Boston launches new rat plan using recommendations from leading expert

Boston officials rolled out an ambitious new initiative Wednesday meant to deal with the city’s rat problem. 

The “Boston Rodent Action Plan” will bring together multiple city agencies to make a coordinated effort at significantly decreasing the city’s rat population. Residents across the city frequently complain about the rodents, which thrive in Boston for a number of reasons. Experts say that poor trash mitigation and the city’s aging infrastructure are predominately to blame. 

In preparing the action plan, Mayor Michelle Wu and her administration enlisted the help of Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist who is seen nationwide as a top expert in the field. Corrigan prepared a 51-page report from March through July, as city officials conducted an extensive community engagement process. In the report, Corrigan advocates for a data-driven approach that focuses on prevention, rather than reaction. 

“Boston takes pride in distinguishing our city through delivering exceptional basic city services for safe and clean streets, beautiful public spaces, and responsive and accessible city government,” Wu said in a statement. “We’re working to make Boston a home for everyone. Except for rats. Our rodent action plan, which is informed by this data-driven report, will guide our approach across our neighborhoods.”

While controlling rats in any city is a “complex and perplexing undertaking,” Corrigan notes that the number one driver of rat populations in any urban environment is “the food refuse dynamic.” Food disposed of in only plastic bags can be easily accessed by the animals. Getting Boston’s rat problem under control will rely on a sustained effort of the city working with residents and businesses to enforce rules about getting rid of food waste properly. 

In the report, Corrigan said that Boston should establish neighborhood-specific plans for the top three to five most affected areas of the city. He identified Ward 3, which encompasses downtown, Chinatown, the North End, the South End and the Haymarket area, as a top priority. Allston/Brighton, Back Bay and Beacon Hill, south Dorchester, and Roxbury are also areas of concern. 

Handling trash is key, but taking direct action to disperse and kill the animals is also part of an effective strategy. Pumping carbon monoxide into rat burrows has become a preferred method of extermination, since it kills the rodents humanely and does not negatively affect the surrounding wildlife. Using poison baits, especially anticoagulants, can have devastating effects on other animals in the area.

Eagles, hawks, owls, songbirds, foxes, coyotes, and more can die from either ingesting the poison directly or from eating too many other animals that have ingested the poison. Last year, a beloved bald eagle that had been nesting in Arlington died from rat poison, prompting hundreds to call for government action. 

Another, more unconventional approach has been gaining some momentum: rat birth control. A number of Boston city councilors supported a hearing order earlier this month to explore how it could be used in the city. Corrigan did not touch on that method in his report. 

Although citizens and even some inspectors are commonly appeased by the sight of rodenticide baits commonly housed in black boxes, baiting programs should be done concurrently with the removal of food waste, especially at construction sites.

While construction itself does not inherently cause rat infestations, it can disrupt existing populations and cause the rodents to scatter into nearby areas. Corrigan compares this to hitting a hornet’s nest with a stick. But construction sites, once set up, are prone to messiness and can attract the rats back to them. 

Innovative technology has an important role to play. Rodent sensors and camera scoping equipment in sewers and underground can be used to track hot spots throughout Boston. 

The Wu administration created a working group of people from a variety of different departments to ensure that city resources are being used effectively in fighting the rat population. 

Corrigan recommended that the city evaluate the benefits of creating a “rat czar” position, following the example of places like New York City. This would be a high-level facilitator position that people like Councilor Ed Flynn have been advocating for. In a release, Flynn said that the city’s new action plan “falls short” because it does not formally create a “rat czar.” He also took issue with the city’s assessment that rats do not currently “pose a high public health threat.” Flynn has pushed for the creation of a new Office of Pest Control. 

Chief of Operations Dion Irish told The Boston Globe that creating one high-level “rat czar” is not needed at this point. 

“It’s clear that what we need is not necessarily a person in the role, but you need the coordination amongst all the agencies involved, and it needs to be a priority for the mayor’s office, and we’re already checking those boxes,” he told the paper. 

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