There’s an apparent rat epidemic in Manhattanville—and some residents are quick to connect it to University construction at the new campus.
“I have little mice running everywhere,” said Katrice Wynn, a resident at 3155 Broadway. “There wasn’t any mice and rats last year. This year there are.”
Wynn said that she catches four to five rats a day in her apartment.
Complaints like Wynn’s echo the sentiment of many community members, who first broached the topic of pest control and rising rat populations at a Community Board 9 meeting last week.
Philip Pitruzzello, vice president of Manhattanville Capital Construction and Facilities at Columbia, said that pest management remains a huge concern for the University, although he and other Columbia officials denied that the recent construction has caused an uptick in rodent sightings.
Columbia’s pest management initiatives began three years ago, just as construction efforts on the expansion were beginning. It began with a survey of the demolition area as well as the surrounding properties to estimate rodent activity and population, according to a University statement. From these results, and additional surveys conducted recently, University officials maintain that there is no increase in rodent activity.
Manny Guzman, the owner of the firm managing Columbia’s pest control, said, “I’m on site basically every week, sometimes two to three times a week … we know exactly what’s happening there.”
However, Guzman said he was unable “to give an accurate number” of the rats in Manhattanville from the initial survey.
“Right in that tree right there—absolutely, there are big rats there,” Grant Houses resident Marty Lovejoy said as he pointed to a tree near the 125th Street subway station on Broadway, adding that he’s seen rats as big as cats at night.
“Something’s bringing all the rats up here, it’s not natural,” Lovejoy said.
Construction projects often drive rats out of their nests below ground and into surrounding areas.
However, Jill Gordon, an expert in rodent life and pest management specialist hired to supervise Guzman, said that the University could not have caused any rise in rat population.
“When you demolish a building in New York City, its city law that in order to get a permit, you have to show that a building is rodent-free,” said Gordon.
Gordon also said that rats likely don’t like living in the sewers below because the water flows quickly.
“If you look down into the sewers, the water table is so high it would actually be very hard for rats to live in there,” she said. “I’m not doubting that they see rats around where they live, but those rats are probably coming from the trash on the streets.”
Grant House resident Martha Washington said she sees rodent control as a general problem in the area, not one caused by recent demolition.
“There’s been a lot of construction and ground digging,” she said, adding that she hasn’t had problems because she keeps her home clean. “I make it a point to keep my house as rodent-free as possible.”
Other local residents don’t see rodents as a problem, including Manhattanville Houses resident Eduardo Ramiraz. Ramiraz said he hasn’t seen any rats lately.
Resident Ramona Uduiba said, “I live right across from the construction and I haven’t seen or had any problems.”
Despite concerns, Guzman said he and his team have the best interest of local residents at heart.
Gordon is holding free rat awareness classes, in which she will explain the causes of rodent infestations and how to stop them.
Chelsea Lo contributed reporting.
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