A rat infestation in Baldwin?

Oh, rats!
Close to a month after Baldwinites first started finding dead rats in their yards, and live ones elsewhere, residents say the vermin infestation is still a problem in the neighborhood. “I know of at least three people who have reported incidents to the Department of Health,” Robert Weisser said. Ellen Presotto said she has seen rats for months near Lofts Pond.
Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, a Democrat from Freeport, said her office has received about 10 complaints in recent weeks, with most calls coming from residents near Lofts Pond and others from people on Seaman Avenue. Others, she added, might have called the county Health Department directly. The department is investigating the matter, a spokeswoman for the agency said.  
Danny Schrafel, a spokesman for the Legislature, said in an email that the Health Department is working with the Parks Department to develop a long-term plan to clean up and maintain Lofts Pond.
 

What’s attracting the rats?
Health Department investigators have found that Lofts Pond visitors are feeding birds and waterfowl, in particular ducks and geese, Schrafel said. That could be one reason for more frequent rat sightings in Baldwin. “Residents are strongly discouraged from feeding birds and waterfowl, because the bird feed and bread remnants left behind attract vermin and exacerbate the existing problem,” Schrafel said.
Mary Ellen Laurain, a Health Department spokeswoman, said that fruits and vegetables grown in backyards also tend to attract rats, especially when they are ripe. “They’re going to move to where the food is,” Laurain said. Rats have also been known to eat dog feces left on sidewalks and backyards, she said. Acorns are a food source, too, according to a Health Department handout.
“If there’s no food around for them to eat,” Laurain said, “they’re going to move somewhere else.”
The Health Department also advises people to fix dilapidated structures on their properties, such as doghouses, mow their grass regularly, and trim bushes and shrubs. Residents should remove standing water near their houses, including in birdbaths. And they are advised to keep garbage cans covered and ensure there are no holes in them.
Health inspectors, as part of the investigation, are going door to door in Baldwin and checking for are any conditions on homeowners’ properties that might attract rats. “We will then educate them on what they can do to fix it,” Laurain said. Those who do not remedy such conditions could be fined by the Health Department.
In the end, no one could say for sure why there have been more rats spotted in Baldwin this summer than in prior ones. The investigation will continue for a couple of weeks, Mulé said. “We have to let the investigation run its course and come up with a plan of action,” she said.
In terms of catching or killing rats, residents are responsible for that on their own properties. Homeowners are allowed to use poison bait traps or any other pest control method, but owners of multi-dwelling units must use a state licensed pest control company.
Presotto said she was told that the county would exterminate rats near Lofts Pond. “I’m grateful it’s being addressed,” she said, “but I agree it’s a community effort.”
 
The Norway rat
According to several pest control websites, the Norway rat is the most common rat species in suburban areas. Weighing about a pound, it is primarily nocturnal and relies on sounds and smells because it has poor eyesight. Norway rats carry a variety of diseases, which can be transmitted to other animals or humans via fleas.
Rats can be killed or trapped with most pest control products found in grocery or hardware stores.
 
Not just a Baldwin problem
Asked whether she has heard complaints about rats in parts of her district outside Baldwin, Mulé said no. But other communities beyond the district have experienced similar issues. Massapequa residents have seen an uptick in the number of rats near their properties, according to published reports. Farmingdale residents also made many complaints last summer, reports state. And the Glen Cove Herald Gazette reported two weeks ago that a similar infestation is happening in the City of Glen Cove.
Mulé said she had never seen or heard of a rat problem requiring a county investigation. She also said she had never heard so many complaints during her time as a Freeport trustee. “This is a new one for me,” she said.
According to The New York Times, this is nothing new. The paper reported that rat complaints jumped from 850 in 1997 to 1,400 in 1998 in Nassau County.