New York’s Rat Czar is flooding the news feeds. More interestingly, Boston is discussing following suit by implementing their own Rat Czar. With rodent complaints in Boston on the rise, this approach is past due. Here are the top 3 reasons Boston needs a Rat Czar.
#1 Public Health
Whether you think mice are cute movie characters or reasons to jump on a table and scream, rats and mice are a public health threat. The quick list of diseases spread directly by rodents includes:
- Hantavirus
- Lassa Fever
- Leptospirosis
- Lujo (& Omsk) Hemorrhagic Fever
- LCM
- Monkeypox
- Rat Bite Fever
In addition to the diseases directly spread by rats and mice, they indirectly spread at least 17 other diseases indirectly such as Lyme disease. Flyn was correct to name it as a public health crisis.
Rodents spread disease through food contamination, running between garbage/sewers and surfaces people encounter, and leaving their excrement everywhere they go. Boston needs a Rat Czar to mitigate these public health threats.
#2 Quality of life issue
After mentioning the public health crisis from rodents, Ed Flynn mentioned that Rat control is a quality of life issue. He is correct. The humor that comes from seeing a rat dragging a slice of pizza does not outweigh the burden rodents place on your life. Rodents negatively impact quality of life through:
- Food contamination – rodents ruin large amounts of food each year by contaminating it with their saliva, urine, feces, hair, and bodies.
- Structural damage – rodents love to chew. They will chew right threw sheetrock, wood, and whatever else is in their way
- Electrical interference – from wiring in buildings to ruining electronics, rodents love to bite wires.
- Stress – having a rat or mouse in the house or place of business causes stress for all involved. This includes mental, emotional, and physical stressors.
- Economic drain – there are so many more positive things that could be done with the money lost to rodent damage and contamination. This goes far beyond the cost of controlling them.
Boston needs a Rat Czar to improve the quality of life for the businesses and residents.
#3 Collaboration
Too many institutions work in situations where they are too siloed from each other. Having Boston Public Works and the Inspectional Services Department work hand in hand through a unifying Office of Pest Control will create valuable synergies.
In addition to Boston institutions collaborating, this will provide a great opportunity for states to reach across imaginary boundaries to reinforce each other’s programs and learn one from the other. New York and Boston may be enemies on the field, but they can join the same team against rats and mice.
Setting the standard for collaboration would inspire better collaboration among residents and businesses throughout Boston proper and its suburbs. Boston needs a Rat Czar to be the point of collaboration throughout the city.
Follow Flynn and see it in action
Ed Flynn is excited to visit New York next month to see their program in action. Why wait?! He should lead the charge. Get everything ready, get the program going, and then fine tune the aiming with lessons learned from New York. Every minute waited is a minute wasted. Lead the charge against rats and mice in your own homes and businesses. Show Flynn the direction that should be taken by connecting with Rove Pest Control to be your personal office of pest control.