Rat ‘Mitigation’ Teams Are Coming to a Tree Bed Near You

Rats making a living in NYC’s tree beds are apparently on notice, with the Adams administration announcing a new “mitigation” program targeting them.

A total of $877,000 will reportedly go toward rat mitigation teams, which will have a dedicated staff of 12. They will target 600,000 tree beds throughout the city’s five boroughs, Adams said on June 22, and provide “inspection” and “associated services” with the assistance of exterminators and a forester.

“By cleaning up trash and hiring a team of experts to clear out burrows while caring for our trees, we are reclaiming public space, fighting rats, and improving quality of life for all New Yorkers,” Adams said in a statement. “Our administration continues to build on the work we are doing to end the dominance of trash and rats on our streets.”

The mayor hosted a smoke-out demonstration in Brooklyn to announce the initiative, where he watched, wearing a “Mayor” polo shirt (and a mask) as an ostensible burrow was pumped full of noxious gas. He also primed the machine when it cooled off, giving a few game tugs of the starter cord for the cameras.

New York City Director of Rat Mitigation Kathy Corradi similarly praised the new program. “Rats have historically exploited street tree beds, as they sit at the cross section of the private and public realm and are adjacent to food sources and travel pathways,” she said. She added that the latest anti-rat drive will neatly complement “the tremendous efforts to clean our curbs and educate property owners.”

The effort, of course, is also being executed with help from the NYC Parks Department. Recently appointed Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said that “rats in street tree beds have gone unaddressed, undermining the hard work of both city agencies and local communities.” She described the new mitigation program as “science-based” and “non-toxic.”

The city is clearly hoping that the effort will strike a decisive blow against rodent forces in the rat-hating mayor’s “War on Rats.” Officials described the latest efforts as marking a new phase of the years-long battle to control the rodent population. Tree beds were the source of over 2,300 rat calls to complaint line 311 last year. officials said.

The NYC Health Department noted that tree beds make appealing homes for rats because they provide ample food, shelter, and water. “Food, litter, dog waste, animal feed, and garbage provide plenty of food for rats,” according the Department of Health website. “Water that accumulates along the curb or in the tree bed can provide water for the rats to drink . . . [rats] prefer to burrow close to a reliable food source and under clutter, dense bushes, and plants.”

Before the newly mobilized rat mitigators arrive at a tree bed near you, there are steps Manhattan residents can take to minimize rat burrowing. If you want to deprive rats of a food source, pick up after your dog and don’t feed pigeons, for example. Residents can also collapse visible burrows carefully, by putting objects such as landscaping pebbles into them, but experts cautioned that it’s important not to disturb crucial tree roots.