D.C.'s war on rats has a new tactic: rat walks
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DC Rat Rangers are going after the city's rodents with plans instead of poison. Photo: Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
D.C.'s latest weapon in the war on rats? Learning to think like one.
Why it matters: After trying everything from hunting dogs to dashboards and birth control, a new coalition says D.C. won't solve its rat problem until residents understand what's helping them thrive.
- Dubbed DC Rat Rangers, the group is launching free nighttime "rat walks" across all eight wards to teach residents how rats behave — and why cleaner streets can do more than bait boxes.
The big picture: The coalition says D.C.'s rat problem is often a trash and access problem.
- "As long as food is there, rats will keep coming back," Max Broad, executive director of DC Voters for Animals, tells Axios.
- And to rats, food isn't just old produce — it's pet waste, compost and more.
What's driving it: The coalition's push isn't just about rats — it's also about rat poison.
- DC Responsible Rat Management, whose members include Humane Rescue Alliance, City Wildlife and DC Bird Alliance, wants the city to ditch poisons for prevention.
- The effort grew out of City Wildlife's finding that 85% of animals treated for blood-clotting issues at its rehabilitation center tested positive for rat poison, according to Broad.
- Members say those poisons can move up the food chain, harming pets, as well as hawks, owls, foxes and other wildlife.
Zoom in: The Rat Rangers aren't exterminators. They're more neighborhood naturalists.
- Led by an anthrozoologist and an urban rodentologist, the hourlong evening walks teach residents how to spot rat habitats, how they breed and how to identify trash issues.
Yes, but: Nobody involved thinks education alone will solve the problem.
- The coalition also backs tougher sanitation policies, rat-resistant trash containers and continued research into poison alternatives.
The intrigue: Rats are becoming increasingly political.
- Likely next mayor Janeese Lewis George campaigned on tackling rats, while the coalition is backing the RAT Act promoting rat-resistant waste containers.
- Broad's wishlist also includes a citywide "rat czar" to coordinate agencies. (Not to be confused with a rat king.)
Friction point: Rat-resistant trash containers can be expensive — some are $1,000+ — making widespread adoption a pricey sell.
- Still, Broad argues investing in sanitation will help toward the "systemic shift" the city needs.
The bottom line: Whether you're rat-curious or get the alleyway scurries, the rangers are ready to give you a rat's-eye view of the problem. And a free t-shirt, featuring city icons: monuments, cherry blossoms and rats.
- "We really wanted to invoke pride in D.C.," Broad says.
If you go: Check out their site for the rat walk schedule and more resources.