For the tenth year in a row, Chicago has been named the "rattiest" city in America by Orkin.
Now, Wicker Park and Bucktown are testing a new solution—rat birth control!
Starting April 1st, bait boxes containing the birth control will be placed in alleys behind major commercial areas. This alternative to poison is designed to reduce the rat population without harming pets or the environment.
Chicago isn’t alone in this approach—New York City, ranked third by Orkin, is also adopting rat birth control with help from WISDOM Good Works. According to Alaina Gonzalez-White, the company’s director of operations, "Anything that eats that rat will no longer be eating a poisoned meal."
Animal rights group PETA supports the initiative.
Per ABC 7 News