Rat birth control cuts rat activity in Wicker Park

Flashback: The Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area (SSA) implemented Evolve Rat Birth Control in April 2025 to help reduce rat activity.

How it works: The SSA placed 190 bait stations containing Evolve Rat Birth Control across approximately two miles of the district in alleyways and landscape beds.

• Tunnels containing a card with an ink pad to lure in rats and capture their footprints were monitored daily, recording footprint activity.
• Activity was rated from 0-3 based on how many footprints they left.

By the numbers: The data shows an 88% reduction in average rat activity intensity.

• Activity was present at 74% of monitoring locations at the start of the pilot and down to 13% by July 2026.

Z0om out: It's not just Wicker Park. Old Town, Albany Park and Lincoln Park have also implemented rodent birth control pilots.

Zoom in: The SSA allocated around $65,000 in 2026 for the program, but has increased it to $100,000 in 2027, Alice Howe, the group's program director, tells Axios.

• Howe says none of the money came from aldermanic ward money, also known as menu money.

State of play: The one-year pilot showed a pretty consistent reduction rather than peaks and valleys in terms of rat activity, according to a report.