City Rats Are Going on Birth Control
A city can have one of two levels of rat. There are cities where rats are glimpsed at night, furtively scurrying into a dark corner or among the train tracks. Then there are cities where the rats are so numerous and so brazen that they work out private disputes by brawling midday on a train platform, or they lounge on your front porch, eating fallen fruit. When rats reach that second level, city officials need some answer, any answer, to their rat problem. Washington, D.C., has reached that level, and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s answer involves rat birth control.
TL;DR
- Washington D.C. is facing a severe rat problem, leading to a new strategy involving birth control.
- Rat birth control aims to be a more humane alternative to traditional poisons, which can cause suffering and harm other animals.
- D.C. is implementing a comprehensive plan including poison, increased hygiene, and a 15-day ContraPest baiting period.
- Previous attempts at using ContraPest in D.C. were unsuccessful as rats did not consume the bait.
- The current strategy is a "rodent blitz" rather than a fertility pilot, making it difficult to isolate the effectiveness of birth control.
- Independent studies on the safety and effectiveness of ContraPest are lacking, and long-term use is likely necessary for lasting results.