- New York’s rat czar is waging war against the city’s vermin.
- But human behavior will have to change to eliminate the population, she told New York Magazine.
- Among the changes that might help: stop feeding the pigeons.
If New York City wants to put away its rats, it may have to change a centuries-old tradition: feeding the pigeons.
In a New York Magazine article, the city’s so-called “rat czar” Kathleen Corradi detailed how the city is combating the rat problem.
City workers inject carbon monoxide into rat burrows and say it has proven effective so far.
But Corradi said people also need to change in order to reduce the rat population.
One way to help people is to stop scattering food on the ground for pigeons to eat. Leftover crumbs end up becoming impromptu meals for nearby rats, Corradi told New York Magazine.
Bird lovers in big cities should instead place pieces of bread on the ground and make sure the birds eat them all.
Another method is the city’s new pilot program requiring that trash be stored in containers and not thrown in bags on the street where rats can find their way inside and feast.
“We are a big part of the problem when it comes to maintaining rat populations in the city,” Corradi told the magazine.
These suggestions are consistent with what rat researchers previously told Business Insider.
Michael Parsons, an urban rat expert, said after Corradi’s appointment last year that she will need to focus on changing human behavior to address the root of the rat problem.
Parsons suggested picking up trash earlier in the day, when rats aren’t as active, and sticking to tried-and-true techniques.
“Understand that the fight against rats starts with changing people’s habits, hygiene and expectations,” he told BI.
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