Special to the Patriot-Bridge
Whether you live in East Boston, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, or Jamaica Plain, there is a common problem that all residents are facing — and that is rats.
“It is a big issue,” Inspectional Service Director (ISD) Director John Ulrich told the members of the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association in East Boston last week.
Ulrich said that the 14 ISD inspectors are on the city’s streets starting at 4 a.m., ticketing residents and businesses for violations of the sanitary code, baiting sewers, and doing pest control at local parks.
However, the biggest driver of the rat explosion is food that is left uneaten.
“Food over everything,” is what needs to be controlled, Ulrich said. But it is not just food. Bird feeders overflowing and dog waste also needs to be picked up, not to mention trash should be stored and placed in secure barrels.
Ward 1 Councilor Gabriella Coletta noted that she and the city council have earmarked extra money in the budget for the ISD to fight this problem.
“Residents are lucky that elected officials care about people,” Ulrich said, noting that these extra funds will go a long way to combating this problem with additional staff and tools. He also mentioned that the ISD is mapping all of their work and are constantly