City Council discusses rodent problem; Rogers ponders birth control solution

By Neil Zolot

“We have a big citywide problem with rodent infestation,” Ward 5 Councillor and mayoral candidate Robert Van Campen said at the City Council meeting on Monday, September 8.

“It’s a worldwide issue, not just Everett,” Director of Inspectional Services David Palumbo told him. “It’s a tough battle.”

Van Campen and a couple of other city councillors said they have received complaints and comments from residents in their wards and around the city. Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky asked Palumbo to look at a situation on Cottage Street in response to constituent complaints possibly related to sloppy trash.

Trash and development seem to be the primary causes of rodent infestation. “Overbuilding causes this problem,” Councillor-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin feels. “When you disturb their habitat, they have to find someplace to go, usually into people’s houses. Its unfair homeowners have to pay to deal with an issue they inherited from excess construction. We need something in place to help homeowners.”

Palumbo reported developers are required to assess the rodent situation at their sites before breaking ground for construction “to see if there’s burrowing or if they need to pre-bait (often with rodenticide) before they break ground.” They also need to submit a Pest Management Plan to the state Department of Agricultural Resources and must continue control measures at their own expense.

“Yes, it’s developments, but it’s also how people keep their property and put out their trash,” Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith commented. “We need to keep looking at repeat offenders. There are property owners who don’t keep up their property and there’s overcrowding in apartments. I have to bait because of the problem.”

“We aren’t putting out enough trash receptacles,” Van Campen added. “We’ve seen a rash of speed bumps, but not receptacles. We need more in public places, and we could do more with code enforcement. I see the trash routes and we’re not doing enough to make sure lids are completely shut. I keep hearing from the same neighborhoods. It might help some neighborhoods.”

Palumbo answered that eight receptacles or toters are distributed per property. He also said the City offers a free, one-time baiting service for homes and baits in daycare centers and schools. Homeowners wishing for more treatment must bear the cost, perhaps leading to under 10% ordering more service with the City’s subcontractors. “People don’t want to pay,” he admitted.

Alcy Jabouin argued, “Several homeowners agree once will not be able to take care of the issue, unless you have a cat. Homeowners need help with this more than once.” She also suggested that notices on trash disposal procedures be distributed with tax bills.

“I’m a big proponent of prevention over poison,” Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers said in ongoing discussion. “Natural predators are dying out because of poison meant for rats. We’re finding natural predators are dying because they’re consuming poisoned rats.”

She’d like to see rat birth control measures “that don’t necessarily trickle down into our food chain and impact natural predators who could come into contact with a poisoned rat.”

She also said the Council should invite State Senator Sal DiDomenico for a briefing on legislation to limit rodenticides. The bill in question is S.644/H.965, An Act Restricting the Use of Rodenticides in the Environment. It would insert a new definition of an Anticoagulant Rodenticide as “any pesticide product that has a mode of action that interferes with blood clotting” into Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 132B, the Pesticide Control Act, under which the state is charged with promoting “the use of biologic controls, integrated pest management, sustainable agriculture and other alternate pest control methods through education, technical assistance and research in order to reduce or eliminate, whenever possible, human or environmental exposures to chemical pesticides and promote the use of biologic controls, integrated pest management, sustainable agriculture and other alternate pest control methods through education, technical assistance and research in order to reduce or eliminate, whenever possible, human or environmental exposures to chemical pesticides.”

The MSPCA website indicates, “This bill will end the registration and reregistration of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs), unless deemed necessary for a public health emergency by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture and Resources (MDAR). This bill also gives the Department the ability to establish a process and standards for the limited use of anticoagulant rodenticides by licensed applicators in public health emergencies…. Anticoagulant Rodenticides (ARs) are a particularly toxic group of poisons used as a form of rodent control. When ingested, ARs prevent the clotting of blood, and cause the animal who ingested it to sustain heavy internal bleeding, eventually causing death. The poison remains in the dead or dying rodent’s system for days…. making them more dangerous to other animals who ingest poisoned prey.

“ARs impact non-targeted pets and wildlife populations, such as birds of prey, who rely on the poisoned rodents as a food source. As a result, cats and dogs, hawks, eagles, owls, and bobcats who are exposed often suffer the same fatal hemorrhaging as their meal.

“While ARs are prohibited for residential consumer purchase in the Commonwealth, commercial use is allowed for licensed pesticide companies.”

In February it was referred to the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.