Town taking steps to combat rise in rat population
By JESSI MITCHELL
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MAMARONECK, New York (WCBS) — The Village of Mamaroneck recently declared an emergency due to a rise in rat sightings.
The community is now cracking down to combat the rodents.
A combination of a nice natural habitat of waterways running through the village and an increase in abandoned homes has allowed rodents to run wild. Seen scurrying through parks and private properties, more rats now reside in Mamaroneck than ever before.
“I saw a rat swimming in the river the other day, which was disconcerting,” Mamaroneck Mayor Tom Murphy told CBS New York. “At first, I thought, oh wait, what’s that? Maybe it’s a muskrat. Then I was like, no, it’s a rat.”
Murphy said the problem started in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
“After the flood, you know, there was a lot of debris,” Murphy said. “There was a lot of houses that were not repaired. They were left abandoned so that the rodents were given a chance to have a good breeding ground there.”
With restrictions relaxed during the pandemic, the hardest hit neighborhoods, Washingtonville and the Fenimore industrial area have had the hardest time recovering. Landlords left homes vacant rather than making the needed repairs.
“This is an area of the community that is neglected the most, historically, so we want to make sure we get them all the services they deserve,” Murphy said.
The village teamed up with Dana Pest Control to canvass the neighborhoods and found evidence of rats at every home on some streets with an infestation rate of up to 70%. With an emergency declaration in place, village leadership now has the authority to crack down on code and trash violations and invoice the absentee landlords afterwards.
“We can go into different properties, inspect for vermin, put traps out to catch the vermin, then give people back their quality of life,” said Murphy.
Multiple neighbors, concerned about their property value, told CBS New York they’ll believe it when they see it.
“With rodents like this, the longer you wait and the longer you procrastinate, the worse the problem gets,” the mayor emphasized. “While we’re waiting, they’re breeding.”
The emergency declaration expires Aug. 6, around the time Village leaders plan to meet with Washingtonville neighbors experiencing these rat encounters.
The village reports it is working exclusively with Dana Pest Control on this mitigation plan and advises neighbors against engaging with door-to-door exterminators soliciting for business.
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