Rats are fine in movies like “Ratatouille” but become a menace when they enter real life. That is the worry for Washington DC because these rodents appear to be everywhere. They roam the streets, scurry across alleys and frequent the trashcans. One ventured into the White House lawn. An official of D.C. Department of Health explains that this rat could be one of many that were “flushed out” of its burrow due to rains. He went on to add that they are good swimmers and survive but have to search for food. Hence, they come into the open.

Washington Post reports rat sightings have links with factors like food, weather conditions and density of population.

Officials attribute this increase in rat menace to recent weather conditions coupled with additional trash generated because of more people in the District.

Funds are available

According to Washington Post, Department of Health has funds to tackle the rat menace. They will go in for hiring staff and equip them with sophisticated devices that will track rat complaints in real time. That will help to zero in on rat-infested areas. The problem is very much present as revealed by statistics. The city’s line about rodents is 311 and in 2017, complaints were at an all-time high of 5310. This adds up to a 50 percent increase from the previous year.

The authorities have advised residents and visitors to call 311 and report rat sightings.

That will help to identify and track areas that are most affected. The city does not have any information regarding the rat in the lawns of White House. The responsibility of White House and its neighboring park rests with the National Park Service, and they conduct rodent sweeps on a weekly basis.

Rats are a menace

Sky News confirms about journalists who sighted brown rats on the White House lawn.

The rat menace in Washington DC has become an irritant for the authorities. Gerard Brown, a program manager at the DC Department of Health, has said that the problem is real and added that a mature female Norway rat could be a real danger. Its reproduction rate is mind-boggling. It is capable of giving birth to one litter of 10 infants every month.

In the opinion of experts, the rodent problem in Washington DC has aggravated due to mild winters and an increase in human population. The former will give rise to a scarcity of food while the latter will mean an abundance of rubbish that the rodents feast on. Eating joints must take action to ensure that leftover foods are disposed of in a manner that will not attract the rodents. New York City has faced this problem in the past.
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