BOSTON- On March 16th at 10:00AM in the Iannella Chamber at City Hall, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn will hold a hearing to discuss pest control and the discovery of leptospirosis in the City of Boston. Residents who would like to testify at the hearing in-person, or virtually via Zoom, are invited to please contact [email protected]. If you would like to also provide written testimony, you can email the committee at [email protected] or email [email protected]. Neighbors are also invited to watch the livestream of the hearing at the following link: www.boston.gov/city-council-tv.
Pest control is critical to our residents’ quality of life, as rodents are not only a nuisance, but they also impact public health, the sanitization of our neighborhoods, and the maintenance of our properties. There has been a dramatic rise in rodent and pest activities in our neighborhoods since the COVID-19 pandemic, with residents and businesses reporting to 311 about the increase of rats and other rodents in Boston.
Last year, a Tufts University study on the Boston Urban Rat population found that rats in Boston are carrying and spreading leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that impacts both humans and other animals. Leptospirosis is spread by the urine of infected animals through contact with infected soil and water. The spread of leptospirosis has been aided by climate change, as the bacteria thrives in warmer conditions. There are concerns on how this may impact vulnerable populations such as the homeless, as well as our street cleaners and sanitary health workers, and those who come in regular contact with animals.
This Tufts University report reinforces the urgent need for the City of Boston to make pest control a top priority. Following last year’s release of the city’s Boston Rodent Action Plan (BRAP), it is important to review if the initiative is delivering results, and to revisit the recommendation of the study’s author, renowned rodent urbanologist Dr. Bobby Corrigan for the creation of a dedicated position of a “rat czar”, as New York City implemented in 2023.
“As recommended by Dr. Corrigan in the city’s study, I continue to advocate for a dedicated point person solely focused on addressing our pest control crisis. While public trash containers in commercial areas are helpful, we need to launch a massive public awareness and outreach campaign on proper trash removal and containerization for individual residents and businesses,” said Councilor Flynn. “It is critical to supply bait boxes, compost containers to separate the food source, provide strict enforcement for violations, and language access is key for all communities to also understand their role in addressing a crisis that has left rodents carrying leptospirosis in Boston.”
For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 or [email protected].
