“Rats that survive to the age of four are the wisest and most cynical beasts on earth,” Joseph Mitchell mused in his book Bottom of the Harbor. “I believe some of them can read.”
Such suspicions may be on the minds of local residents as well, as complaints about rats in New York City have increased in recent months, prompting action from local City Council member Gale Brewer (D-Upper West Side).
“We were getting a serious number of calls,” said Jessie Bodine, director of constituent relations for Brewer.
During the winter, Bodine explained, rodents move off of the streets and seek warm nesting spaces in buildings and residential areas. Rat problems also increase in the winter months because in the autumn, adolescent rats are kicked out of the nest and forced to find new food sources.
In October, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launched an online “rat information portal” that allows residents to view maps documenting the results of rodent inspections. According to the portal, 51 percent of initial inspections in 2007 for the district governed by Community Board 7 found evidence of rats, a percentage similar to the Manhattan-wide rate.
It is a rare Columbia student who has never seen a rat dart across the campus or street. Nocturnal by nature, rats are often out and about at the same time students are.
“I was eating a late dinner in John Jay one night when I saw baby rats scurrying in the woodwork by the windows,” Julia Kantor, BC ’12, said.
To prevent the transmission of disease and other rodent-related problems, Community Boards 7 and 9 have taken steps to educate residents on protect themselves from rats. Carmen Perez, chair of the CB9 Health and Human Services Committee, said CB9 has formed a partnership with West Harlem Environmental Action to teach people how to more effectively protect their homes.
CB7 officials plan to conduct inspections of areas with particularly large rat populations to assess the severity of the situation. Additionally, an education coordinator from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will speak with CB7 members and work in collaboration with Brewer.
“You’re going to have rats—they’re part of Manhattan’s history,” Bodine said, emphasizing that rats are inevitable New York City residents and that the city’s response cannot rely on extermination alone.
A more effective approach, Bodine said, is to prevent rodents from entering residential areas. Residents should keep their trash contained and block all crevices and holes that could be potential nesting spots for rodents.
CB7 district manager Penny Ryan agreed that the solution to the city’s rat problem does not lie solely in the hands of local government.
“The community has to take responsibility for its property,” Ryan said.
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