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# Sheepshead Bay Rats Prefer Tropical Citrus Fruits
- URL: https://bklyner.com/sheepshead-bay-rats-prefer-tropical-citr-sheepshead-bay/
- Published: 2009-04-29T04:00:12.000Z
- Updated: 2017-03-24T21:32:03.000Z
- Author: Ray Johnson
- Tags: armory, washington heights, #API-Imported

![](/content/images/_5-Ody8j-71c/SfeijPr3EwI/AAAAAAAAGoo/QK-ZNEF3Log/s400/rat-20trap-20stop-20and-20shop-20kiwi.jpg)

Last month, after learning about [The Armory](http://ny.milesplit.us/?ref=bklyner.com), where Sheepshead Bay High School students [participated in track meets](/blog1.php/sheepsheadHS/sheepshead-bay-high-school-runners-in-th), I visited the place in Washington Heights.

The facility was a well-kept [Harlem gem](http://www.harlemonestop.com/organization.php?id=307&ref=bklyner.com) and inside there was a professional running track for practice and meets. Outside on the street nearby, I had my own little track and field qualifying meet when I encountered a huge rat. My own loud shriek was like the gun that gave me a running start.

When my heart finally stopped racing and the rat was safe in hiding, I remembered an incident an acquaintance told me happened to her last year. She was sitting on a park bench in Manhattan and a huge rat jumped onto her leg, *rat*tling her for the entire day. At that time, I was so happy to be able to say that I live in Sheepshead Bay where we have mice who prefer to stay out of the streets.

Then a few days ago, I noticed this very strange sight in a busy supermarket in Sheepshead Bay. From far away, it looked like it was a huge dropping from a well-fed rat who managed to avoid an untimely death.

The area where the recognizable [Victor brand](http://www.victorpest.com/?ref=bklyner.com) rat trap was located appears to be an employee-only area (good for me, not so good for the employees), but I was able to get close enough to see that the “dropping” turned out to be a kiwi fruit that rolled in [from California](http://www.kiwifruit.org/index.php?n=1&id=1&ref=bklyner.com), not an egg from a [chicken-sized,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi?ref=bklyner.com) flightless kiwi [ratite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratite?ref=bklyner.com).

We can’t be sure if the rat they’re trying to trap has a craving for a tropical citrus fruit or if someone didn’t get the chance to move the fruit away. Either way, it looks like with our neighborhood’s litter problem, bold, Manhattan-style rats are swimming into our shores.