Somerville Pilots New Rodent Control Technology

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville is launching a five-month pilot program aimed at curbing the spread of rodents across the city.

The pilot will use SMART boxes, non-toxic, industrial-grade traps that catch rodents above ground and provide real-time data for proactive pest control. Fifty of these boxes will be placed around Davis Square, the Gilman Street area, the Lexington Street area and the Macarthur Street area through at least July.

These locations were selected using 311 Constituent Services data on rodent reports and Inspectional Services ticketing information. They also represent different types of settings with variables that can affect rodent activity – business district, residential district, open space and proximity to construction and transit – which will provide unique insight to inform future mitigation.

"Rodent activity is a critical quality-of-life issue here in Somerville, so I'm very pleased to bring this new technology to our neighborhoods and to get this pilot underway," Mayor Katjana Ballantyne said in a statement. "We need to be committed and forward-thinking in our approach, which makes the SMART system so compelling. It will not only catch rodents – it will expand our ability to collect data, to quantify the issue, and to identify additional steps we can take to make the greatest impact citywide."

Somerville is the second community in the country to pilot SMART boxes, after Portland, Maine. The boxes use sensors to detect movement and body heat and activate a "catch" function when a rodent is inside, immediately killing it with an electrical current. The rodent is deposited into a closed container, and the trap automatically resets.

The traps monitor rodent activity 24/7 and alert the city's rodent-control partner, Modern Pest Services, when activity is detected. SMART Boxes do not use poisons and are securely locked, so they do not pose risks to people, other animals or the environment, according to a statement from the city.

This new technology will complement other ongoing mitigation efforts, including residential visits, information distribution and free baiting through the Residential Rodent Control Assistance Program. To learn more about rodent control in Somerville, visit somervillema.gov/rodentcontrol.