2010 Could Very Well Prove to be the Year of the Rat For New York City

There are already an estimated 7 rats for each person living in New York City.   Springtime is also rats’ prime mating season.   Keeping this and the city’s latest budget cuts eliminating 70 percent of its pest control (leaving only 27 full-time aides) [NY Daily News..] in mind, there will be a huge problem controlling the rat population this summer.

Fritz Reid, the head of the union that represents the workers said that, “It’s going to affect quality of life directly, giving more harbor to rodents, lowering property values…These people are cleaning up our neighborhoods.”

According to Eyewitness news, city leaders say that the proposed cuts will lead to a revamped approach to battling the city’s rats by using a geographic coding system to locate the most troublesome areas.   “The agency will restructure the pest control lot cleaning program, while maintaining capacity to respond to situations needing immediate attention,” a health department spokesperson said [abc local].

So, is it time to pack up and leave the city to the pests?   Not a chance.   As experts attest, the only way to get rid of the rats is to get rid of the tons of garbage that New Yorkers throw out every day.   “Get rid of the smorgasbord that the rats can choose from every night, and you get rid of the rats.”   So says Joe “Dee” Dussich, founder and inventor of the newly EPA approved Mint-X garbage bag.   “If you were a rat, would you rather eat poison?   Or would you rather enjoy your choice of Chinese, Italian, French, or Spanish food that restaurants leave out?”   The answer is obvious to New York’s Norwegian rat.

If you’re worried about rats getting at your garbage, Joe Dee’s Mint-X garbage bag might help.   The EPA certified bag has been proven to be 100% effective at repelling rats and is already being used by many of New York City’s building managers.

So at least there is one option for you now that there are less city workers handling the explosion of rats.

This post is by a guest contributor Jeff Cannon.