Baltimore County's rat eradication program has treated more than 2,100 homes, and more efforts are planned for later this month, county officials said Thursday.
Rodent infestations have become a common complaint in many county neighborhoods, and the "Rat Attack" program began in April 2012. Officials said two communities are scheduled to be treated this month: Riverview in Lansdowne, with treatment scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 11; and St. Helena in Dundalk, scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 25.
The county has a 5-year, $750,000 contract with an exterminator to treat neighborhoods with rodent infestations. The service, which involves injecting a powder chemical into rodent burrows, costs about $8 per residential property, officials said.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a statement that officials have seen results in communities that have been treated so far.
"With continuing education and enforcement, we have achieved quantifiable results and positive feedback ... where residents are reporting a dramatic decline in rodent sightings," Kamenetz said.
He said residents are "stepping up" to make changes in neighborhoods, such as using rodent-resistant trash cans and cleaning up pet waste. Code enforcement officers are conducting sweeps in treated areas to check whether trash is properly stored.
County Council Chairman Tom Quirk, a Catonsville Democrat whose district includes Riverview, said residents there have been encouraging neighbors to take steps to fight infestations.
"Combining a change in community behavior with this aggressive eradication program should make a real difference in the quality of life in Riverview," he said in a statement.
For a list of neighborhoods that have been treated, visit http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/releases/0207county.html.
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