Ratdemic On The Upper East Side!

Original photo via djwerdna's flickr

Last we heard, the Ratdemic had hit Brighton Beach... and now word is that an army of rodents is terrorizing the Upper East Side. In fact, the Wall Street Journal says they've infested every nook of the neighborhood, from stores to car engines.

Some locals are blaming the 2nd Avenue subway project (previously blamed for sickness), and say once the sun sets the rats come out in waves. One said, "It looks like the street's moving. It's just wild. You can't imagine how infested this place became." Surely the recent slashing of pest control jobs by the city won't be helping to quell the problem.

A contractor managing the project told the MTA that the blasting "may be exacerbating a pre-existing condition"—but in the end the effect continuous explosions have on rats is unknown. Currently the main problem seems to be where they're excavating a giant cavern underground between 91st and 95th Streets (readying for the tunnel boring machine). The project is expected to last 8 more years, and one expert says during that time lots of the rodents will be killed, but perhaps even more will get away. As one resident put it: "We are, until 2018, in a living hell."

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By Jen Carlson in News on April 26, 2010 2:35 PM

Comments [rss]

mo

in the village we are getting invaded by rats and mice . those plastic garbage bags used by the resturant for garbage is an open buffett ever night around here, there are so many food places thta after the garbage is put out at night the rats and mice come from all over the place to feast they just have chew thru a little plastic to get into them .we need to bring back the heavy duty metal garbage cans

MrManhattan

The rats started to invade the Village over ten years ago (the first was that Kurt asshole who nested at Washington and West 11th) They've only spread since then.

Såkandulæredet

How long before the anti-UES comments?

MrManhattan

Of course that greedy, short, rich, Boston born, Jew Mayor is keeping all the best rats for his affluent, entitled Park Avenue neighbors.

(will that do?) ;-)

inoyourider

I lived in Spanish Harlem for 10 years.

There were ALWAYS rodents there....

You could hear them at night running through the walls.

But that might be a side effect of the uneducated people upstairs always throwing their used cooking oil and gray water out the window onto the ground in back of the building.

ProfessorVonNostren

Bring in the cat army!

theLtrain

Uh honestly like 8-10 years ago it was not uncommon to see rats scurrying about in the UES, in and out of trash cans infront of buildings, near the train, etc. It's not really hard to imagine why, tons and tons of bars and resturants on every single block, they all have trash. This is not a new thing, this is not a story. The upper east side was not always the wonderfully clean shiny highrise playground it is now, it used to be grimy and nasty just like everything else, and apparently a little of that is coming back.

Que Gothamist article regarding 1990s era crime and rat infestation.

greeen

The city should hire the rats to replace the laid-off terminators. Yay for rats, they are cute, smart, dirty and wiley little survivors. Long live rats.

RoboticInsides

The garbage cans in front of my building have mice hanging out every once in a while. It's to be expected with humans and garbage around. I prefer mice to roaches.

Our garbage collection system is so ridiculous: leave garbage in front of buildings on sidewalks and have people on big trucks drive around and pick it up. Come on.

Recovery Boy

Hmm, When I lived in Chelsea we had garbage bins. When I lived in Alphabet City we also had garbage bins. Both places I lives in the UES, the garbage just was thrown on the side or front of the buildings in trashcans that never had covers.

If they get any larger, I am going to start riding them. Much cheaper than cabs, subway or the bus.

jules

NYC laid off a lot of its pest control workers recently. Not exactly the best idea in the world.

http://www.thechief-leader.com/news/2010-04-09/News_of_the_week/City_to_Exterminate_Most_Pest_Control_Jobs_Next_Mo.html

Kojak

That's life.

You can blame the 2nd Avenue subway all you want, but Rats exist because we exist. They live off our gluttony & excesses.

Just put down some rat poison, plug up those holes and hope to god they don't chew your eyeballs out while you sleep.