Public Health Madison Dane County, the local public health department, has found evidence of a rat infestation in the Emerson East neighborhood on Madison’s northeast side.
While not only a nuisance, an infestation can also cause property damage and the possible spread of disease.
John Hausbeck, a PHMDC Environmental Health Services Supervisor, says there are three conditions that make an environment more friendly to rats.
“There were many other properties that had one or more of the three things that I mentioned before: either food, shelter, or safety, that would help sustain a rat population.” (Hausbeck)
Hausbeck adds that with easy a ccess to food, shelter, and lack of predators, it’s easy for a rat population to take off.
And Ronesha Strozier, who is also an Environmental Health Services Supervisor at PHMDC, says that the presence of food sources can make an area especially appealing to rats.
“In this case we don’t really know what caused the issue, but we do know that it is a good environment in this neighborhood f or rats because you have the fruit bearing plants, you have the chicken, the leftover chicken feed.” (Strozier)
The city recommends additional ways to get rid of outdoor food sources, such as using tight-fitting lids on garbage cans and compost bins, keeping pet food inside, and picking up pet waste.
Another way to attack the problem is to take away rats’ homes – by doing things like stacking firewood off the ground and away from buildings, and cutting bushes, vines, and tall grasses that provide cover.
Last Thursday, local public health officials held a public meeting to address the rat issue.
At that meeting, several attendees asked if the city would be doing anything to help trash pickup to prevent future rats.
Strozier made it clear at the meeting that the city cannot narrow down the issue to one cause.
“It’s not just the compost, it’s not just the chicken, this is just a really good, healthy environment for rats.” (Strozier)
Hausbeck said the health department and building inspection committee are working together to address any future rat complaints, but residents should do their part to prevent rat infestations.
Hausbeck says it’s pretty simple to mitigate.
“If you limit the amount of food they can have, limit the places they can live, and make things unsafe for them, meaning not giving them places to hide or run through to.” (Hausbeck)
And, Hausbeck recommends that residents in this neighborhood check their houses thoroughly.
He also recommends residents use kill instead of live traps to prevent rats from escaping.
“Getting the neighbors to all work as a team and support each other and each play their part, that’s when it’s gonna be more successful.” (Hausbeck)
This is not the first time that rats have infested Madison. In 2019, residents of the Eken Park neighborhood on the Northside reported seeing rats near their homes. After an investigation, city officials found a “no mow” area of wild vegetation to be a root cause.
Reporting from W-O-R-T News, I’m Abigail Leavins.
Link to PHMDC guide on avoiding rat infestation:
https://www.publichealthmdc.com/environmental-health/pests/rats-mice
Image courtesy of madaise on flickr