We live in Bethesda near the Capital Crescent Trail. We have lots of foxes, owls, and unfortunately snakes. As much as I hate snakes, they take care of rodents. I have never seen a rat in our neighborhood ever. Just mice. While I’m sure rats may look for trash in downtown Bethesda, I have never seen one.

Anonymous wrote:I think most houses in Bethesda Chevy Chase have nice - but not rats

Yeah, when we bought our house in CCMD we definitely had a lot of mice and were making good use of the annual pest control plan we bought. But we got it under control in just a few months, and if you're diligent about closing your trash well, and your neighbors are also diligent, it shouldn't be an issue. That said, our pest control guy didn't like that we had a vegetable garden (attracts mice/rats), so you have to balance what you need.

Anonymous wrote:We live just over the district line in Westmoreland Hills part of Bethesda. The closest restaurants are Millie's, Compass Coffee, etc. Have never seen or heard of a rat in our neighborhood after 10 years. A couple of times, we found evidence of a mouse. We have a fox family that likes to hang out on our street. Love them except for the occasional screaming each year.

I am curious why restaurants don't band together on this one with diligence on garbage can lidding and hosing away food scraps, and demanding government action? Do they not realize that diners won't return to a restaurant where they have spotted a rat in the vicinity? I won't. Even if I know they are everywhere, once I have actually spotted one I am pretty skeeved! I was in Spain last summer and the street sweeping action at night was nothing short of amazing. Sanitation was a "good" government job, and the crews were super diligent.

We live just over the district line in Westmoreland Hills part of Bethesda. The closest restaurants are Millie's, Compass Coffee, etc. Have never seen or heard of a rat in our neighborhood after 10 years. A couple of times, we found evidence of a mouse. We have a fox family that likes to hang out on our street. Love them except for the occasional screaming each year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

Let me just track what you’re saying here you want to catch the rats alive and then do surgery on them and then release them?

I was thinking of something they could ingest that would sterilize them

This exists, it’s called Contrapest. I’ve wondered why DC hasn’t tried it.

I stand corrected, they actually have. Wonder if it’s working.

Well, anecdotally, not so far? Do you have any info on how/where they are deploying it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

Let me just track what you’re saying here you want to catch the rats alive and then do surgery on them and then release them?

I was thinking of something they could ingest that would sterilize them

This exists, it’s called Contrapest. I’ve wondered why DC hasn’t tried it.

I stand corrected, they actually have. Wonder if it’s working.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

Let me just track what you’re saying here you want to catch the rats alive and then do surgery on them and then release them?

I was thinking of something they could ingest that would sterilize them

This exists, it’s called Contrapest. I’ve wondered why DC hasn’t tried it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

Let me just track what you’re saying here you want to catch the rats alive and then do surgery on them and then release them?

I was thinking of something they could ingest that would sterilize them

That actually exists for other species. We should develop it for rats.

I do not believe in humanely catching mice and rats. They need to meet a brutal death! I refuse to be in DC after dark because of the rats. Why can’t DC government get the rat population under control?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

Let me just track what you’re saying here you want to catch the rats alive and then do surgery on them and then release them?

I was thinking of something they could ingest that would sterilize them

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

Let me just track what you’re saying here you want to catch the rats alive and then do surgery on them and then release them?

Anonymous wrote:There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I don't understand why we can't find a way to mitigate these populations. I mean, besides covered trashcans and sanitation crews, which DC could use lots more of. Isn't there a way to spay them?

There are rats where there are people. I doubt you’ll see them scurrying out in the open like you do in dense areas of DC or NYC but they are there.

I think most houses in Bethesda Chevy Chase have nice - but not rats

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are rats near restaurants and densely populated areas. Grocery stores, large apartment or condo buildings. People create lots of waste -ew- and rats are there for the free lunch. Live farther from stores, restaurants and large buildings and you are fine.

You still have rats though. Rats live everywhere. We just don’t see them unless they’re really overpopulated or living away from cover to access food.