Buffalo’s had them, and Lackawanna and Blasdell.
Now rats have moved farther south into the Village of Hamburg.
Village Board members said Monday night the village is in the beginning stages of a rat infestation. The rodents seem to be causing problems east of Buffalo Street.
The Erie County Health Department has met with village officials, and has baited certain areas, they said.
“Bird feeders are the main problem,” Mayor Thomas J. Moses Sr. said, adding that a resident called Village Hall one morning to report several rats eating from her bird feeder.
Village officials are trying to get the word out for residents to eliminate sources of food and water that attract rats.
Tips from the county’s vector control program include:
• Remove uneaten pet food and store food in rat-proof containers.
• Clean up pet droppings daily.
• Use rat-proof bird feeders and clean up any fallen seed daily, or stop feeding seed to birds.
• Remove sources of water.
• Use trash cans with tight lids.
To remove habitat that attract rats:
• Keep yards trash free and clean areas behind wooden steps, under decks or other sites that may provide shelter.
• Cut down high grass and weeds.
• Pile wood and other storage materials away from walls and at least 18 inches above the ground.
• Make sure windows and doors close tightly and place heavy screening on basement windows.
• Seal exterior holes in a home’s foundation and walls.
• Fasten floor drains to keep rats from entering through sewers.
Village Administrator Donald Witkowski said residents who have problems should contact the health department directly by calling 961-6800.
email: bobrien@buffnews.com
Now rats have moved farther south into the Village of Hamburg.
Village Board members said Monday night the village is in the beginning stages of a rat infestation. The rodents seem to be causing problems east of Buffalo Street.
The Erie County Health Department has met with village officials, and has baited certain areas, they said.
“Bird feeders are the main problem,” Mayor Thomas J. Moses Sr. said, adding that a resident called Village Hall one morning to report several rats eating from her bird feeder.
Village officials are trying to get the word out for residents to eliminate sources of food and water that attract rats.
Tips from the county’s vector control program include:
• Remove uneaten pet food and store food in rat-proof containers.
• Clean up pet droppings daily.
• Use rat-proof bird feeders and clean up any fallen seed daily, or stop feeding seed to birds.
• Remove sources of water.
• Use trash cans with tight lids.
To remove habitat that attract rats:
• Keep yards trash free and clean areas behind wooden steps, under decks or other sites that may provide shelter.
• Cut down high grass and weeds.
• Pile wood and other storage materials away from walls and at least 18 inches above the ground.
• Make sure windows and doors close tightly and place heavy screening on basement windows.
• Seal exterior holes in a home’s foundation and walls.
• Fasten floor drains to keep rats from entering through sewers.
Village Administrator Donald Witkowski said residents who have problems should contact the health department directly by calling 961-6800.
email: bobrien@buffnews.com