Boston officials have armed city blocks with rodent-resistant trash cans, birth control and thermal cameras that can detect rat clusters, but every war has its rogue vigilante.
- In the North End, that’s Lilly, a 7-year-old dachshund.
Why it matters: Boston’s war on rats — or at least the Wu administration’s offensive — is still young, which means neighbors of Cutillo Park still benefit from Lilly’s hunting streak.
Catch up quick: Rodent experts and government officials from around the world are in downtown Boston this week for the second National Urban Rat Summit.
- Boston officials shared their multi-agency game plan for tackling the city’s infamous rat problem, which entails eradicating massive infestations while taking stock of the enemy’s numbers.
What they’re saying: “There is a rat world right beneath our feet,” says Bobby Corrigan, the rodentologist who wrote Boston’s Rodent Action Plan.
- Pretending otherwise only lets the problem fester, exposing the city to dangerous viruses and bacteria, he added.
Friction point: Boston-area residents are well acquainted with the rat underworld.
- Thousands of complaints every year report rat activity — not just around trash strewn on the streets, but behind apartment walls and inside cars parked on the street.
- One even bit a person in Fenway last year.
Reality check: Bostonhas killed rats, but the best long-term strategy is to deter rats from gaining new ground, says John Ulrich, assistant commissioner of environmental services…