Latest news with #Flaco'sLaw
New York Post
5 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
Birth of a new era as NYC plants rat contraceptives in Harlem
Rats, not tonight, honey. The city just opened its latest front on its war against its most hated rodents — lacing rat bait around the city with birth control. The program kick-started on city property in Harlem last week — and is expected to cost nearly $600,000 annually for the anti-procreation pellets and a staff of five full-timers, including a city research scientist and pest-control aide, according to City Council documents. 4 The city is pulling out all the stops to contraception to try to curb its rat population. Christopher Sadowski The move comes a week after UFO-like 'Empire Bins'' were put in the same Manhattan neighborhood to try to end curbside feasts for the relentless rodents. 'We're incredibly excited and optimistic about all the containerization work we're seeing in the city because that's reducing food competition — and really reducing a rat's ability to reproduce by cutting off its food source,' city rat czar Kathleen Corradi told The Post in an exclusive interview Monday. 'What the science tells us is removal of a food source, removal of those conditions that allow them to thrive, is how we get to achieve sustained production — and we're seeing really great results in that regard,' she said. 4 Big Apple officials from Mayor Eric Adams on down have declared war on the rodents. Kevin C Downs for The New York Post The rodent 'contraceptive stations' rely on bait designed to specifically woo rats. The contraceptive pellets slow egg production in female rats and sperm mobility in males. The effort is part of 'Flaco's Law,' which the council passed after rat poison was linked to the death of the Central Park Zoo's beloved escapee Flaco the owl. The contraceptives are in tamper-resistant contraptions and pose an extremely low risk to humans, pets or 'non-target' wildlife, a city rep said. The city Health Department will conduct monthly inspections to track signs of rats in the area, according to the legislation. 4 Hundreds of 'Empire Bins' designed to get residential waste off of city streets were installed in Harlem this year. Kevin C Downs for The New York Post Once the pilot wraps in 12 months, workers will report to the mayor and council on whether the approach has been effective at curbing rats. Citywide rat sightings reported to 311 are down each of the past six months when compared to the same time period last year, coinciding with the city's new requirements for closed-lid trash containers. But not all areas around the city have seen a decrease in rat sightings. The community-board district where the contraception pilot program is in West Harlem has seen a 7.8% jump in rat sightings compared to this time last year, according to a Post analysis of 311 data. Corradi argues that the city's efforts are only as good as property owners' compliance from waste containerization to outdoor dining regulations. 4 A rat-chewed New York City Department of Sanitation trash bin shows how pesky the critters are. Gabriella Bass '[Human] behavior change is hard,' she said. 'We are doing integrated pest management on city-owned properties, but then the 98% remaining of the tax lots that are privately owned properties, that's up to the property owners to choose what mechanisms they're doing when it comes to [rat population] control.' Corradi added that when one area has success combatting the rodents, she doesn't expect hungry rats to simply migrate to other parts of the city in search of food because the rodent species is 'by nature, hyperlocal. 'Typically, these animals don't travel 100 to 300 feet from where they're living to their food source,' she said.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New York implements innovative new strategy to reduce its 3 million-strong rat population: 'You can't let these rats run your life'
In the city where pizza rats are as famous as pigeons, New York is trying a new tactic in its long war against rodents: birth control. Starting April 26, the city began distributing contraceptive pellets to rats in designated "rat mitigation zones," hoping to slow their explosive population growth, reported CBS News New York. The pilot program will begin in Harlem and expand on broader efforts to control the pests more humanely and, hopefully, more effectively. New York City ranked among the top three rattiest cities in the U.S. in 2024, with an estimated population of 3 million, according to pest control company Orkin. But extermination efforts, including rat poison, have come under fire for harming pets and wildlife — like Flaco the owl, who died last year after ingesting a poisoned rat. In response, Councilmember Shaun Abreu led the passage of "Flaco's Law," which funds a new contraceptive program to target rats at the source. "Two rats in a given year can reproduce 15,000 descendants," Abreu warned. With help from the company WISDOM Good Works, the city will begin distributing fertility control pellets in high-traffic rat areas. Officials said the pellets are designed to disrupt reproduction in rats without poisoning the food chain. Still, some residents remain skeptical. "They're not little babies no more," said Middle Village resident Cookie Barbara, who told CBS News New York she's considering hiring a private exterminator after seeing rats grow bolder in her neighborhood. "You can't let these rats run your life," her neighbor Debbie said. It's not just about squeamish sidewalk encounters. New York's rat boom is a public health issue rooted in deeper environmental problems. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Population growth, aging infrastructure, poor waste management, and climate-change–driven urban shifts have created ideal conditions for rats. Warmer winters and overflowing trash provide rats with year-round food and shelter, helping them thrive. Unchecked, rats can spread disease, contaminate food, and damage buildings. And as rodenticide use climbs, so does the risk to pets and predators that eat poisoned rats. The problem is as much about how we live — and throw away — as it is about the rats themselves. Beyond the birth control rollout, the city has invested in trash containerization in neighborhoods like Harlem, cutting rat complaints by 55% in some areas. Education is another focus. Rat Czar Kathleen Corradi now hosts "Rat Walks" to teach New Yorkers how waste habits attract rats. "The only way we are successful is getting an educated public change in behaviors and addressing those conditions that support rats. Extermination will always be a part of the conversation, but we know the long-term success relies on front-end equation, and that's where we're really focusing and empowering New Yorkers," Corradi told ABC News. Residents can help by securing their trash, reporting infestations, and avoiding poison. Humane and preventative approaches, experts said, are the most sustainable path forward — for humans, animals, and ecosystems alike. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
NYC rolling out rat birth control this month. What to know about the city's new strategy for reducing rodents
New York City is preparing to roll out an unconventional strategy for tackling its rodent problem: rat birth control. The city says its pilot program goes into effect April 26, distributing pellets to select rat mitigation zones beginning in Harlem. "Two rats in a given year can reproduce 15,000 descendants," New York City Councilmember Shaun Abreu said. "We have to go at the source." As chair of the sanitation committee, he led the successful push for Flaco's Law , the rat contraceptive initiative named for the beloved owl that died last year after consuming rat poison . Abreu estimates zones could start seeing a difference in as little as six months. "We know these pellets are going to be attractive to rats because they're sweet. There's a compound in it called triptolide that targets ovarian function in female rats and sperm production in male rats," he said. Animal welfare organizations including PETA have shared support for the program's mission to keep poison out of the mouths of pets and wildlife. The New York City Department of Health and Hygiene says Flaco's Law will work in tandem with existing containerization rules , which they say have helped bring down 311 complaints of rat sightings citywide , down 24% year-over-year in January 2025 compared to January 2024. You can email Elle with Queens story ideas by CLICKING HERE .
