During the past year and a half, Jackson Heights has been invaded by an influx of rodents, according to residents of the neighborhood.
Rats invade Jackson Heights
“On a regular basis we are getting complaints from residents,” said Giovanna Reid, district manager of Community Board 3, which includes Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and North Corona. “We have a rodent infestation.”
Apart from being disgusting, rodents such as rats are known to carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans in many ways - through animal bite, contact with animal waste, consuming food or water contaminated by rodent waste or through parasites, which use rodents and humans as hosts. Breathing in dried rodent waste that is contaminated might also lead to disease transmission.
One of the things that attract rats is garbage - the number one source of food for them. Overflowing trashcans as well as rotten produce, Styrofoam food containers and coffee cups on the ground are a common sight at night on 73rd Street and other busy stretches of Jackson Heights.
The litter on the ground usually comes from the customers of outdoor food vendors, who stay open until the wee hours of the morning or some that remain open 24-hours. In addition, the gutters on these streets are also filled with garbage.
However, these streets are cleaned every day, but only between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., which gives many opportunities for litter to accumulate during the night.
Meanwhile, Reid believes another factor in the neighborhood responsible for rodent activity is the heavy construction around the area.
“The problem is widening as they [the rodents] do move,” Reid said, explaining that the demolition makes the rodents disperse and find new places where they can live and eat.