Rats in New York City

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Rats as big as bunnies are roaming the streets in broad daylight, nesting in trees and chewing through car engine wires that can cost thousands to fix. And there are so many that residents are kvetching about them every chance they get — 311 hotline complaints about rats have totaled 12,632 so far this year — a third more than the 9,042 for all of 2019.

“Central Park is overrun with huge fat rats,” Sloan wrote. “I saw a man on a bench in the rambles swatting them unsuccessfully with a rake.”

Amanda Levine ticks off four reasons why she thinks rats have invaded the Upper West Side: outdoor dining, more homeless New Yorkers, shoddy street cleaning and the biggest — trash not being picked up often enough, both from the cans on sidewalk corners and the stacks of bags hauled to the curb by building supers.

Source: Giant rats overtaking NYC's Central Park, Upper West Side of Manhattan

I’ve also had more rats than ever.
No idea why.

Car Wiring Harness

One of the problems is that rats are chewing through the wiring harnesses on cars. That is an expensive repair costing around $1,000 to fix. According to David Albin, "The common consensus was that rodent damage in cars has increased exponentially over the last 10 years."

Until roughly a decade ago, most car companies used wiring insulation that was petroleum based. The introduction of soy-based wire insulation was meant to have a twofold benefit: It was less expensive for automakers and, because it used soy instead of oil, it was better for the environment. But some unhappy car owners now counter that the greener wiring is now luring the environment, particularly the animal kingdom, under the hoods of their vehicles. [Soy is food] They are an irresistible snack for animals.

Honda released wiring tape developed specifically to be a rodent deterrent. The tape, which features images of little mouse figures with X-marks over their eyes, comes covered with capsaicin, an oil derived from hot chili peppers.

Source: Does Your Car Have Wiring That Rodents Think Is Tasty?

We got a new puppy a couple years ago. He ate through the wiring harness on two of our vehicles. It was a costly repair. I bought some of this anti-rodent electrical tape and wrapped the wiring with it. He hasn't bothered with it since. I also had a driveway alarm. The electronics in the external box were contained in a think hardshell plastic box. The squirrels ate through the box and got into the wiring. I replaced the box and in less than two weeks they were attacking it again. I wrapped the box with this tape and the squirrels no longer bother it.

Squirrels. Sometimes are called tree rats occasionally . Have heard of the garbage can rats can get quite big have heard , only ever saw one of these throwbacks on a telephone wire just running along , have had serious damage to the same wiring harness 2 x , by 2 yrs apart . On a pick up truck . Chewed up a very expensive injector wiring .harness both times . By Squirrels .

Rats ate my spark plug wires once.I’m going to get some of that rat tape.Thanks Jimmy.
Once squirrels chewed off all the lids on the gas containers in the shed.We think they got hooked on huffing.Now I keep them in a locked squirrel proof building.

Thank you Jimmy,,,,,,, suppose a Honda dealer , would be where to by it ?

Thank you Jimmy,,,,,,, suppose a Honda dealer , would be where to by it ?

Just another bit of info , have had to cover my drain openings in my home in order help curb the smaller rats
That have come up through the drains in my house . Winter time comes so food is scarce so they are looking for
Anything to chew on and warmer places to stay during the winter . I Do believe .

Do NOT put rat poison down because it kills them painfully. So inhumane. Such a thing shouldn't exist.

Sorry, rat lover here, and I can't bear the thought of rats dying. Is there anything invented that can be used to deter rats instead?

Ah, Yes. New York City. They can charge insane amounts for rent, But cannot take care of the Rat problem. The citizens of New York City are simpletons.

They need the pied piper, but make sure he is paid and hang onto your children!

Poison is never good.I won’t use sticky traps either.
Peppermint oil is suppose to repel them ,but it didn’t work for me.Mothballs work, but also repel me.
Mostly I use the live trap and relocate but some are smart and will not go in it.The dogs help some, won’t go into detail.
Pet rats are great, but a rat chewing in the wall is not.