NYC’s Rat Activity Flourishes Amid COVID Pivoting
NEW YORK — On May 26, New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher, who lives in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood and sees the city’s rat problems firsthand, introduced a bill requiring that applicants for some construction permits confirm that they have employed a pest management professional for their projects.
Bottcher’s bill is not the only anti-rat efforts being pushed for at New York City Hall. As the Daily News reported, in April, NYC mayor Eric Adams announced the city was expanding a pilot program bringing sealed trash bins to the five boroughs, and in May, Councilman Chi Osse introduced a bill that would mandate annual reports on rat mitigation from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
An uptick in construction and COVID-era dining are helping NYC’s rodents thrive.
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