Controlling Rats
The Vision:
A city that is free of its current rodent explosion while protecting children, pets, and animals of prey such as eagles and owls.
Coverage from 2017:
The Problem:
Waltham is being inundated with rats. The worst problems are near restaurants and in the most crowded parts of the city. The city has used anti-coagulant poisons and other traps that are insufficient at reducing the rat population. These poisons injure children, kill pets, or make them severely ill, and are responsible for 80% of eagle deaths. They kill other predators, too.
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A rat can live on an ounce of food and water a day.
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Failure to provide proper sealed containers - for residents or businesses - creates an abundance of food for rats. Milder winters caused by climate change, and multiple nest-disturbing construction sites, have led to an explosion of rats.
Coverage from 2023 Showing No Progress:
The Opportunity:
The profusion of poison traps is not working but there are good solutions out there. We need a comprehensive - not piecemeal - approach. Here are some solutions I would employ:
Electric Traps
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Use high volume electric traps.
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Survey and map out implementation plan for short and long term goals
Universal Trash Bins
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Enforce trash rules that garbage must be placed in closed, impenetrable containers.
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Provide rat resistant trash totes to every household as Waltham did for recycling bins.
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Use rat resistant trash containers in public places and empty them frequently.
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Inspect dumpsters to assure they close securely.
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Implement a policy of carry in/carry out for trash in parks and recreation areas.
Conta Pest
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Use Conta Pest, a rat contraceptive that has been shown to reduce litters by between 57% - 67%.
composting
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Implement city-wide composting for restaurants and residents.
Waltham, like any city, will never eliminate rats, but their population can be brought down to reasonable levels. I will implement the various solutions available to the city starting with those with the greatest impact.