Big City Rats And How To Get Rid Of Them

NPR

Published November 21, 2016 at 1:52 PM EST

A Norway rat shot with a pellet gun in the alley behind University Book Store in Seattle. There are more rats in Seattle, and warmer climate means a longer breeding period -- and therefore more rats. (Mike Kane/KUOW)

Many U.S. cities have a rat problem. Besides freaking most people out, the rodents also devour food supplies or contaminate what they don’t eat. Rats also spread harmful viruses and bacteria, and they can eat through almost any obstacle in pursuit of a meal or a safe haven to breed.

Seattle ranks high on the list of cities with a big rat problem. Households there are more than twice as likely to report rat sightings than the national average.

Reporter Ashley Ahearn (@aahearn) from EarthFix at KUOW in Seattle tells us why the city has so many rats, and one way the city is trying to control them.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate