There’s love in the air for the Squeakers, but city councilors want to stop them from becoming new parents.
City Councilman Sean Abreu (D-Manhattan) proposed a rat sterilization program jointly run by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Sanitation as the latest attempt to quell the plague.
Abreu, who chairs the Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee, said the Contra Pest Pellets will work in conjunction with the city’s broader rodent control efforts.
“We believe we need to take an all-out, shock-and-awe approach to the rat problem,” the Democrat told the City Council Thursday.
The contraceptives will be deployed in a rat-free zone covering at least 10 city blocks.
The pellets contain an active ingredient called triptolide, which sterilizes both male and female rats and affects ovarian function and sperm cell production.
But while this isn’t the first time New York City has tried to prevent birth control, the rats, which can produce up to 15,000 pups a year, have always prevailed.
In 1967, Governor Nelson Rockefeller announced a plan to give rats contraceptives by dissolving a type of estrogen used in human contraception in vegetable oil and soaking meat and grain in it.
And 10 years ago, the MTA and Bryant Park also started using contraceptives.
ContraPest developer Loretta Mayer, who has worked with Mr. Abreu, said the pills, which are high in salt and fat, have been successful.
“It’s better than pizza.” [for the rats]” Meyer said. new york timesBut he added that the challenge will be expanding distribution, noting that one pound costs $5.
Mayor Eric Adams, who declared war on rats when he took office, is taking a “whole-of-government approach to winning the battle” and has installed his own rat czar, Kathleen Corradi.
The city introduced an ambitious plan to containerize all of New York City’s trash and introduced free curbside composting for all New Yorkers.
A City Hall spokesperson told the Post: “We continue to work with all partners within government on rat reduction strategies and will review legislation.”
Abreu said previous attempts in New York failed because authorities used sticky liquid baits and did not combine them with trash canning, which left rats with fewer food options.
Abreu said the pilot program would also help protect wildlife, pointing to the tragic death of Flaco the Central Park Zoo owl, which was poisoned and escaped last month.
“Just as our city was captivated during Flaco’s Year of Freedom, we all collectively hold our breath as we consider the many risks our city poses to wildlife and birds of prey. ” he said.
“Flaco’s autopsy confirmed our worst fears: He had ingested a lethal dose of rat poison. Not only is rat poison toxic to the animals we love, but it is also effective in reducing rat infestations. That’s why we’re implementing Flaco’s Law to build better, safer and greener cities.”
If successful, the pilot would take about a year to collect data to document its effectiveness, followed by another year to report to Hizzoner and City Council President Adrian Adams, who is not related to the mayor. It turns out.
Other cities are also trying rat contraceptives, including Boston, Columbus, Ohio, and Hartford, Connecticut.
