New York City is taking a major step in its ongoing battle against rats with the announcement of its first National Urban Rat Summit, set to take place this fall. Mayor Eric Adams unveiled the plan to bring together a wide range of experts and leaders to share strategies and advance the science of urban rat management. The summit, scheduled for September 18 and 19, aims to tackle the city’s persistent rat problem with innovative and collaborative approaches.
“New Yorkers may not know this about me—but I hate rats, and I’m confident most of our city’s residents do as well,” Adams said. “The best way to defeat our enemy is to know our enemy. That’s why we’re holding this inaugural summit, to bring experts and leaders from across the country together to better understand urban rats and how to manage their populations.”
The city’s efforts to combat its rat infestation have been ramping up in recent years. In April 2023, Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the first citywide director of rodent mitigation, commonly known as the “rat czar.” Under her leadership, New York has implemented several initiatives, including the creation of four Rat Mitigation Zones where targeted measures are applied to reduce rat populations. These efforts have already yielded results, with rat sightings in these zones declining by nearly 14%.
Jessica Tisch, the city’s Department of Sanitation Commissioner, highlighted the significance of the Urban Rat Summit. “The Urban Rat Summit is an opportunity to share best practices as the ‘Trash Revolution’ marches forward,” Tisch said. “Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, New York City is taking the fight to the rats, enacting proven strategies that have been delayed by inertia for too long—and getting results, with rat sightings down 12 of the 13 months since we began the Herculean task of getting all 44 million daily pounds of rat-attracting trash off the streets.”
One of the key strategies in New York’s rat mitigation efforts is the containerization of the city’s enormous waste output. New York produces approximately 14 billion pounds of trash annually, much of which has historically been left out in bags on the streets, providing a constant food source for rats. The city’s new policies require businesses and residential buildings to use containers, significantly reducing the amount of exposed trash.
The summit will also explore innovative solutions such as rat contraception. Legislation known as “Flaco’s Laws” has been introduced to sterilize rats instead of using poison, a move that reflects the city’s commitment to humane and sustainable pest control methods.
Despite these efforts, some organizations, like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), argue that the city’s rhetoric around rats is overly aggressive. Jakob Shaw, PETA’s special projects manager, expressed concern about the hostile language used by city officials. “That doesn’t help anyone or anything,” Shaw told Gothamist. “We really need to respect these animals and work with intention and kindness to address this issue.”
