Boston to host national rat summit
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Boston will host the second-ever National Urban Rat Summit this fall, according to City Hall.
- The summit brings municipal officials, researchers and public health experts from across the country to tackle the urban rodent problem.
Why it matters: Dealing with all the rats strains city resources, affecting quality of life for Bostonians.
- Hosting the summit means Boston is positioning itself as a model for other cities wrestling with the same problem.
The latest: The two-day summit will run Sept. 23-24.
- Sessions will focus on evidence-based approaches to reducing the rat population, with an emphasis on collaboration across cities.
Between the lines: Outside experts on the summit's planning committee, including Cornell's Matthew Frye and urban rodentologist Bobby Corrigan, frame the gathering as a chance to pool a small, specialized field of municipal rat researchers and practitioners.
- It's the best-of-the-best when it comes to killing rats.
State of play: Boston launched the Boston Rodent Action Plan (BRAP) in 2024, a cross-agency effort over more than 20 departments and partners. The city has tried a number of novel ways to get rid of the rats:
- Sewer and surface traps.
- Cut use of traditional rodenticides in favor of integrated pest management.
- Installed rodent-resistant trash receptacles.
- Used mapping and data analytics to target interventions by neighborhood.