New York’s war on rat-infested Brooklyn has stepped up a notch with alcohol and vinegar-filled rodent traps.
The new traps have already killed more than 100 rats in the past month – although their use has come under fire from animal activists who are demanding a more human approach.
The crackdown on rodents comes amid disturbing reports on social media about a rat seen near the epicenter of the problem that was ‘foaming at the mouth.’
An NYPD spokeswoman could not confirm the app’s claim that police were responding to the report of the ‘vicious looking rat.’
Brooklynites have made disturbing reports on social media about the rodents, including a one on the ‘Citizen’ app Thursday of a rat seen near the epicenter of the problem that was ‘foaming at the mouth’
The Prospect Heights Task Force in a tweet (above) demanded action from Adams, Mayor Bill de Blasio and other officials
‘JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE RAT PROBLEM COULDN’T GET WORST,’ wrote the Prospect Heights Rat Task Force in a tweet about the offending rat that was directed at Adams and other officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, demanding action.
A spokesman for Adams confirmed the borough president was aware of the sighting.
A spokesperson for de Blasio did not immediately respond when DailyMail.com reached out.
The area where the offending rat was spotted was the epicenter for the ‘rat infestation,’ which has sounded off alarms through out the borough, a spokesman for Adams told DailyMail.com
Lincoln Place between Washington and Underhill avenues is located in the borough’s Prospect Heights section, which along with Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick reported an uptick in rat sightings, according to Adams.
Adams’ response to an uptick in rat sightings was to bring in Rat Trap Inc., a company which uses a rodent mitigation device that lures rats with seeds into a sealed container. Rats caught by the devices are put on display (above) during a press conference on September 5.
‘Our pilot program shows that there is a sustainable way to mitigate rat problems in a way that causes no inconvenience to businesses or residents,’ said Adams (above) when he first unveiled the devices (left).
Rat Trap Inc., a company brought in to handle the rodent mitigation uses a device (above) that lures rats with seeds into a sealed container where they slip into a chamber filled with alcohol and vinegar and drown
A recent study by RentHop found 6,500 rat complaints were made to the city’s 311 hotline in 2018, more than any of the city’s other five boroughs.
Adams’ response was to bring in Rat Trap Inc., a company which uses a rodent mitigation device that lures rats with seeds into a sealed container where slip into a chamber filled with alcohol and vinegar.
The $300 devices placed around borough hall between August and September successfully killed 107 rodents.
‘Our pilot program shows that there is a sustainable way to mitigate rat problems in a way that causes no inconvenience to businesses or residents,’ said Adams in a released statement about the rat deterrent.
Animal rights activists criticized Adams over the method used for capturing and killing the rats, saying it was inhumane. A tweet above from Spay Neuter Intervention Project charges Adams with ‘animal cruelty.’
Animal rights activists fired back that the method used for capturing and killing the rats was inhumane.
‘All involved should be arrested and charged with animal cruelty,’ tweeted the Spay Neuter Intervention Project, also known as SNIP.
Voters For Animal Rights posted a statement on its website that ‘[a]ny veterinarian in the world would tell you that drowning is an incredibly inhumane way to kill a mammal.’
Allie Taylor, the group’s president, who wrote the statement, demanded another course of action and claimed her group represents more than ‘60,000 New York City humane voters.’
‘Drowning animals is barbaric,’ Taylor said in an email after she was contacted by DailyMail.com.
‘Eric Adams’ plan to deal with the rat issue will not work and is nothing more than a bizarre press stunt,’ she wrote.
Adams does intend to respond to the group, said his spokesman.
In the meantime, he wants his pilot program expanded, not just to Brooklyn but the entire city.
‘It’s time for the City to follow our lead and use a solution that works,’ he said in a statement.