Rats suddenly surge in Boston suburbs
In Belmont, officials closed a popular children’s park twice in a recent five-month period because of rat infestations. In Peabody, rat problems are now a standing issue on the board of health’s monthly agenda.
The suburbs have long beckoned certain city dwellers — recent college grads in search of cheaper rent, young families wanting more space — but another kind of urbanite is now discovering paradise among the green lawns and leafy streets beyond Boston.
And it’s not better schools they’re after.
We’re talking about rats. Long a scourge of densely populated cities like Boston, rats have suddenly scurried into the consciousness of Boston’s suburbanites. The loathed little beasts have infested neighborhoods, startled residents, and flummoxed local authorities charged with getting rid of them.
