Rat Academy: Learn How to Deal With the Rodents in Your Life

A quick glance at the city's Rat Information Portal will reaffirm what you already know — rats are invading New York City.

City officials obviously want these little guys gone, even the ones who make it to Internet fame. Councilman Corey Johnson's office is putting on its second annual Rat Academy on Tuesday, Aug. 16 to educate tenants and managers alike how to safely prevent rats in their buildings. The training is free, and they're also raffling off 30 free rodent-resistant garbage cans.

"Conducted by knowledgeable experts with practical field experience, this training will provide a better understanding of the biology, behavior and habit of rodents, contributing factors to infestation and effective ways of evaluating site-specific responses and strategies," the event's press release said.

At a recent Community Board meeting, a Johnson representative said the event was back by popular demand since it got such a positive response last year. And this office knows what it's doing — Johnson's office passed its latest rat inspection, according to the almighty Rat Information Portal.

The event is happening Aug. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the LGBT Community Center (Room 101 on the first floor) at 208 W. 13th St., between Seventh and Greenwich avenues. Here's the event flyer, and here's the sign-up form.

Image by A REAL NYC rat/Wikimedia Commons/CC by 2.0