Stonington gets control of Pawcatuck rat problem
Stonington — The town is winning the rat war in Pawcatuck.
Ryan McCammon, the supervisor of environmental health for the Ledge Light Health District, reported to the Board of Selectmen on Wednesday that there has been only three new reports of rats over the past few weeks and that residents have been cooperative in removing bird feeders, trash and other items that attract the rodents.
He added, though, that residents with gardens have to remove ripening produce — rats love tomatoes, don’t like squash — so as not to attract them.
“So it’s a challenge, but we have eliminated many of the things that were problematic. People (who had rats) that we are talking to say they haven’t seen any rats,” he said.
“I asked two weeks ago and I’ll ask again: Are we winning?” First Selectmen Rob Simmons asked McCammon after listening to his report.
McCammon told him the town is.
Simmons said the Board of Selectmen has asked the Planning and Zoning Commission to look at tightening up its regulations on the keeping of chickens in residential areas to prevent the spread of rats.
In all, McCammon said Ledge Light investigated reports of 21 properties with rats in five Pawcatuck neighborhoods. He added that as the weather cools, rat sightings should further decrease.
Selectman Mike Spellman thanked Ledge Light for its work on the rat problem and congratulated residents on their cooperation.
Over the past two months, Ledge Light visited more than 300 homes and businesses in Pawcatuck to educate owners about the problem, how to look for signs of rats and what conditions attract them.
The problem first began in early June, when a home on Milan Terrace, where owners were feeding rats, became infested, sending the rodents on to adjacent properties.
Simmons has said 70 rats were killed on the original property and other steps were taken at the homeowners’ expense to clear the yard and remove debris that was attracting the rodents.
Despite the progress, Simmons cautioned Wednesday that rats always will be around and residents need to stay vigilant.
“Yes, we are winning, but the battle will never be over. It’s a naturally occurring phenomenon,” he said.
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