Medford Launches Campaign To Fight Rat Problem

MEDFORD, MA — Medford has launched a new initiative to fight a surge in rat sightings across the city this year. The "Clean Up, Seal Up" campaign will address rodent control and prevention through educational messages, engagement and compliance with regulations, designed for homeowners, renters and business owners to prevent rodents.

The initiative kicked off this month with information mailed to homeowners via water bills and a revamped website, www.medfordma.org/rodent-prevention, which provides information directly to businesses and will host a series of webinars in the coming weeks. The city and Board of Health will continue to monitor issues, work with property owners, and adjust messaging as needed.

"There are many important steps residents and businesses can take to prevent rodent activity as well as to address known rodent activity on your property or in a particular neighborhood," Medford Sanitarian Sophie Antoine said in a statement. "For example, food, water and shelter are attractive to rodents. Focusing on eliminating their food and water sources can reduce the chance of them staying in our neighborhoods. In order to properly address a rodent issue, we must take a community/neighborhood approach. The City can spend time baiting a neighborhood but if the food and water sources have not been eliminated, the baiting is useless as the rats will not eat the bait but rather the food that is readily available to them."

Through the "Clean Up, Seal Up" campaign, the city hopes to educate the community on steps to take to make sure the elements necessary for rodents to survive – food, water, and shelter – are eliminated. Property owners should assess their property and neighborhood by looking for any food and water sources and harborage ("Clean Up"). Encouraged actions include:

• Dispose of garbage properly; barrels that are compromised should be replaced, and make sure all trash is stored in barrels with tight fitting lids.
• Trim trees and shrubs and remove overgrowth.
• Avoid feeding wildlife.
• Clean pet waste frequently.
• Avoid having standing water on your property; remove standing rainwater and do not keep pools open and accessible.
• Keep parks, building foundations, alleyways and streets clear of all dropped or discarded food scraps.

Additional resources, materials, and tips are available at www.medford.org/rodent-prevention to support property owners and renters in becoming more knowledgeable on preventing rodents and rats.

City Roles & Responsibilities

After prevention steps have been taken, if you still notice rodent activity in your neighborhood you can report it to the Board of Health for follow up. If necessary, the City will install bait boxes in sewers, however, as a reminder, baiting will not be effective if prevention strategies are not followed on private property.

On Wednesday, December 2, the Board of Health will host a community training on rodent control and prevention, in partnership with Yankee Pest Control. The training will feature guest speaker Galvin Murphy, Sr., Associate Certified Entomologist, and panelists from the Medford Health Department. The training will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on December 2. Pre-registration is required. You can pre-register at https://bit.ly/3p49ivG.

Previously: Medford Council Considers Solutions To City's Rat Problem

'Afraid To Go Out There': Rats Plague Medford Neighborhoods