For many years now, New York City has seen an influx of rats. They comb the alleyways behind restaurants looking for food. The rat families fill the walls in the subways living in cinder blocks like high –rise apartments. The flood the sewers using them like underground highways to traverse the city. Authorities have tried different extermination plans, but the rats seem to persevere. Now there is a fear that NYC rats are getting bigger. Researchers at Fordham University decided to find themselves and published their findings. When you review the results, you can see that there is good news, and there is bad news. In recent months, there have been horror stories that claim that rats have appeared that are “as big as a house cat” and that they are “attacking people in subways”.

In these studies, researchers have captured rats that weigh up to 1.5 pounds, and that is nothing to scoff at, but certainly far smaller than a cat! The increase in size is attributed to the fact that the rats are living longer, not breeding larger rats. Rats are very clever, and cautious about eating food they find. The older rats have gotten hip to the fact that NYC has been throwing poison in rat-infested areas. Often the older rats will let the young and less cautious ones eat something first to see if it is safe. The older rats also have places to dine where they know from experience that the food is safe to eat. Traps are often ineffective on larger rats as well. There are two reasons for that- an older rat’s cautious nature make it wary, whereas young rats succumb to the temptations of a trap more readily than older ones.



Secondly the larger "fat” rats can often escape a standard trap because of their size. As to the fear that they are becoming more aggressive, Rats tend to run whenever the cross an open space. They also try to stay against a wall or other straight edge as a safety precaution. Moreover, we agree, a huge rat running in your direction going to be pretty scary. Chances are, the rat barely noticed you (remember they do not see so well in light), it was just trying to get to a hole. While the rat problem in NYC is by no means acceptable or safe, it has not yet become the stuff that horror movies are made of. The work of researchers and scientist around the country are working tirelessly to find a reasonable solution to the problem. As long as big cities offer endless smorgasbords of food in the way of dumpsters and trash, as well miles of safe shelter with all the abandoned buildings, sewers, and subways there will be plague animals like rats.

Read the How to get rid of rats page for helpful information and to learn more about New York City rats are getting bigger

New York City rats are getting bigger