Who are the REAL Bostonians?

On a Sunday night, Lauren Thin and her friends are walking out of the Boylston MBTA station in downtown Boston for dinner in Chinatown. But there are some unwelcome visitors on their night out: overflowing dumpsters, uncovered waste, and worst of all, RATS. As they dined beside the restaurant's window, Lauren Thin bemoaned, "Eating with the sight of trash on the ground and rats running around is gross and disgusting. I think it's important that people start paying attention to this rat issue before it gets even worse."

According to the Census Bureau's American Housing Survey, Boston is one of the "rattiest" cities in America. Christopher Graham, a pest control technician at Yankee Pest Control with 16 years of experience dealing with rats agrees, "We are seeing upticks in rats, mice, and rodents mainly because the pandemic pushed them out that way. Most of my days are filled with dealing with rats."

What caused this surge in the rodent population and what can be done to address it?

Rats tend to congregate around restaurants, their primary food source. Prior to the pandemic, residents of areas densely populated with restaurants such as North End and downtown Boston were already well-acquainted with the rat population However, the pandemic has had an impact not only on humans but also on rat behaviors. With restaurants closed for extended periods, rats were deprived of their usual food sources. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that rats may become more aggressive as they seek new food sources.

Today, that warning has become a reality and rats have become prevalent not only around restaurants but also in residential areas. This is supported by Graham's experience, "The majority of our time right now is dealing with rats, and it has gotten worse recently because of the pandemic."

Is the pandemic the sole culprit for this proliferation of rodents throughout the Boston area?

"So, the number one cause is us, humans!" Graham emphasized. "We throw our trash out, and then we forget about it. It can sit on the road, overflowing dumpsters, some people like to put their litter on the ground. We have to be better as a society, cleaning up after ourselves." Graham predicts, "If not, I do not see this getting any better."Graham said that it's important to get rid of the rats' food sources because "They eat anything and everything in their way. They are pigs basically."

Some facts about rat biology make the problem hard to control. According to Graham, "Female rats can start having babies after just 21-23 days. Rats multiply very quickly and the population gets out of hand very quickly." He suggests that whenever we see a rat or burrow, we have to take care of the problem as soon as possible.

Rats are a common problem that requires a collective effort to effectively address. Just as rats have spread from restaurant areas to other areas, they will find a way to infiltrate other buildings in the vicinity. More broadly, even if one area of a town is making a concerted effort to eradicate rats while other areas are not, rats will simply migrate to another area.

Simple steps such as proper waste disposal, raising awareness of the problem, encouraging landlords to provide dumpsters, and maintaining personal cleanliness can make a difference. In areas particularly affected by rats, professional pest control technicians can provide expert assistance and guidance.

Education is key to reversing the rat problem.

Graham said, "Educate yourself on rats, on what they do, how they feed. Look for their signs, so you can get a proper pest control technician to take care of it before it becomes an issue. That's the main important thing, don't just let it go."

A day in the life of a Rat Terminator