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Greater Boston has a rat problem, according to readers
Readers say the rats have "moved in, taken over, and blackmailed the city into doing nothing."
Rats are chewing up car wires, having get-togethers in front yards, and chasing each other around city streets all around Greater Boston. And worst of all, according to Boston.com readers, the longer they go unchecked, the bolder they become.
“Brighton is inundated with rats. They are brazen and unfettered, running around my husband’s feet in the backyard! It’s frightening how bold they are,” Lorian from Brighton said. “It’s shameful that neighbors show little regard for covering trash barrels and leaving food out, basically inviting them.”
Reports of rat infestations are on the rise in Boston and other municipalities. Recently, City Councilor Ed Flynn said the city should seriously consider starting a department specifically to control the pests. Elsewhere in the region, city officials are turning to rat birth control and traps to address their spread. We asked Boston.com readers if they’ve noticed an uptick in the rat population in their neighborhoods and 84% of the 103 people polled said the rats are out of control.
Have you noticed an increase in rats in and around Boston?
Yes
84%
No
16%
Josh from Salem was one of the few respondents who said they haven’t noticed a significant change in the rodents in the area, and he argued that the critters just come with the territory if you want to live in a city.
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“I lived in New York City for 10 years. You could eat on the sidewalks of Boston by comparison. The rats here are basically mice and you rarely see them. Of course outside dumpsters in Chinatown and the North End, there are more but if you don’t expect that then don’t live in a city,” he said.
But many readers don’t feel dealing with rats should just be an accepted part of living in Boston and officials in favor of a New York-style rat czar say the same.
“Probably for as long as the City of Boston has been a city, we have dealt with pests,” City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo said. “I think people think it’s funny when you say a ‘rat czar,’ but these are the kinds of things that make a real change in people’s lives on a day-to-day basis.”
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The suggested department would work across city departments and explore innovative ways to fight off the rats. Anti-rat efforts have also been proposed in Brookline, Newton, Cambridge, and other towns.
In the meantime, D.H. from Cambridge has advice for residents who cross paths with rats.
“I always stomp my feet or shout before approaching the trash bin behind my apartment complex. It’s important to assert your dominance over the rats so they don’t get too cocky,” she said.
Below you’ll find a sampling of responses from readers describing how the rise in rats has impacted their neighborhoods and what they wish their city officials would do about the problem.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
‘Every night feels like a rat hunt’
“The rat problem is not easy because of all of the building that is going on, rat nests are being disturbed. Any time that you have multiple areas of the city under construction, there are obviously going to be more rats. And the building in the city has increased exponentially since I was younger. Then there’s the lack of trash containment and just generally increased litter on the streets, parks, and college areas. At the same time, the methods for getting rid of rats are dangerous to pets and wildlife (rodenticides). We need to find a solution that not only works for us but also works with nature. It’s a delicate balance.” — H., Cambridge
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“Rats are all over the city. By the side streets near Ashmont station. By Forest Hills. My neighbor saw a falcon fly off with one once.” — Jen L., Dorchester
“Rats in Waltham have basically moved in, taken over, and blackmailed the city into doing nothing. Pretty much every neighborhood you walk through had black box rat traps. Complaints to the city pretty much go on deaf ears, or they tell residents to pay to exterminate ‘their rat problem.’ Until the city has a comprehensive plan that includes residents, businesses, and the city, these things will just multiply at an extraordinary rate.” — Rosemary D., Waltham
“Every night feels like a rat hunt when I walk the dog! He sniffs them out underneath cars, in the front yards, everywhere. Prior to 2020, I had seen maybe two rats total in 9 years of living in the South End. Now it’s a nightly occurrence!” — Laura L., South End
“Rats behind our home on Queensberry Street have eaten the wires in my car causing thousands of dollars in damage, TWICE!” — Andrea P., Fenway
“We’ve been living in Cleveland Circle for 15 years. I could count on two hands the number of rats we saw in our yard in the first 12. Now every time we go outside at night, there are between five and 10 having what appears to be a party in our yard. They’ve recently gotten so bold as to climb up and down the stairs to our back deck (seemingly undeterred by the motion lights we installed) just to I don’t know, hang out? [Terminix] does nothing but refill bait traps which are obviously terrible for local wildlife but we are at our wit’s end. We can’t even let our kid play in the front yard — the whole thing is ripped up and smells like pee. We replaced it last year with sod but after they ripped it up again, we’ve resolved to just live as if we had no green space at all. No idea how to fix this but we need to put a team with some sort of plan on it ASAP.” — Ryan, Brighton
‘This should be a city health issue’
“The rats in my neighborhood in the South End in Boston are awful. Rat holes all over the place. I think the city should provide rat traps free of charge at least. Even better to install them in the alleys.” — Alice, South End
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“I’m in Cambridge. The rats have financially ruined me, damaged plants chewed on the bottoms of the fence, and dug burrows all over. They should fine people who don’t clean up their yards and leave weeds knee-high, they should sterilize the rats so the males can’t reproduce. They have become brazen, the other day one walked past me before darting into a neighbor’s yard.” — Maryann T., Cambridge
“Trash should go out the day of collection, even if that means delaying collection until 9 a.m. Actually, that would give people time to get to work. I live in Somerville and I do see many [rats].” — Noel K., Somerville
“I live in Liz Breadon’s district, Brighton, in a condo complex of nine buildings. I’m both elderly and educated. I’ve owned my condo here since 2000 — that’s 23 years. Our dumpsters are emptied twice a week by private haulers whom we pay (through condo fees) and once a week by the city. We have traps near the dumpster and in the basements and entrances of all nine buildings. The problem is residents who ignore posted rules about keeping our dumpster doors closed, and trash collectors who leave the lids open. Rats can get in easily to forage for food. Our staff tries to identify and fine people who leave trash accessible, but that’s not always possible. The city needs to be more proactive about enforcing rules for dumpster use. All trash collectors should be accountable to the city, punished, and fined for leaving dumpsters open after emptying them. Complaint forms should be widely available, not just online but also in print. Signs should be larger, with higher fines, and posted everywhere. Most of the offenders think rules don’t apply to them.” — Jacqueline L., Boston
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“Boston needs aggressive action against rats and resume the dry ice treatment of rat holes. The city should not pass the blame onto homeowners who happen to have rat holes in their yards. This should be a city health issue.” — Philip W., Boston
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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