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34. Because the Rats Are in Retreat

  • By Katherine Ward
  • Published Dec 15, 2013

This year’s survey of our subway stations by the Straphangers Campaign showed a 3 percent drop in rats observed. One reason might be a new-for-2013 weapon in the rodent war: birth control. Working with the company SenesTech on a research project, the MTA introduced ContraPest, a bait that gradually leaves the females sterile. Official analysis hasn’t been released yet, but “anecdotally, it definitely has been successful,” says the MTA’s Kevin Ortiz.

Next: Because a Guy With One Arm and One Leg Rescued Two Kids From a Fire


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