National rat summit in New York
NEW YORK (DC News Now) — Rats. They’re not just a D.C. thing.
Plenty of cities other than the District have issues with rodents, and one of them, New York, is looking to bring experts from across the country together to discuss the problems and what can be done about them.
On Sept. 18 and 19, NYC will host its inaugural National Urban Rat Summit.
Experts who will be part of the conversations include researchers at academic institutions and municipal pest control managers. The idea is to have them connect with one another, share the best ways to address rat issues, and “advance the science of urban rat management.”
DC’s rat problem continues to worsen; officials urge residents to report rodents to 311
Some of the people participating will be from Boston, New Orleans, and Seattle. Top rat researchers from across the country will be there as well.
“New Yorkers may not know this about me — but I hate rats, and I’m confident most of our city’s residents do as well,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams. “With rat sightings down nearly 14 percent in our city’s Rat Mitigation Zones year over year, we continue to make progress, but we’re not stopping there. The best way to defeat our enemy is to know our enemy. That’s why we’re holding this inaugural summit, to bring experts and leaders from across the country together to better understand urban rats and how to manage their populations.”
Oh, rats! DC ranked as one of the most rat-infested cities in US
In October 2023, Orkin (the pest control company) released its annual rankings of the ‘rattiest” cities in the United States. D.C. came in at Number 4, right behind New York. Chicago took the top spot, with Los Angeles coming in second.
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