Mayor Ballantyne has made real progress combating the city's rat problem
She combined expanded traditional methods with innovative technologies like electric traps and fertility control. She has made Somerville a leader in rat control, and our neighbors in Boston and Cambridge are looking to her for help.
Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and her administration have expanded Somerville's rodent control efforts and implemented innovative techniques to eliminate rats. "We have made Somerville the leader in Greater Boston on Rat Control, though we recognize there is still work to be done." - states Mayor Ballantyne.
Expanded Rodent Control Efforts
Mayor Ballantyne has expanded the Residential Rodent Control Assistance Program, making more properties eligible for free rodent control services. She has also increased public education and outreach to residents, businesses, and property owners about rodent activity and prevention. And she has proactively distributed new and replacement, rodent-resistant trash and recycling carts.
"Rat Czar" Office and Resources
Mayor Ballantyne established a dedicated role of Environmental Health Coordinator and "Rat Czar," overseeing all rodent control initiatives. She has invested significant resources in these initiatives, including a pilot program to deploy SMART Boxes.
Innovative Control Techniques
Electrocution (SMART Boxes): In 2022, we launched a program to deploy 50 SMART Boxes in four neighborhoods, which use an electrical current to kill rats entering the traps. These boxes also provide real-time data to help identify rodent activity hotspots. Somerville was the second city in the U.S. to use this technology.
Birth Control (Rodent Fertility Control)
Her administration is participating in a Rodent Fertility Control Study, using a hormonal fertility control product called Evolve in partnership with the Cambridge Public Health Department and Cambridge Inspectional Services. This study aims to evaluate Evolve's effectiveness as a long-term solution to humanely curb rat reproduction while reducing reliance on traditional rat poisons.
Other techniques she's trying include carbon monoxide pumps and other emerging methods to mitigate rodent populations.
Watch this video to learn more about Rat control in Somerville
Click to Read the Boston Globe Article
Mayor Ballantyne's administration has successfully implemented a multi-pronged approach to combat the city's rat problem, combining expanded traditional methods with the exploration and implementation of innovative technologies like electric traps and fertility control.
She understands that there is work to be done, and she's made real progress!
