By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams, City Director of Rodent Mitigation Kathy Corradi, and City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa on Sunday announced the creation of new, specialized teams to tackle the city’s rat population in 600,000 street tree beds.
The Adams administration has baselined $877,000 in permanent funding to establish the teams and hire 12 new full-time staff to provide inspections and associated services, under the guidance of exterminators and a forester. Currently, street tree beds — some of the most visible parts of the Big Apple that millions of people pass by every day — have no dedicated mitigation or enforcement teams.
Last year, street tree beds garnered over 2,300 rat-related 311 complaints annually. Until now, the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has responded to complaints of rodents in street tree beds. These new specialized teams will directly address those complaints and build on the city’s existing rat mitigation work.
“Today, we are embarking on a new era of urban pest management. Our administration is announcing a $877,000 investment to get rats out of 600,000 street tree beds across the five boroughs,” Adams said. “By cleaning up trash and hiring a team of experts to clear out burrows while caring for our trees, we are reclaiming public space, fighting rats, and improving quality of life for all New Yorkers. Our administration continues to build on the work we are doing to end the dominance of trash and rats on our streets.”
“Rats have historically exploited street tree beds as they sit at the cross section of the private and public realm and are adjacent to food sources and travel pathways,” said Corradi. “Along with the tremendous efforts to clean our curbs and educate property owners, the Street Tree Bed Rat Mitigation program deepens the Adams administration’s commitment to creating a cleaner and pest-free New York City.”
“New Yorkers love their tree-lined streets, and it’s our job to ensure that these vital green spaces remain healthy, clean, and safe,” added Rodriguez-Rosa. “For too long, rats in street tree beds have gone unaddressed — undermining the hard work of both city agencies and local communities. With this new investment, we’re closing that gap. By combining science-based, non-toxic approaches with dedicated staff, we’re protecting our trees, our neighborhoods, and our quality of life.”
Over the past six months, 311 complaints of rodent sightings have decreased, Hizzoner said. More than 1,000 New Yorkers are participating in City Rat Pack education and engagement events and the recent installation of approximately 1,100 “Empire Bins” has also aided in fewer rats, cleaner sidewalks, and clearer corners.
Adams launched the Rat Pack last summer.
“We want them out of our neighborhoods, out of our homes, out of the streets, and we can do it together,” the mayor said in July 2024. “This war is so important.
“We’re really proud of the City’s efforts of going after Public Enemy No. 1, and those are those pesky rodents that we have seen far too often. Now we’re doing something new.”
