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Car-Eating Rats Terrorize City
The rats invading Cambridge arent just snacking on leftover trash anymore. The massive rodents have started chewing up the engine wires inside residents cars near Central Square.Beth Thomas, who lives in the Area 4 neighborhood, was on her way to the grocery store with her 5-year-old son last October when her car wouldnt start. She called a tow company to haul her 1999 Chrysler Concord to a mechanic, who noticed the check oil and check engine dashboard alerts kept lighting up when he hit the brakes. At first we thought it just needed a tune-up, said Bill Doherty, manager of Aamco Transmissions in Allston. When Doherty opened the hood of the car, he found an empty rats nest on top of the engine. Nutshell casings that the rodents had been munching were scattered nearby. When we moved the nest to see what was going on, we could see that it was chewing through the wires, said Doherty. Doherty said he sees cars with rodent nests on engines and inside air filters come into his shop every couple of months. He said rats seek the tops of car engines to keep warm during cold weather. Thomas has spent about $500 in car repairs since October, and blames her continuing car troubles on the rats fall feast. About three weeks ago, she called a tow company after her car wouldnt start again. The tow truck driver nervously checked under her car hood, recounting that a rat had recently jumped out at him after he opened the hood for another car owner in East Cambridge, according to Thomas. Now Thomas fears that the rats that run rampant near her home will bite her son or other kids in the neighborhood. We cant even go outside and take the kids to the park because there are rats, said Thomas, who lives at Newtowne Court public housing. Im tired of having to stay in my house and not being able to go outside with my son because Im afraid of the rats. Thomas, who has been out of work since 2002 on disability, said she has no other option but to continue parking in the handicapped spot near her apartment, amid the rats. Neighbors blame ongoing developments in the area, including new construction at nearby MIT, for the rat infestation. The rats are everywhere they really are because of the construction in the area, said Ethel Delgado, president of the tenant council for Newtowne Court and neighboring Washington Elms. Delgado said the Cambridge Housing Authority has diligently worked to improve the rat problem, exterminating regularly. Unfortunately, whatever theyre doing is not enough, said Delgado. Greg Russ, executive director of the CHA, said the housing authority has been aggressively exterminating since the summer and hasnt had any rat sighting reports in two weeks. Russ encouraged public housing tenants to building managers if they see rats. Were not happy with the rats either. Its pretty much an ongoing struggle. Theyre tough to get rid of, said Russ, noting rats intelligence and endurance. John Fallon, a high-ranking official at the citys inspectional services department, said the city dedicates one health inspector to investigating rat burrows and ordering extermination for rats on private property. The citys public works department picking up where ISD leaves off works to eliminate rats on city streets and enforce trash laws. Lisa Peterson, the citys public works commissioner, said she could not recall if city inspectors had ever investigated or fined the CHA for trash violations at Newtowne Court, but said the city works with the housing authority to improve trash storage. City Councilor Anthony Galluccio recently asked the citys lawyers to resurrect a home-rule petition that would punish landlords who dont pay their fines for breaking the citys trash laws. The move is aimed at getting residents to store garbage in tightly sealed bins and reduce the citys rat population. City officials have been receiving increasing reports of rats. In 2004, officials received 112 calls for rat sightings. During the first seven months of 2005, the latest data available, officials received 90 calls almost as many calls received altogether in 2004. Fallon said he now receives about five calls reporting rats each week. In addition to extermination, city officials also rely on the winter chill to thin out the rat population. But Cambridges hardy brood of rats doesnt seem to be affected by the cold weather. Thomas said she saw rats running down Main Street from her kitchen window during the recent Valentines Day snowstorm. Thomas, sitting in her neatly kept kitchen, argued against the perception that public housing residents dont care about keeping their surroundings nice. She said CHA and the city need to work more closely together to look at the rat problem in the entire neighborhood. None of these rats say, Im from the city or Im from private property. These rats dont have nametags, said Thomas. Delgado said city councilors rarely pay attention to the problems within her development unless its election time, and complained that the complex isnt supplied with enough bins to keep recyclables in sealed containers. We still reside in Cambridge and we should be treated like everyone else, said Delgado. Its not like we the residents arent trying. We just cant do it ourselves. Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-03-10 |
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