Rats in DC - will we have typhus soon like LA?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

I’m from LA and when I visited DC I saw rats scurrying close to the house I was staying at. In the evening! While we have plenty of rats in LA, they are usually eating our fruit treats, vegetable gardens and running along our electrical wires. They come out past 9pm. So are generally out of sight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

It’s because we care about animal welfare. Lol. I myself use rat poison, but don’t dare tell my neighbors

I use poison and I’ve been honest with my neighbors about it because some have outdoor cats that might catch a poisoned rat. That being said if I go on Nextdoor, every rat conversation will inevitably have a bunch of people claiming poison is inhumane and illegal (which is wrong, it’s legal in bait stations). I see it on DCUM too. So it’s no surprise we can’t get the problem under control.

[Anonymous]

Be the Planned Parenthood for Rats in your neighborhood and buy some of this.

https://contrapeststore.com/?fbclid=IwAR3QnUTg9ABc5OUv01981WJ8ItDhmxK3t-q2QZFmk3Yu-DS3CJqggZYNxRY

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0255/4986/5032/files/DC-CASE-STUDY_NEW-BRAND_WEB2.pdf?v=1653689936&fbclid=IwAR1YyXeMCV2QF1YezR55FCzpfr13xBjSGRkCBz1_HyLgFrsT6gddybY5LwE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

So true! People here freak out about outdoor cats hunting birds and bunnies as if in all the parts of the world where stray cats roam freely all birds went extinct. Maybe release all these poor cats from shelter cages and let them live and do what cats do: kill rodents. They are already neutered. Obviously, lack of any predators and abundance of food scraps would only lead to it being more and more rats. What do we expect?

[Anonymous]

We used to live in DC years ago and it was even then inundated with rats. It's a battle homeowners are left to deal with on their own We would cement any holes that are forming to keep rats from making nests. We would make sure our garbage containers are secure, but rats literally chew through hard plastic! We would never keep patio doors open for more than a second and had to keep an eye on little mice trying to get in. The neighbor next door did nothing, so rats took a hold near us, and no matter what we'd do, we couldn't really eliminate them entirely. It's really someone that city needs lead instead of leaving this to individual homeowners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

It’s because we care about animal welfare. Lol. I myself use rat poison, but don’t dare tell my neighbors

I use poison and I’ve been honest with my neighbors about it because some have outdoor cats that might catch a poisoned rat. That being said if I go on Nextdoor, every rat conversation will inevitably have a bunch of people claiming poison is inhumane and illegal (which is wrong, it’s legal in bait stations). I see it on DCUM too. So it’s no surprise we can’t get the problem under control.

Rat poison is bad for most species..even humans. I am not a fan of recklessly spreading it around, unless it's controlled bait type of thing where other animals won't gain access to and would be out of reach of kids. In my area they used baits. but occasionally some squirrels also got into them enough to get poisoned and die slow painful death
I was always worried about dogs being too curious, some owners don't always know what baits look like. And definitely indoor/outdoor cat owners should be worried if these are allowed in their area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

A friend of mine was biking home after work when a huge rat jumped on his leg. He fell off and broke his leg.

WHAT?????? Your poor friend. I think I would have to leave DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

It’s because we care about animal welfare. Lol. I myself use rat poison, but don’t dare tell my neighbors

I use poison and I’ve been honest with my neighbors about it because some have outdoor cats that might catch a poisoned rat. That being said if I go on Nextdoor, every rat conversation will inevitably have a bunch of people claiming poison is inhumane and illegal (which is wrong, it’s legal in bait stations). I see it on DCUM too. So it’s no surprise we can’t get the problem under control.

Rat poison is bad for most species..even humans. I am not a fan of recklessly spreading it around, unless it's controlled bait type of thing where other animals won't gain access to and would be out of reach of kids. In my area they used baits. but occasionally some squirrels also got into them enough to get poisoned and die slow painful death
I was always worried about dogs being too curious, some owners don't always know what baits look like. And definitely indoor/outdoor cat owners should be worried if these are allowed in their area.

I use bait stations. I think loose bait is illegal, and it’s dangerous. There is a chance the bait stations can affect other animals, like your example, but it’s either that or rats, which spread disease harmful to both humans and animals, so I can never understand the reluctance to just kill them the most effective way possible. But maybe that’s just me.

[Anonymous]

Are they mainly feeding on household and restaurant garbage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Are they mainly feeding on household and restaurant garbage?

Yes. This is what happens when you have this many people concentrated in such a small area. Lots of tasty trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I live in Potomac. I need clean and private .

Don’t tell her that rats are plentiful in Potomac.

[Anonymous]

I was eating outside at Tacombi in Bethesda last week when I saw a rat scurry by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

We might need to go there. Or bounties for skins? Does dcs animal humane laws of catch and release apply.to rats? I'm shocked that in 2019 no one has developed a way to sterilize them??? So gross. They totally play where kids play in DC - watch out for those sandboxes.

where are you from? I find paris to be dirtier and more trash filled and dog shit covered than DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a foreigner and I feel like Americans don't care about rats or mice. They try to control the number of cats (try to adopt one and you will see!), but not rats. Jerry is a hero, Tom is the villain. Mickey, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille are all American creations, great childhood heroes.

In my country, it is not okay to have rats running on your backyard overnight. Here, it's common and it doesn't even matter if it's in a wealthy or poor neighborhood.

That being said, maybe a typhus outbreak would solve this problem.

A friend of mine was biking home after work when a huge rat jumped on his leg. He fell off and broke his leg.

WHAT?????? Your poor friend. I think I would have to leave DC

The post said the rat broke his leg.