In continuation from Wednesday…

Dr. Robert M. Corrigan, a rodentologist, who is well versed in all aspects of rats, led the interesting rat study.  He pointed out that rat poison is currently only being used on the train tracks to kill the rodents.  Once a train travels through the tracks, the poison is scattered.  Additionally, the refuse room which houses the garbage before it is transported out of the subway; is not subject to rat traps or poison.  This room, filled with black bags of trash, is a buffet for rats every day of the week!  Dr. Corrigan suggested that the rooms be guarded so that the rats could not reach their feast.

According to the New York Times, Dr. Corrigan told health officials that rats in New York City were a problem not only in subways, but other public places as well, especially parks.  “Virtually all of New York,” he said, “is vulnerable to this uncanny mammal.”

Wild rats are creatures that should be feared and avoided.  Although they are unlikely to bite you unless they are cornered, rats have the potential of spreading dangerous diseases to humans.  In the Middle Ages, rats (actually the fleas that were on the rats) were the cause of the spread of Bubonic Plague (the Black Death).  That plague wiped out a third of the European population during that time period. Some rat lovers of today say that the rats that are scurrying about New York City could not/would not cause another plague in today’s world, but how can anyone be so sure.  America could barely handle the H1N1 health crisis this past year, I can’t imagine how taxing a plague would be to our health system!  Rats are also known carriers of Leptospirosis.  This dangerous disease can be transmitted to domestic animals and humans alike.

If you need help ridding your business of rats in New York City or New Jersey, contact a licensed pest control specialist who is trained in expert rat removal services.