New York Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

by: Erik Pedersen

Where are they most common? Most of the rats are

centered around areas with multi-family housing. This includes the South Bronx, most of Manhattan, and northern Brooklyn.

No part of the city is completely free of rats

% of communities with signs of rats in 2007

Why are they so common in NYC?

• Extensive underground subway system

• Large amount of public parks

• Both are easy places for rats to make burrow sites

• Easy access to trash

What damage can they cause?• Damage to property, including yards and housing infrastructure

•Potential to carry diseases, such as “typhus fever, Trichinosis,

and Salmonella food infections”

•Contamination of food

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvLDFtaL5HI

What is the city doing about the problem?

• In the past, the government

encouraged the use of poison

• Ended this policy due to

the potential harm to

children

• Rats also began to

develop a resistance to

the poison

• The city now focuses on

public education campaigns to

encourage citizens to keep

their areas clean and less rat-

friendly

What should citizens do to prevent rats?

• Put all trash in trash cans

with lids

• Make sure building is

well-sealed

• Keep yards well

maintained

• Encourage others to help,

individual efforts will have

little effect on the rat

population

What is the future of rats in New York City?

• Given their phenomenal ability to adapt, rats will never be completely

eradicated from the city

• However, with increased help from the government and effort from

citizens, work can certainly be done to both diminish the population

and make the city a more healthy environment at the same time

• Despite this, a walk down a majority of city streets shows that

there is still a long way to go to reach this goal