Rat Infestation on our Street

This is really gross, but the rats on our street are out of control.  There is an apartment building a few doors down that doesn’t put lids on it cans and sometimes just leaves out the trash in bags and neighbors who neglect to use the city-provided lidded trash cans.  We have called the city to complain 3-4x per week. Not only is it gross on the street but we have recently had to redo the concrete under our stoop and the rats are eating into our brownstone there and around the steps. We have an exterminator who placed bait boxes.  Any ideas?

HouseNut

in Exterminator 12 years and 11 months ago

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elbow | 12 years and 11 months ago

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I had a similar (yucky) problem and, it took a while, but the rats seem to have mostly moved somewhere else.  It will take a lot of vigilence.  Make sure your exterminator performs at least monthly inspections and rebaits the traps.  Don’t move the traps – keep them in the exact same location or the rats won’t use them. Wash the area under your stoop with a bleach solution and quit storing any garbage outside your house, even in metal cans.  Look for boroughs on your property.  If you find any, fill them with crushed glass, tamped steel wool and top with concrete.  Get rid of any ivy in your yard.  If you see raceways aong the side of your house, wash them with the bleach solution, too.  Keep calling 311 – the Health Department does inspect and issues warning notices and violations to anyone creating potential harborage conditions.