Community Corner

Benefits District Attempts to Rub Out Rats

The Charles Village Benefits District will pay to have 480 rat abatement stations placed in neighborhood alleys.

Charles Village Benefits District will be making an attempt to rid itself of some unwanted four-legged residents starting in July.

The district, with funds from Johns Hopkins, has hired Regional Pest Management to place 480 rat abatement stations in public alleys in the area.

David Hill, executive director of the district, said there are some pockets of the district, such as the very southern section of Charles Village, where there appears to be a lot of rat activity. But the rodents can be found throughout the area, he said. 

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Hill is hopeful the program will reduce the number of rats in the neighborhood, but said tracking the program's results will be less than scientific.

“We’re simply going to have to ask residents if they’ve seen a decline of activity of rats,” Hill said.

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The rat abatement stations are only a part of the program.

The benefits district will also begin an education program to try to get residents to put trash out only on collection days in cans with tightly fitting lids.

Jeff Hauf, president of Regional Pest Control, said the success of the rat abatement would depend largely on residents.

He said rats forage up to the length of a football field to find food. If residents don’t pick up pet waste and put trash in sealed cans, the abatement stations will be less effective.

“This is a big project, and different areas will get different results depending on competitive food sources,” Hauf said.   


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