Hordes of rats are taking over NYC. Here's why

Friday, October 30, 2015, 9:38 AM - A spike in rat infestations has taken a bite out of the Big Apple over the past couple of years -- and record seasons of severe weather are being blamed.

Reports of rodents running wild across the seven boroughs have grown out-of-control in the aftermath of heavy winter snowfalls in New York City.

The city's complaint hotline has received a record number of rat-related calls, fielding more than 24,000 so far this year. The average number was closer to 20,000 over the last two years.

And the situation is enough to make your skin crawl. Residents have reported being swarmed by rats in parks and attacked on the subway. Rats have even been spotted walking around the city upright.

New York City health officials believe the vermin have thrived in recent months after feasting on garbage left to rot and fester on sidewalks during bouts of historic snowfall last winter. 

In January 2015, severe blizzards impacted about 20 million U.S. residents across the eastern seaboard, from Pennsylvania and New Jersey through to New England.

RELATED: Historic U.S. snowstorm: By the numbers

According to Caroline Bragdon, New York City's health department specialist and resident rat expert, last winter's big snow events may have brought rats out of hiding and onto the streets, she told the Associated Press.

As the most populated city in the United States, New York City and the abundant waste it creates is a veritable paradise for any creature.

While the seemingly voracious appetite of 'Pizza Rat' went viral earlier this year, most rats need only about an ounce of food and water each day to survive.

While previous analysis estimate there are approximately 2 million rats living in the city, scientists and city officials say it's impossible to accurately estimate the number. "There's no way to do that," said Bragdon. Scientists can estimate the number of rats in a fixed area, like a park, by counting burrows and multiplying it by 10, but larger estimates are just not accurate, Bragdon said.

A newly released complaint line smartphone app has likely added to the increase in calls, making it easier for people to report rodent sightings to the city.

Bragdon's team responds to rat complaints, compiling a citywide 'rat index' and inspecting dozens of buildings each month. What began as a team of less than a dozen has now expanded to nearly 50 people, working with a nearly $3 million annual budget to implement the latest push to control rodents.

But that only scratches the surface of the city's rat crisis.

The team only goes after above-ground rodents. Their index does not address or include rat colonies running wild underground.

That's why the city is spending $2.9 million USD on a pilot program to eradicate 'rat reservoirs;' by going after colonies in parks, subways and sewers. Exterminators have been working with various neighbourhoods on ways to best avoid attracting rats in the future.

As another winter season approaches  so does the threat of severe storms. Unless sanitation workers can get a handle on weekly trash pick-ups, the city faces another year in their war on rats.

Source: Associated Press

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