New York City is the most popular city in the world for tourists and the rats really like it too. For years, city managers have been battling a rat problem that makes a typical episode of Fear Factor look like a piece of cake. Any time you have so much architecture and so many people occupying the same space, you will find the perfect breeding ground for rodents and insects. The New York City officials want residents to become a part of the solution and not just a part of the problem.

In a recent article published on WBUR, the city announced new classes for residents. The classes will cover everything from in the house, to outside around the house, to garden areas, and will show residents how to look at these areas like an inspector would. Rats are sneaky and even when you don’t see them around, they are around. Rat Expert Caroline Bragdon said in the article, if you know what you are looking for, you can even see the hairs they leave behind to know they are there.

Called The Rat Academy, the class does what most training in New York City doesn’t: show you how to make your property unattractive (to rats.) Putting out bait and rat traps isn’t enough to protect a property from an infestation. The classes through the academy go much deeper. In just two hours, the classes will teach residents and business owners how to better rat-proof their property.

What many people don’t realize is that rats only need the tiniest of holes to climb through to enter a space. The class will show people how to protect common entryways like doors as well as other entryways.

One specific focus of academy teachers is the city’s community gardens. The gardens have been experiencing a terrible rat problem this year. The president of one on Avenue B said they find droppings, dead rats and even decomposing rats buried in the flowers and foliage.

Programs like The Rat Academy should be used in conjunction with professional pest control. Neighborhood rats can cause serious health problems and the problem should not be taken lightly. In a recent EcoShield blog post, we shared a list of several diseases and viruses carried by rats. It only takes one rat to spread disease and in a city with a rat problem, the chances of spreading disease rise significantly.

Protect your family and property with a complete home inspection by a professional. Learn how to inspect your property on your own in between treatments. For a free consultation, call EcoShield Pest Control.