Rats of all shapes and sizes have begun to overtake a Philly neighborhood.
Locals on the 5300 block of Howland Street in Lawncrest are feeling like they’re being held hostage by the immense and forever growing rat population in their neighborhood.
ABC reported that Lawncrest residents have been spotting rats at all hours of the day.
It was reported that the rodent infestation have overtaken locals lawns. They’re causing quite the stir in the neighborhood, as ABC reported that locals are concerned about the overwhelming number of rats.
Some locals are rethinking their garbage route and even purchasing their own rat poison and putting it around the house. Lucky for the locals, The Health Department has supplied them with black plastic traps in hopes to combat the rodent problem.
The Health Department hired Vector Control to assist with this investigation. Vector Control has been going door to door, inspecting the area. Vector Control is also setting out traps to catch the rats near their burrowed holes.
If you’re concerned about wild rats in your neighborhood, according to the Humane Society you should be looking for: droppings, gnawed holes that can be up to 2-inches wide in doorframes, or baseboards, smudge marks on the wall (from their body oils), sound of movements within your home especially walls and if you’re family pet is staring at a blank wall.
The Humane Society said the best way to prevent rat infestations is with good hygiene, they suggest to “clear away any rubbish piled close to buildings to expose burrows and openings that rats might use to get in. Store food in ratproof containers, such as galvanized cans with tight-fitting lids. This includes birdseed, grass seed, and other possible foods kept in garages and/or outbuildings. Store and dispose of garbage properly, so that rats can’t get into it. If you feed your pets outside, leave the food out for just long enough to be eaten, and then remove it. Clean up pet droppings from the yard every day. Remove old wood or rubbish from the property since these are regular rat hangouts.”
ABC reported that the Health Department said, “there is no immediate fix.” It was also reported by NBC that rat poison takes up five days to work.
In a statement, the Health Department said, “Inspectors checked the burrows Friday, 7/26, due to the three- to five-day lag time before they start to see results from the baiting. They found burrows on two additional properties and baited them and put down bait boxes. Inspectors were out on Saturday and rebaited, this means that they took the bait — which is a good sign. Those that consumed it should be feeling the effects by now. At that visit, one neighbor mentioned seeing an improvement.”
Additionally, the Health Department said the staff went out to “rebait again,” and that a “complete reinspection” will take place on Wednesday.
The Health Department encourages everyone who sees a rat to call 215-685-9000, and Vector Control will dispatch someone to investigate ASAP.
