KENMORE, NY (WKBW) — It appears there is a growing rat problem in the Village of Kenmore.
Many neighbors there are voicing their concerns and experiences on social media. Some people say they're finding rats on their porch, in their grill and even running around in broad daylight.
I spoke with some residents about the problem and got some advice for you on dealing with the issue.
“It's like a rat party — they're running around in the backyard,” declared Natalie Jones, Kenmore resident.
Jones shared a video with me of rats running around her backyard along Tulane Road.
Jones started a conversation on the What’s Up Kenmore Facebook page, which has garnered more than 170 responses. Both homeowners and tenants have complained about seeing rats scurrying around their yards.
"I’ve never had the experience of seeing rats like that, so it immediately made me want to move because I’m paying a lot of money to live there. That rat problem is terrible,” remarked Jones.
Jones met me in Downtown Buffalo because she was working but shared a photo of a "rat tunnel" under her backyard fence.
"Rodents pop up, and then they kind of find places to get themselves going,” explained Josh Tonn.
Tonn is co-owner of Freedom Force Pest Control. He met me in my Kenmore backyard, where rats also run through. He's an expert on why there are so many rats.
“It's not so much a weather-related phenomenon or seasonal thing. It's just as they pop up if a population gets going, then that will expand. The juveniles get pushed out. They're looking around to other yards, and that's kind of what folks will see,” Tonn described.
Another Kenmore resident shared these video recordings of rats in his backyard during nighttime hours.
Experts safely use bait stations to deal with these unwanted guests.
“When you see it running through your yard, it doesn't mean that it's necessarily living there, but it means that it's living nearby,” Tonn noted.
“We've been fortunate enough. We have never had anything here,” commented Sergio Quevedo, owner, Surge Restaurant.
Kenmore businesses are working to keep the rats out.
Quevedo told me he hired a pest control company to keep it under control inside. He’s also a board member with the Kenmore Business Association. He praised the village for picking up trash daily.
“So, businesses' garbage is picked up every day, so there is no reason for us to have garbage outside. We try to be very diligent about all our garbage is inside,” Quevedo replied.
Experts admit, it's impossible to get rid of all the rats, but you can improve your yard as they search for food and water.
But there are some solutions for you:
- Don't feed the birds
- Make sure you clear out overgrown vegetation
- Remove debris
- Don’t leave pet food outside
- Remove dog droppings
"The other big one is dog droppings, you know, everybody talks about that as well. You leave them in your yard for too long. unfortunately, rats will eat that,” responded Tonn.
The experts also suggest you make sure you don't have any standing water in your backyard.
You can also contact Erie County to set up bait stations.
