Find Vermin Hot Spots With City’s New Rat Information Portal
Ever feel like someone, or something, is watching you? If the city’s newest interactive map colors your apartment building red, it’s quite possible that something is a furry rat.
Released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene last week, the Rat Information Portal (or RIP) allows users to search through the city’s rat inspection data (dating back to 2009) by address, community district, neighborhood, intersection, or zip code, to see who rules your block…rats or people.
If you’re seeing lots of red, “active rat signs,” including “fresh tracks, fresh droppings, active burrows, active runways and rub marks, fresh gnawing marks, and live rats” were found at that property during a city inspection.
Orange is slightly better, showing only “problem conditions,” such as “garbage (poor containerization of food waste resulting in the feeding of rats), harborage (clutter and dense vegetation promoting the nesting of rats), other public health nuisances, and interior mice.”It’s important to note that the map only shows information obtained during official city inspections, often triggered by 311 complaints, so there are probably more of the furry devils lurking in the shadows than we’d care to admit.
The map’s information page also points out that, “rats rarely exist on a single property,” so if your neighboring buildings have a significant rat history, you might want to keep an eye out.
How does your neck of the woods fare on the map? Have you had rat problems in the past? If so, how difficult was it to get rid of them?
Image via Department of Health and Mental Hygiene