the problem as "epidemic" on some streets in his district of Upper Manhattan.
An exterminator prepares bait to capture rats in a basement in Manhattan. New York City is budgeting $611,000 for an anti-rat program targeting areas where the rodents congregate. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
"We've had rats who are going into cars and eating out electrical cables. We have rats that are entering homes," Levine said at a public hearing this month where city health officials announced the additional anti-rat efforts.
With city officials striving to present the best image of New York to visitors — and with social media making every public rat sighting a potential embarrassment — rat-abatement efforts have increased.
Transit officials have tried a rat-sterilization program in the subways, and an online map created by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene enables people to search neighborhoods, streets and even specific addresses for rat issues.
The department also offers courses at its Rodent Academy that are geared toward building superintendents, homeowners and others interested in learning how to manage the rats in their lives.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-new-york-rats-20140531-story.html
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