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As rats wreak havoc inside cars, Boston officials weigh creation of new Pest Control Office

Boston's pest control efforts need to be streamlined, some officials argue, as residents struggle to rat-proof their vehicles.

A dead rat lies on the sidewalk as pedestrians pass by on Federal Street in Boston. Leanne Burden Seidel/Boston Globe

April 9, 2024

3 minutes to read

If there’s one thing that most people living in Boston can agree on, it’s that the city has a rat problem. Now, as more residents report rodent-related damage to their vehicles, elected officials are taking a renewed interest in changing up how the city government handles pest control.

City Councilor Ed Flynn has been a vocal proponent of creating a new Office of Pest Control at the city level. This would make the city’s pest control operations more efficient, as those efforts are currently spread out among multiple departments, he said.

Flynn and some of his colleagues advocated for this last year, and a new ordinance seeking to create the office was introduced to councilors this January. It will be the subject of a hearing on Tuesday afternoon, and is slated to be discussed and possibly voted on during the City Council meeting on Wednesday.

The issue is gaining new urgency after multiple residents told Boston 25 News that rats are eating wiring in their cars, sometimes costing them thousands. One resident told the station that he got rid of his BMW because of the rodent problem.

Responding to those reports, Flynn said that many in Boston have similar problems.

“Rats chewing through car wires is a common occurrence throughout the City. I have heard this complaint from neighbors in my district in the South End and Chinatown, as well as in other neighborhoods such as Charlestown,” Flynn said in a statement to Boston.com. “Pest control has become a top quality of life and public health complaint and this is why it is critical that we work towards establishing a dedicated Office of Pest Control to streamline and centralize a coordinated process in reducing pests.”

Rodents like rats, mice, chipmunks, and squirrels can seek shelter within cars during colder months. When they do so, things like soy-based wire coverings or insulation made from natural products can be appealing, according to AAA. These materials make car manufacturing easier on the environment, but can lead to unforeseen problems, especially in cars that are not driven frequently.

In the 2023 rankings of “rattiest” cities by Orkin, Boston came in at No. 13. The pest control company produces annual rankings based on the number of new rodent service requests it gets. It was the fourth-straight year that Boston has ranked 13th.

Neighboring communities are exploring new ways to fight rats. Many of these ideas were explored at a recent consortium of officials and sanitation experts in Cambridge. There is a movement among those in the industry to support tactics that do not rely on traditional poison, such as using dogs to find and kill rats. The Washington, D.C.-based company Unique Pest Management brings its teams of rat-killing dogs to Boston about once a month, The Boston Globe reported.

In Boston, the pandemic caused a “dramatic” rise in rodent complaints, according to the City Council ordinance. Right now, pest control is handled through a combination of services provided by the city’s Inspectional Services Department, its Public Works Department, and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. There are 14 inspectors covering the city. Flynn has called for the city to create the position of a “rat czar” to oversee the new pest control operations. The creation of a new Office of Pest Control would “provide a more streamlined and coordinated process in reducing pests,” as well as enabling the city to come up with more innovative ways to address the problem, according to the ordinance.

Councilors Liz Breadon, Sharon Durkan, John FitzGerald, Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy, Enrique Pepén, Henry Santana, Benjamin Weber, and Brian Worrell all added their names to the ordinance during a January meeting.