Insider: Rat Traps

Rats, like cockroaches, are among the few that can survive a nuclear blast. So how does a city built on a landfill control them?

Creative people and wily baiting: City rat killers use pepperoni, Slim Jims, and peanut butter to compete with trash odors in Allston, Brighton, the North End, and Beacon Hill. Near the water, canned clams do the trick.

“It takes a different type of person to do that on a daily basis,” says Leo Boucher, assistant commissioner of the city’s Environmental Services Division, “and they’re very effective.”

Quick Statistic: In 2011, there were 1257 reports of rodent activity — that’s three percent higher than the five-year average.

Photo via iStockphto