Aspiring actors and musicians aren’t the only ones striving to take a bite of the Big Apple every day — rats, too, want to sink their teeth in. And like their ambitious human counterparts, they also show up in droves — but instead of talent, they bring nothing but disease and filth. So, what can you do about rats in New York City? Here, we’ll delve into how individual people and government officials are tackling the problem.
While mitigation measures like putting garbage in sealed cans, trimming bushes, and sealing entryways may help prevent rats in most places, doing so in NYC on an individual level won’t help much. Instead, avoid living in pre-war buildings, ground-level apartments, and near restaurants or parks.
Citywide, the “Rat Czar” is focused on keeping trash off streets and killing rats with carbon monoxide directly in their burrows, to start.
But First, Why Does New York City Have So Many Rats?
Rats have been a big problem for the Empire City ever since its inception. In the 1700s, loads of Norway rats (aka brown rats) arrived in NYC aboard ships carrying European colonists, and they stayed for the free food and shelter, as city streets were strewn with overflowing bins of trash, including food scraps and papers.
The only thing that’s changed in the three centuries since? Things have gotten worse. With more people calling New York City home (about 8.5 million), there comes more piles of trash bags, more rows of superfilled bins, and more layers of plastic and cardboard boxes flooding the streets. And to rats, that’s a never-ending smorgasbord of nesting supplies and food — and the reason these rats can grow larger than your average Norway rat, coming in at close to two pounds. (The typical Gotham rodent, though, weighs about a half-pound.)
As of 2023, New York City’s rat population reached about three million (or approximately one-third of the city’s human population). Other contributors to these rats living their best life in the city are the lack of predators and the extensive underground subway network — a Norway rat’s dream; because of their poor climbing skills, they prefer to nest on lower levels. Plus, living underground makes them harder to locate and get rid of. Why would they ever leave?
What to Do About Rats in New York City
Kill them? Feed them birth control? Suffocate them? Modify their habitat? The NYC government has tried all that and more, but none of these methods have been effective. It’s difficult to gain control of a rat population that’s now spread throughout the city, with Brooklyn and Manhattan racking up the highest numbers.
A few reasons why:
- Norway rats are pretty intelligent — they learn to avoid poisonous baits and traps quickly. Even those that die aren’t enough to curb the others from reproducing rapidly.
- Rats can reproduce litters of six to 12 pups multiple times a year, starting at just six weeks old; it’s hard to control their breeding with birth control baits they may be wary of anyway.
- Killing rats with an Ekomille bucket that’s supposed to kill up to 30 rats was one of the latest attempts. It, too, didn’t work; in fact, one such bucket was ruined by a rat.
- Filling rat holes with dry ice to suffocate them worked well, but it was inefficient, as it took a lot of time and energy to do.
- Habitat modification would take the participation of all NYC residents and business owners and would involve not putting piles and piles of trash on the streets, to start. (The city produces about 10,000 tons of trash every day!)
Note: The city continues to attempt some sort of habitat modification. In early 2023, they instituted new rules about when and how to leave trash on the curb. However, since trash can still be left out in bags, rather than mandating sealed containers at all times, it would stand to reason that rats can still tear into the refuse. What’s more, the new trash take-out times are in the evenings, and rats are nocturnal, so…
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your New York City Apartment
First, try to avoid moving into a space that has rats in the first place. Of course, rent is sky high in New York, and cheaper places may have more problems. (Unsurprising and unfairly, it seems public housing in NYC has the most problems with rats, despite the city saying property owners must ensure their buildings are rat-free.)
But, here are a few tips to keep in mind when apartment hunting in the city. Stay away from the following housing types:
- Pre-war buildings (not up to regulations/plenty of unsealed entryways for rats to enter)
- Apartments near or above restaurant/commercial buildings (lots of trash to attract rats)
- Ground-level apartments (Norway rats burrow underground/will enter homes in search of food)
- Apartments near parks (may be home to burrowing rats who can enter homes underground)
Instead, if possible, rent in a new or renovated building, as it will be up-to-code and well-sealed. Choosing to live farther away from Manhattan can also reduce your risk of having rats as roommates; Staten Island, for example, has the least amount of rats of all the boroughs. You can also check this Rat Information Portal to locate places with less rodent problems.
Now, if you already live in an apartment that’s been invaded by rats — you’ve found droppings (or seen a live rat), rat holes, gnaw marks, etc. — here’s what to do to get rid of them:
Call in the Pros
The safest, most efficient way to get rid of rats is to hire a professional near you. They already know how to perform a proper inspection and employ the best integrated pest control methods to remove Norway rats from your home. Hiring a qualified rodent exterminator typically costs between $245 and $430.
Set Traps
Live traps allow you to catch and release live mice, rather than kill them. However, experts recommend only pest control pros handle live rats in any way, as they can bite and spread diseases. Also, the CDC advises against live traps — they might frighten rats, causing them to urinate more in your home, thus increasing your risk of disease exposure.
Snap traps do just that, snap a trigger down on top of a rat’s neck — sometimes it kills them right away, sometimes you’ll see them still squirming. So, if you don’t want to see a dead rat (or you’d like a more humane way of dealing with them), this may not be a good option for you. If you do opt for this route, set the trap with the trigger facing the wall near a rat run, and bait it with chocolate, meat, or peanut butter.
Electronic traps utilize electric shock to swiftly kill rats. Use the same type of bait you’d use in a snap trap, and when the rat goes in to retrieve it, it will get shocked. Since this type of bait is a closed box, you won’t have to actually see the deceased rodent; an alert signal on the outside of the bait will let you know when you’ve caught something.
Bait Stations
They can be refillable or non-refillable, depending on if you feel you need multiple uses from a bait. (Non-refillable baits stay closed and are best if you have pest and kids around.) Either way, the baits come ready-to-use and should be placed against a wall or along your foundation (if you’re using the baits outdoors).
Bait stations contain a poisoned bait that slowly kills the rodent that consumes it. The drawback with bait stations is that the rodent suffers, the poison may harm non-target animals, and the rodent may inconveniently pass away within the walls, leading to a foul smell.
How to Prevent Rats in Your New York City Apartment
Other than avoiding pre-war buildings, ground-level apartments, and places near parks and commercial buildings, here are a few other tips from the NYC government to prevent rats in your New York City apartment:
Keep Trash/Clutter Away From Your Street/Stoop
- Keep any yard space free of excess brush/weeds; clean up any litter
- Remove any debris blocking foundation/walls
- Trim bushes and small trees
Modify Their Habitat
- Store trash in sealed garbage cans; don’t leave out in bags on street
- Store food in airtight containers
- Feed pets indoors
Seal All Entryways
- Caulk cracks, crevices, and other holes in your apartment/outside in walls/foundation
- Close gaps in windows with weatherstripping/screens
- Fill under-the-door openings with draft stopper/door sweeps
- Use sheet metal to cover drains/vents
FAQ About Rats in NYC
Does New York City have the highest population of fats?
Despite its ratty reputation, New York City actually ranks number three on Orkin’s 2022 – 2023 list of the most rat-infested cities, with Chicago coming in at number one. How does their ranking system work? They base it on the volume of new rodent control companies being established in each area, as well as how many rat control treatments have been put into place at both homes and businesses.
Who is the Rat Czar in NYC?
In 2023, Kathleen Corradi was appointed New York City’s first-ever rat reduction specialist, or “Rat Czar.” A former elementary school teacher who then went to work on the Department of Education’s Zero Waste Schools program, she plans to use some of what she learned there to reduce the rodent population in NYC.
How long do NYC rats live?
While a wild rat’s lifespan is about one year, these rodents can start reproducing at around six weeks old and are able to birth liters of baby rats multiple times a year. Their rapid growth is one thing that makes them difficult to control.
But, killing them in their burrows with carbon monoxide has been working. And when they die in their burrows, they’re automatically buried; no need to hire anyone to cart loads of rat corpses away.
Hire a Pro to Control and Prevent a Rat Infestation in NYC
Just because rats are a known problem in New York City doesn’t mean you’re destined to live with them. If you suspect a brewing rat infestation, check for signs like droppings, chew marks, and rat holes. Then, clean up any excrement you find, store all trash in sealed garbage bins, keep food in airtight containers, trim bushes, and seal entryways.
If this sounds like too much work, no worries; you can call in a rodent control expert near you to handle the inspection, clean up, and mitigation measures. They’ll be able to confirm whether or not you have rats and implement the best methods for getting rid of them and preventing them from coming back.
Main Photo Credit: dimitar_hr / Canva Pro / License
