KENMORE, NY (WKBW) — It appears there is a growing rat problem in the Village of Kenmore.
Many neighbors there are sharing their experiences on social media. Some say they’ve found rats on their porches, in their grills, and even running around in broad daylight.
I have spoken to some local residents about the problem and have gotten some advice on how to deal with the issue for you.
“It’s like a rat party – they’re running around in the backyard,” explained Kenmore resident Natalie Jones.
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Jones showed me a video of rats running around in her backyard on Tulane Road.
Jones started a conversation on the Facebook page “What’s Up Kenmore,” which received over 170 responses, with both homeowners and renters complaining about rats scurrying around their yards.
“I’ve never seen rats like that before and I wanted to move immediately because I pay a lot of money to live there. This rat problem is terrible,” Jones noted.
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Jones met me in downtown Buffalo because she worked there, but shared a photo of a “rat tunnel” under her garden fence.
“Rodents show up and then look for places where they can spread,” explains Josh Tonn.
Tonn is co-owner of Freedom Force Pest Control. He met me in my backyard in Kenmore, where rats also roam. He knows why there are so many rats.
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“It’s not so much a weather-related phenomenon or a seasonal thing. It’s just that when a population gets going, they show up, then it will spread. The young animals will be displaced. They’ll look around in other yards, and that’s what people will see,” Tonn described.
Another Kenmore resident shared this video footage of rats in his backyard during the night hours.
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To avoid the uninvited guests, experts use bait stations.
“If you see it walking through your yard, it doesn’t necessarily mean it lives there, but it means it lives nearby,” Tonn noted.
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“We were very lucky. We’ve never had anything here before,” commented Sergio Quevedo, owner of Surge Restaurant.
Businesses in Kenmore are working to keep the rats away.
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Quevedo told me he hired a pest control company to keep the bugs in the house under control. He is also a board member of the Kenmore Business Association. He praised the village for picking up trash daily.
“The companies’ garbage is picked up every day, so there is no reason for us to leave garbage outside. We try very carefully to keep all our garbage inside,” Quevedo replied.
Experts admit that it is impossible to get rid of all rats, but you can improve your garden as they are looking for food and water.
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But there are some solutions for you:
- Do not feed the birds
- Be sure to remove overgrown vegetation
- Remove dirt
- Do not leave pet food outside
- Remove dog excrement
“The other big problem is dog excrement, you know, everyone talks about that too. Unfortunately, if you leave it in the garden for too long, the rats eat it,” replied Tonn.
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Bait boxes are used against rats.
The experts also recommend making sure there is no standing water in your garden.
You can also contact Erie County to set up bait stations.
