PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NY — Prospect and Crown Heights rat sightings have dropped 33.7 percent since last year — a potential sign that the humans are winning the “war on rats.”
Brooklynites reported 520 rat sightings in May, June and July in Community Boards 8 and 9 — a decent decrease from the 784 squeaky encounters over the same period last year, 311 data show.
All 311 rodent calls, including mouse sightings and signs of rodents, decreased by 36.7 percent over the same period in Community Boards 8 and 9.
Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The 2023 numbers showed similar promise. Rat sightings have increased every month since March. By June, sightings had decreased by 33 percent — and July was on pace to show even more relief. Central Brooklyn residents had reported seeing 73 rats by Thursday.
Prospect Heights has long been considered one of New York City’s rattiest neighborhoods, but has been controversially left out of some mitigation efforts.
Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
On Tuesday, Adams announced that the city’s rat mitigation zones, which includes Bed-Stuy and Bushwick, had seen a 45 percent decrease rat sightings over the last two months, as compared to last year. Across New York City, 311 calls about rats decreased by 20 percent, city officials said.
“It’s still early, but these numbers show what we’re doing is working and that we are moving in the right direction,” Adams said. “It takes all of us to win the war on rats.”
Authorities attributed some of the success to new trash set-out times and collection schedules.
“The frontline of our war on rats is at the all-you-can-eat buffet of black trash bags, and thanks to hard work across this administration, we’re cutting that buffet off,” said Kathleen Corradi, Director of Citywide Rodent Mitigation.
“We put New York City’s rats on a historically aggressive fasting diet,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi.
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