Philadelphia health officials have rejected a proposal to give rats birth control, saying there is no evidence that the approach reduces their numbers.
The disagreement comes as a local pest control operator warns that worsening infestations pose a public health concern for residents, WPVI reported.
Here's what to know
A gradual reduction in rat population numbers is the goal of PETA's proposal to prevent reproduction with fertility control products.
Representatives outlined the approach in a letter to Philadelphia's mayor and city council.
The agency said in a statement that birth control isn't included in the Philadelphia Health Department's vector-control work, and there are no plans to add it.
The department declined an interview.
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"The Health Department does not use birth control as part of our vector control activities and have no plans to. Simply put, there's no research to show that it works to lower rat populations," the statement explained.
"On the other hand, there is oodles of research showing that IPM, or integrated pest management, works to reduce rat populations in both the short- and long-term," it continued.
"In terms of integrated pest management, we work with residents to reduce the food and water supply, harborage, and hiding places, which has been proven time and again to naturally reduce the number of rats over time," a department spokesperson said.
More background
Northeast Philadelphia is a particular trouble spot in what Erica Sanchez, owner of Roman Shield Pest Control, described to Action News as a worsening citywide rat problem.
"We have a real public health concern right now. Rats carry diseases; they spread illnesses. So we need to make sure we get this issue under control," Sanchez explained. "And bait boxes are going to be one of those treatment plans that are necessary."
Sanchez showed Action News how neighborhood bait boxes work.
Rats and mice enter through a small opening and eat the rodenticide inside. Rats typically die four to 10 days after consuming the poison, she noted.
While people have expressed concerns about the boxes, Sanchez said they are the leading method for controlling rat numbers, both in effectiveness and frequency of use.
She was open to birth control as a prevention tool.
She cautioned, however, that it would take months or years to have an effect and would not address an immediate infestation.
What's being done?
Jakob Shaw, PETA's manager of strategic initiatives, pointed to Baltimore as an example of fertility control in practice.
Following the pilot's success, Shaw told WPVI that a citywide expansion was underway, citing Baltimore's Department of Public Works.
Shaw maintained that cleaning Philadelphia's streets should come first.
"As long as people are leaving garbage to rot in alleyways and city streets, we're basically just rolling out the red carpet for rats," he said.
"Rather than a rat czar, what cities really need is a trash czar to make sure that the food and trash that's bringing the rodents into areas in the first place is made inaccessible to them."
Sanchez, meanwhile, called for Philadelphia and its residents to work together using traps and bait alongside birth control. She also outlined steps residents can take to protect their homes, including sealing entry points and keeping food and trash out of rats' reach.
"We have to consider what is making these rats thrive. What are the sources keeping them alive? And then we need to go and eradicate those sources."
Where can I learn more?
Philadelphia isn't alone in looking for better ways to control rats. These stories cover fertility control initiatives, poison restrictions, and a pilot involving trash containers.
• In Washington, rat birth control is showing results as burrows decline in two neighborhoods.
• A Washington bill could restrict at-home rat poison after 12 children were hospitalized.
• New York plans 6,500 more Empire Bins after a pilot cut rat sightings by 25%.
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