Rats!
Kansas City is seeing a significant surge in rat complaints.
Citywide, there were 2,066 complaints in 2016. That’s up 47 percent from 2015, which yielded 1,409 complaints.
“There’s been quite a bit of an increase month to month. Every month we’ve had more than the previous year,” said Michael Swoyer, the city’s supervisor for rat control.
According to a map provided by the health department, the complaints were not limited to one specific area.
“It’s in a broad swath of the city,” said Swoyer. “The older spots of the city with older infrastructure, where there are mixed sewers… it’s always been those areas.”
Why there’s an increase
According to Swoyer, 2016 had unusually warm weather. Instead of dying from the cold, rats reproduced instead.
There are also more projects in the city fixing older homes as well as vacant and abandoned properties.
“That’s disturbing rat habitats and as a result of that they are moving about,” Swoyer said.
Other contributing factors include illegal dumping and overflowing dumpsters.
"Rats can eat basically anything that you can eat and a lot of things you can’t,” said Swoyer. "And they develop patterns so they know where to go look for food. So they’ll follow routes during the evening and go to those specific places where they found food before.”
How you can get free help
Kansas City offers residents a free Rat Control program.
To qualify, you must live in a single-family home or duplex. The city will also provide free rat control in sewers, vacant lots, vacant homes and City construction sites.
To request an exterminator, you can call 311 or the Rat Control Program directly at 816-513-6010. The program’s office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m..
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