03 November 2023 , 17:08
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A neighbourhood in New York has killed "nearly 100%" of rats by gassing them - with the controversial program set to expand.
Council member Julie Menin has revealed she's identified a successful rat-killing method that has a "remarkable reduction" in vermin on the Upper East Side. The method involves an exterminator using a Burrow Rx machine to pump the gas into the burrows.
Julie learned about the method after conducting some extermination research in other cities such as Boston. She hired a local exterminator, Urban Pest Management, to fumigate burrows in tree pits last year.
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Council Member Julie Menin has praised the successful method (Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit)She told Gothamist: "We launched this mitigation effort starting on the East 86th Street corridor, which was a corridor of enormous complaints because we've got so many retail stores there and a tremendous amount of trash – and we had unbelievable success in terms of this technique,” Menin said, touting the elimination of more than 100 rat burrows.
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It has been so successful, she's had dozens of requests to bring the method to different neighbourhoods. Julie has allocated more than $30,000 in sanitation funds to the technique, which is safe for humans, pets, and other animals as it dissipates in the air - like exhaust from running cars.
She told the New York Post: “We went from getting inundated with complaints to our office from residents and businesses on East 86th Street, to — we’re not getting complaints anymore. In fact, all we’re getting is people calling us and saying, ‘Can you bring this to our block?’”
The machine uses vegetable oil to create smoke so they can visually track where the fumes are being directed and ensure no carbon monoxide is travelling towards underground offices or homes. Exterminator Matthew Deodato said he carries a spiked garden hoe to kill any rats that manage to flee and escape the fumes. However, he tries to avoid killing the rats in public. “People are still sensitive about watching something die,” he said. “They get a little upset – even if it's a rat.”
Andrew Fine, secretary and treasurer of the East 86th Street Association, said that the program is a “resounding success” in killing off 100 burrows, and now the street needs only “occasional maintenance of one or two” burrows.
“This is not the panacea that's going to solve all of New York City's rat problems, but it's a very effective tool for the tree pit issue,” Council member Menin said.
He said the program is expanding and would be coming to other locations such as East 75th Street between Second and Third Avenues, where complaints are. “What an amazing difference,” Menin continued. “We are so happy that this program will be expanded so other problem areas can see similar success.”