"At Night, New York's Rat Problem: A Persistent Challenge"

"Every day, New York's bustling streets are filled with the sights, scents, and sounds that define the city's unmistakable character. However, as night falls, another presence emerges on the city's streets.

New York City is renowned for its rats, often considered alongside pigeons as the city's unofficial mascots. While some find them fascinating due to their complex behaviors, others see them as disgusting vermin. Those who move here from out of state are often taken aback by the sheer number of rats that roam the city. New York City has long held a reputation as one of the most rat-infested cities in America, with an estimated two million rats calling it home. While most New Yorkers have come to accept rats as a part of urban life, these creatures pose various health risks. Government agencies are diligently working to address the issue, but some New Yorkers have taken it upon themselves to combat the rat problem.

Rats have been a part of New York City since its inception, thriving due to their sheer numbers. Richard Reynolds and his team of rat-hunting canines have patrolled the city streets for nearly three decades. These dogs are trained to track and capture rats, with specialized roles such as catch dogs and push dogs. Their coordinated efforts may seem chaotic but are meticulously planned. One of these dogs, Rommel, is a young terrier who excels at tracking and cornering rats for capture.

The rats most commonly seen in New York City are known as Rattus norvegicus, often referred to as Norway rats or brown rats. They made their debut in the city during the mid-1700s, as they stowed away on ships bound for the colonies. Their success in the city can be attributed to the continuous availability of food and water provided by its dense population. These adaptable creatures can survive on just one ounce of food and water per day and reproduce rapidly, with females giving birth to around eight pups per litter. Their swift reproductive cycle means that newborn rats can begin reproducing within five weeks.

Over centuries, rats in New York City have evolved into two distinct groups, similar to the city's diverse neighborhoods: uptown and downtown rats. A study from Fordham University in 2017 found genetic differences between these groups, with Midtown serving as a geographic barrier. However, even Midtown Manhattan is far from rat-free, as it is primarily a commercial district with less available household trash and backyard space for rats compared to uptown and downtown areas.

Beyond their sheer numbers, rats are a matter of public health concern due to the pathogens they carry, including toxoplasmosis, salmonella, and even the bubonic plague. As a result, exterminators are often the first to respond when rats are spotted. These professionals, like the exterminator featured here, rise early to assess the situation in restaurants and other locations, searching for signs of rat activity.

Efforts to eliminate rats include sealing rodent entry points, but rats can chew through weak concrete, mortar, and plastic, rendering such attempts ineffective. The presence of rat droppings, urine, and distinctive brown marks on concrete surfaces are telltale signs of infestation.

One key strategy to reduce the rat population is to introduce rodent-proof trash receptacles, eliminating a significant food source. In 2017, the city initiated a $32 million program aimed at reducing the rat population in specific target areas by 70%. This involved installing 336 big belly solar compactors with inaccessible entry points for rats, as well as increasing trash pickups and imposing heavy fines for illegal dumping.

However, some of these enhanced trash cans proved ineffective due to accessibility issues, leading the city to explore alternative methods. Rodenticide bait stations, managed by the Department of Health, have been deployed in known rat populations. These stations contain either rodenticides or non-toxic bait to familiarize rats with the trap's location before deploying snap traps to catch them.

Despite these efforts, rats continue to persist in the city. Some New Yorkers have taken matters into their own hands, as seen in Liberty State Park, New Jersey, where a rat problem arose during a dog show. Certain dog breeds, particularly terriers, have a talent for catching and killing rats. While these efforts help control rat populations to some extent, complete eradication remains a challenge.

From traps to sanitation improvements and rat-hunting dogs, various methods are continually employed to combat New York City's rat issue. Exterminators, researchers, and city officials stress the importance of individual vigilance in addressing the problem. Ultimately, reducing rats to manageable levels involves eliminating their food supply, a challenging but necessary step. Managing the rat population requires recognizing that the problem didn't arise overnight but developed over time due to the availability of food, and addressing it will likewise take time and effort."