By Anqi Zhang

As people living under the same roof spending more time together during the pandemic, they also become more physically imitate with their rodent neighbors. There has been “an enormous increase in reported rodent sightings over the past few months,” said Somerville Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, the new Chair of Rodent Issues Special Committee, at the public committee meeting on September 23.

Committee members discussed issues including introducing the new Integrated Pest Management (IPM) rodent control policy, addressing residents’ confusion about the process of replacing chewed barrels, explaining the expansion of the residential baiting program, and finding ways for renters to address rodent issues without facing retribution from their landlords.

“Rodent control is, of course, a multi-department issue in Somerville,” Ewen-Campen said. The new IPM system is to facilitate coordination between departments – including the Board of Health, Health Department, Inspectional Services Division, Constituent Services (311) and other city departments – and integrate data sources into rodent control efforts, according to Somerville Environmental Health Coordinator Georgianna Silveira. She is a new member of the committee.

Committee members suggested that calling 311 is the easiest way if you want to report a rat-related problem. “If there are additional questions that need to be asked, or you haven’t gotten a response that is being inspected,” said Antanavica Nick, Director of Inspectional Services, “Then at any point, you can contact Georgianna or myself, and we will be able to address those concerns, to get the immediate response and the direct action.”

The baiting or trapping is done once a week on Thursday, so if a resident calls earlier in the week or on a Friday or Saturday, then they may have to wait until next Thursday, Nick explained. He said that they are making efforts to increase the amount of time they go out and take action, maybe to twice a week as needed.

When it comes to reporting a chewed barrel and having it replaced, attendees emphasized that related staff will investigate the issue, and give warnings and instructions to the person who should be responsible for it. The ticket will only be issued if the person takes no further steps to address the issue, Silveira added.

Another important part of the IPM plan is to expand the baiting program to non-owner-occupied properties. The restriction that only owner-occupied properties are available for the baiting program leaves out at least 50 percent of the parcels in the city, Silveira said.

For renters who apply for the baiting service from the city, city staff will request the sign off from property owners and go to properties getting required signatures from tenants, Silveira said. The program involves the use of toxic substances, specifically rat poison, so tenants need to understand the pros and cons of the process, and come to an agreement with related staffers, she added.

One of the concerns is about how to protect tenants if they want to reach out to the city and get the baiting service without having a conflict with their landlords. Silveira added that this is a free service without punitive properties for landlords. Also, city staffers are mindful of the language they are using in the communication process. They will not identify the tenants who make reports to landlords. Instead, they will use language like, “We’ve seen an increase in activity in the neighborhood. We’re baiting a number of properties. We’d like to include your place here,” Ewen-Campen summarized.

Ewen-Campen also suggested that informing tenants of their legal rights can help them get a leg up in their conversations with landlords. “They have a legal right to a pest-free house,” he added. “They are legally in the right. And if they were to reach out to a lawyer, they could defend themselves.