THE EVERETT ADVOCATE–Friday, September 27, 2019 Page 5 Displaced by construction, rats invade residential properties By Christopher Roberson T he increase in construction projects around the city has caused rats to vacate the network of underground pipes and relocate to residents’ yards, thus triggering calls to city officials to get rid of the critters. However, Inspectional Services Director James Soper said he is not alarmed by the number of rat sightings, which always climbs during construction. “We haven’t seen a spike; we have no evidence of a spike,” he said. Soper said every contractor is required to purchase traps and send the proof of purchase to his office. He also said it is relatively simple to pinpoint where the rats are located, particularly around major traffic arteries. “They’re not going to cross Revere Beach Parkway; they want to stay safe,” he said. In addition, Soper said flyers explaining how to keep rats away have been distributed to homes on Cottage Street as well as between Ferry Street and Florence Street and Summer Street and Union Street. “People are responsible for baiting their own properties,” he said, adding that homes that are not owner-occupied tend to have the greatest risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control, rats have been known to carry diseases such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, salmonella, leptospirosis and tularemia. During a recent City Council meeting, Councillor-at-Large Peter Napolitano said the rats have been a growing problem and that sending out flyers is no longer sufficient. “Something more needs to be done,” said Napolitano. “You come to my house and I’ll show you a city barrel that the rats gnawed through.” Councillor-at-Large Wayne Matewsky said there have been rat sightings on Bolster Street, Paris Street, Elsie Street, George Street and Elm Street. However, Matewsky said he is confident that Soper has the problem under control. In addition, Jeffrey Weisberg of A1 Exterminators said the Norway rat is the “dominant rat” in the Northeast. He said females typically have “four to eight” litters per year with “eight to 12” pups in each litter. Weisberg also said that rats are naturally timid of anything new in their environment – including traps. “They can avoid traps for days and sometimes weeks,” he said. Speaking about a rat’s physical abilities, Weisberg said they can swim up to a half mile, jump three feet and even survive a 50-foot fall. He also said rats only need a halfinch opening to enter a home, adding that their bite exerts four tons of pressure per square inch. Shown seated from left to right are school employees Linda Maloney, Angela Ciaramaglia, Rixy Reyes-Oseguera and Kathi Fauci. Shown standing from left to right are school employees Ruth Cardona-Suarez, Raymonde F. Sainristil, Glenn Nadeau, Christine Dunbrack and Everett Police Officer Patrick Cassidy. They recently assisted a coworker who was in extreme medical distress. Their action in the face of such a dire situation saved her life. Mayor Carlo DeMaria presented them all with Citations commemorating their bravery and professionalism under such extreme circumstances. (Courtesy Photo) School employees recognized for life-saving efforts
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