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“The new rodent-resistant receptacles will help us in our efforts to mitigate rat and seagull activity,” the Boston Department of Public Works said.
The North End just received 20 new rat-proof trash cans to combat a rat problem that has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Closed bins safely hold the usual open containers and target curbside waste, which is a major attraction for pesky rodents. Department of Public Works officials say the trash cans should prevent seagulls from picking up food waste from trash cans and depositing it on the ground for rats to enjoy.
“PWD crews are busy this morning replacing trash cans in the #NorthEnd. The new rodent-resistant receptacles will assist in our efforts to mitigate rat and seagull activity,” the Public Works Department wrote on X on Friday.
A public works employee demonstrated how the closed bins work: placing the regular open bins inside the secure container through a small door, then closing and locking it. Pedestrians can throw their trash into an arrow at the top of the trash can, which then guides the trash into the inner container.
The new bins are expected to appear in the Boston Common and on Boston Housing Authority properties, according to a WBZ report.
The trash cans are part of a citywide initiative, the Boston Rodent Action Plan (BRAP), which the city unveiled in July to combat the ongoing rat problem. The plan included a report highlighting the source of the infestation, which mainly comes down to easy access to food sources.
“All rat infestations were strongly associated with nearby food waste, either in dumpsters, in flimsy plastic cans in residences, or via simple plastic bags randomly placed on sidewalks for collection,” a writes urban rodentologist Robert M. Corrigan, Ph.D., in the city’s official BRAP report.
The report states that the waste problem “could be easily reduced or eliminated with a minimum of basic attention to community sanitation or pride in ownership.”
Several agencies are working together on the rat reduction plan, including the Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Parks and Recreation, Boston Water and Sewer and the BHA.
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