Rat sightings in the Parkchester area of the Bronx led the city’s “rat czar” to pay a visit. Currently, the Grand Concourse is the only current location identified in the borough as a rat mitigation zone due to an influx of the vermin.
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The city’s first-ever “rat czar,” who has taken on the unenviable task of trying to eliminate the rodent population in New York City, visited the Bronx recently to address concerns over the amount of sightings coming out of the Parkchester section.
City Council Member Amanda Farías and Kathleen Corradi, the city’s director of rodent mitigation, led a tour around the Parkchester subway station on Sept. 22 to evaluate the response of efforts to eradicate the pesky vermin there as well as the surrounding areas of Hugh J. Grant Circle and Virginia Park.
According to Mayor Eric Adams’ office, the city’s approach to rat mitigation includes identifying areas of concern contributing to the rat population, as well as discussing and addressing issues, along with intervention and evaluation, an ongoing process based on different situations throughout the city.
After the initial evaluation, other mitigation efforts include cleaning up — washing away rat droppings and track marks, along with controlling weeds, shrubs and bushes and getting rid of clutter on property, as well as depriving the vermin of food by managing garbage and decreasing the number of hours garbage stays on the street before pickup.
Final preventative steps include shutting the rats out by sealing cracks, filling holes and closing burrows, and eventually wiping them out with rodent baiting.
Various areas outside of the Parkchester station revealed potential rat nesting for breeding, known as “hot spots.” Those locations are identified through 311 data, as well as inspection data from NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOH).
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