NYC Appoints Teams to Fight Rats in Street Tree Beds

By Y.M. Lowy

New York City is taking new steps to combat rats, particularly in the small, dirt-filled areas around trees on sidewalks. Last year alone, New Yorkers made more than 2,300 rat-related complaints about these spaces through 311.

Mayor Eric Adams, Rodent Mitigation Director Kathy Corradi, and Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa announced that the city will now have special teams focused on cleaning and inspecting these areas. These teams will work in the more than 600,000 tree beds across the five boroughs.

The city is putting $877,000 in permanent funding toward this effort. With that money, 12 full-time staff will be hired to inspect tree beds, clean out trash, remove rat burrows, and help care for the trees. Professional exterminators and a city forester will lead their work.

Until now, there hasn't been anyone keeping an eye on these areas and addressing rat concerns directly. With this new funding, the city is taking a big step to make our streets cleaner and safer.