Readers Write: A Plague of Rats on New Utrecht Avenue

Dear Editor, City Officials, and To Whom It May Concern,

Our neighborhood is under siege. The triangle areas around New Utrecht & 41st Street, New Utrecht & 45th Street, and the corner near 11th Avenue & 46th Street have become overrun with mice and rats, turning what were once peaceful streets into a nightly nightmare.

When we go to daven Maariv in the dark, or early in the morning before sunrise, we can literally see the rodents racing across the sidewalks. They are everywhere. Despite countless calls to 311, we are told “it will be taken care of” - yet nothing changes. The situation only gets worse.

Signs have been hung announcing that the area will be sprayed for rats, but so far it has done absolutely nothing to solve the problem. Neighbors watch in horror as bread left out “for the birds” becomes a feast for vermin. The mess and filth is unbearable. Our cars are no longer safe; rats crawl under the hoods, chewing up wires and causing thousands of dollars in damage. And now, they are no longer staying outside, they are creeping into our very homes.

This is not a minor nuisance. It is a health hazard, a safety threat, and a disgrace that residents are being forced to live under these conditions. We plead with the city to act immediately and decisively before this infestation spirals further out of control.

Sincerely,

Terrified and Frustrated Neighbors of the New Utrecht Ave Area