Marlborough mayor says Woburn pest control company will attack growing rat population

MARLBOROUGH — The city's war on rats continues, with Mayor J. Christian Dumais announcing that Marlborough has contracted with a pest control company to target a few hot spots.

Dumais told the Daily News that the city will work with Modern Pest Services, a Woburn-based company that has previously been contracted to handle rodent issues in Somerville and Portland, Maine. Modern Pest will set up 50 traps at identified hot spots in Marlborough to help control the rat population.

"I had reached out to other municipalities that had used Modern Pest Services," Dumais said. "During the campaign over the summer, I heard a lot of issues people were having with rats, so we are trying to tackle that issue."

Earlier: Marlborough creates rodent reporting portal for residents

In January, Marlborough launched a rat sighting report tool on the city website. Data gathered from the portal has allowed the city to identify key spots where rodents have been most prevalent, and that's where traps will be placed.

"The rodent sighting tool has been so beneficial," Dumais said. "If you see a rat, you can go on the website and report it. We took that data, plugged it into the GIS, and have been able to identify where they are. The sightings have helped because we can then see if there are any blight issues that need to be addressed — if there are dumpsters that aren't being maintained properly, and that is helping the rat population grow.

So where are the rats congregating in Marlborough?

Dumais said the most clear center for the rat population is in and around downtown. This would square with what experts believe are key contributors to a growing rat population — access to shelter, food and water. Construction projects provide shelter, while a high number of dumpsters and drains allows for access to food and water.

Dumais said recent mild winters have also contributed to a rising population of rodents.

"When you have warmer winters there isn't a chance for the rats to hibernate," he said.

Places with a lot of chicken coops also attract rats

Other locations for high rat populations include areas that have a high percentage of chicken coops. Roy Hansen Jr., who owns Marlboro Pest Control , previously told the Daily News that a higher number chicken coops in the city has been a boon to rats.

"I think with more international residents, that is becoming more common — some neighborhoods will have a coop every few houses," Hansen said at the time. "In most coops, the feed gets knocked to the ground, and that attracts all kinds of rodents and pests."

Dumais said the rat traps being used will not be using rodenticide (rat poison). Use of rodenticide has been a controversial issue in recent years, with activists saying that poisoned rats end up poisoning other animals that consume them, such as birds of prey. Several bills have been put before the Legislature to prevent the use of rodenticide in pest control.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Marlborough mayor says Woburn pest control company will attack growing rat population