Health inspector weighs in on city’s rat problem

By CYD ABNET
Waltham Times Contributing Writer 

Like many cities, Waltham has a rat problem.

The city health inspector said that although winter has brought on a lull in rodent activity, he and others are taking steps to combat the critters.

Recent steps toward addressing rodent-related issues in the city include Waltham Land Trust’s Save Waltham Wildlife initiative, which encourages residents to avoid using anticoagulant rodenticide that can harm other forms of wildlife, and a proposed city ordinance, which would impose new rules on dumpster owners to help deter rodent activity.

The ordinance comes at a time of year when rat activity typically slows, said Michael J. Collins, the city’s senior public health inspector.

“There are times in the year where it ticks up a little bit and then other times when it goes down. A lot of that has to do with the cold weather. I am definitely seeing a lull right now,” he said in a recent interview. 

The city’s Public Health Department is at the forefront of addressing rodent concerns, but Collins said the city also relies on residents to aid in pest control.

The city has put black snap-trap boxes throughout the city, he said, and the Health Department sends inspectors to respond to reported sightings. 

“Say you’re a neighbor and you call and say, ‘Hey, there’s a rat problem’ and we find the problem is two houses down, we write them a violation notice,” Collins said, explaining that residents’ reports help city officials target problem areas.

He added: “Honestly, most of it is improperly stored trash.”

Collins said residents’ reports are helpful because the department does not have enough staff to patrol for potential rat activity or trash violations.

“Typically, it’s responding to calls,” he said. “Usually we have to be pointed in the right direction a little bit. Call our main Health Department number and one of the inspectors will go out.”

The city’s official rodent control webpage includes information about rodent control, including preventive measures that residents can take such as using covered trash barrels, maintaining a clean lawn and informing the city of rodent sightings via a “report a rat” online form.

Residents in online forums and in interviews said they recognize the problem and voiced frustrations about rats destroying property and a perceived lack of accountability for neighbors who improperly store trash.

Despite the weather-related slowdown in rat activity, the city is now advancing its efforts to limit rats. The City Council plans to hold a second reading of the proposed dumpster rules at a future meeting to move the proposal toward becoming a city ordinance. 

Meanwhile, any resident with rodent concerns or concerns about improperly stored trash can call the Health Department at (781) 314-3305.