NEW YORK Many people in New York City are shivering, running to warm places, and feeling exhausted due to this week’s freezing temperatures. Rats included.
This week’s Arctic blast has saved the most populated metropolis in the United States from the severe wind chills of the Upper Midwest, as well as the shock of record-breaking snow in the deep South. However, temperatures were much below average, peaking Monday at about 26 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 3 Celsius) and Tuesday and Wednesday at about 20 degrees (minus 7 Celsius).
Indeed, the infamous rodents of the Big Apple are chilled by such cold. But, according to city rat czar Kathleen Corradi, it strengthens attempts to get rid of them.
Rats are being stressed out by it. She claims that it is placing them in their burrows. Now that the rats are feeling the heat from this cold spell, we can kind of double down.
The wild rat species in New York CityAlthough the Norway rat, commonly known as the brown rat or Rattus norvegicus, does not hibernate in the winter, it does become less active during extended periods of frigid temperatures. As fewer people are out and throwing away food wrappers and other rat treats on the streets, the rodents’ food supply tends to dwindle, according to Corradi.
According to Corradi, all of that stresses the rats and prevents them from breeding, which is actually their greatest strength. Although they can breed almost any time of year when the right conditions are met, Norway rats are typically most active from spring to fall.
According to Jason Munshi-South, an ecology professor at Drexel University who has studied rats in New York City, rats that are already hiding in crawlspaces, sewers, subway tunnels, or other crevices can withstand the cold rather well.
Rats that haven’t found a hiding place may go to odd locations, including automobile engine blocks. Or an alluring basement? Maybe, if building owners haven’t taken care to keep them out.
However, according to Munshi-South, some of the animals will probably freeze to death, particularly if they are already sickly, undernourished, or otherwise frail.
“If we have prolonged cold, freezing periods, harsh winters like the ones we are currently experiencing will keep the rat population at a lower level,” he wrote in an email.
According to Corradi, all of that helps the city’s rat-fighters advance in preparation for the warmer months.
Although there is no official census of rats in New York City, it is widely acknowledged that they have existed for a very long time. Several strategies have been tried by successive city administrations to eradicate or at least lessen them.
About two years ago, Corradi was formally appointed director of rodent mitigation by current Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who has personally fought the rodents at his Brooklyn home. The Adams administration has also prioritized the implementation of trash containerization, which is the practice of placing commercial and home waste in enclosed containers rather than accumulating plastic bags packed with rubbish on the curb.
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