Rats

Announcer: HELLO. GOOD MORNING.

IT'S A WARM AND A SUNNY ONE TODAY.

75 DEGREES.

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO HEAD TO THE BEACH.

Reporter: AREA RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED

ABOUT RAT INFESTATION IN THE AREA --

THE ROOF RAT, THE NORWAY RAT,

THE MOST COMMON LIVING AMONGST US.

THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

AND THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN.

Reporter #2: SCIENTISTS ARE BEGINNING TO LEARN ABOUT THE WILD URBAN

IT'S VERY CLEAR HOW SIMILAR THEIR BEHAVIOR IS TO HUMANS.

Reporter #3: AS THE POPULATION INCREASES,

SO DO THE RATS FEEDING OFF THE GARBAGE.

Reporter #4: RATS UP 140%.

Reporter #5: THE CITY'S FAILING TO CONTROL ITS VERMIN.

Reporter: THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

IS ON HIGH ALERT

AFTER AN OUTBREAK OF THE PLAGUE HIT THE CITY.

Reporter #2: THE PLAGUE KILLED AN ESTIMATED 200 MILLION PEOPLE

IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS STEPPED UP ITS SPENDING

AT $2.9 MILLION...

Reporter: IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,

RATS ARE BECOMING RESISTANT TO THE POISONS WE USE TO KILL THEM.

Reporter #2: RATS ARE SHOWING THESE POISON-RESISTANT MUTATIONS

ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

Reporter #1: THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT

AS THE RAT POPULATION INCREASES RAPIDLY.

MY NAME IS ED SHEEHAN.

I AM AN EXTERMINATOR.

I SPENT 48 YEARS IN THE PEST-CONTROL INDUSTRY.

STARTED SATURDAY AFTER LABOR DAY 1967.

NOBODY WANTS TO DO IT.

I'LL DO IT.

I MADE A LOT OF MONEY DOING THIS STUFF.

RATS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT,

MORE INTELLIGENT THAN I THINK WE GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR.

HOWEVER YOU KILL THEM, YOU KILL THEM,

BUT FOR EVERY ACTION ON OUR PART,

THERE'S A REACTION ON THEIR PART.

THEY'RE OBSERVANT. THEY KNOW THE AREA.

THEY'RE ALWAYS ALERT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

LISTEN, THEY'RE SCARY.

BUT I'VE GOT TO RESPECT THEM.

YOU KNOW, AFTER ALMOST 50 YEARS...

THEY JUMP OUT...

...I'M JUMPING BACK.

Rick: GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.

WELCOME TO THE RAT ACADEMY.

WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN THE FLOOR OVER

TO DR. ROBERT CARRIGAN.

Carrigan: THANKS, RICK. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.

All: GOOD MORNING. OKAY.

SO EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK,

"WELL, IT'S JUST A DIRTY RAT"...

THESE ARE VERY SOPHISTICATED, DIABOLICALLY CLEVER ANIMALS.

FOR THOSE OF YOU HERE

WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN PARTICULAR,

NEW EXTERMINATORS, NEW INSPECTORS,

IN THIS ACADEMY,

OUR JOB IS TO TRAIN YOU TO SEE WHAT OTHERS OVERLOOK

WHEN YOU WALK AROUND A CITY.

CHECK THIS OUT.

THIS IS LOWER EAST SIDE, NEW YORK CITY.

THERE'S A RESTAURANT OVER HERE.

COME DOWN THE SIDEWALK, AND BOOM, LET'S MOVE IN.

MOST PEOPLE WOULD WALK RIGHT BY THAT.

THEY WOULD NEVER THINK OF RATS BEING ABLE TO USE THAT HOLE.

THIS RODENT HAS MARKED UP THE CORNERS.

THEY'LL USE PHEROMONES WITHIN THEIR FECES THEIR AND URINE

TO COMMUNICATE.

RAT URINE IS THIS BLOB WITH A TRAIL.

BLOB, TRAIL, BLOB, TRAIL. LOOK AT THIS ONE.

GORGEOUS RAT PEE RIGHT THERE. WHOOP.

I DON'T WANT TO EAT THERE.

YOU'LL SEE RAT PEE ALL OVER THIS CITY.

PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, CAN WE GET RID OF THE RATS?"

I'M LIKE, "THAT'S A BIG, TALL ORDER."

THE RATS HAVE BEEN IN MANHATTAN FOR 250 YEARS.

RATS ORIGINATED IN MONGOLIA AREA, AS FAR AS WE KNOW,

HID IN THE SHIPS

AND FED ON WHATEVER THE SAILORS WERE EATING,

CAME ACROSS THE OCEAN OVER TO THE NEW WORLD,

AND SO THEY SPREAD IN THE WAY PEOPLE SPREAD.

THE GREATEST DANGER RATS POSE TO US IS DISEASE.

OF COURSE, EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT BUBONIC PLAGUE.

RATS AND THEIR FLEAS WIPED OUT 200 MILLION PEOPLE.

BUT THERE ARE OTHER DISEASES.

THERE ARE CASES OF E. COLI...

BARTONELLA, SALMONELLA, RICKETTSIA.

THE FACT THAT THEY INHABIT SEWERS,

RATS CAN CARRY 5 MILLION VIRUSES ON ONE FOOT.

AND THIS IS AN ANIMAL THAT,

IF IT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, WILL ATTACK.

AND IF YOU'RE STANDING -- A HUMAN BEING 5'7", 5'8"...

THEY JUMP RIGHT ONTO THE CHEST, CRAWL ACROSS OUR BODIES,

BITE SOMEONE IN THE FACE, LITERALLY KILL US.

WE ARE HARDWIRED TO AVOID

WANTING TO THINK ABOUT THESE ANIMALS.

WE ARE HARDWIRED TO BE REPULSED, PROBABLY FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.

IT'S THE END OF WINTER.

WHAT IS THAT?

IT'S RAT SEASON, OKAY.

IT'S RAT REPRODUCTION SEASON, SO THIS IS --

MY NAME IS RICK SIMEONE.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PEST-CONTROL SERVICES

FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE.

WE WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT TODAY ABOUT CATTEN PLAZA.

HOW MANY BURROWS DID WE SEE THERE YESTERDAY,

DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER?

10 BURROWS IN THAT LITTLE AREA, SO IT WAS PRETTY BAD.

LISTEN, THIS IS A 200-YEAR-OLD PROBLEM IN NEW YORK CITY.

IT'S A CHALLENGE EVERYWHERE.

Man: LOOK OVER HERE.

SOFTBALL-SIZED BURROWS BACK HERE.

THAT'S A RAT.

GREAT DAY FOR BAITING. YEAH, WOW.

LOOK AT THIS. HUGE KICKBACK.

SO WE'LL START OFF BAITING THIS ONE.

Simeone: AS THE SPRING AND THE WARMER WEATHER COMES,

RATS REPRODUCE AS MANY AS 8 TO 12 IN A LITTER,

FIVE TO SIX LITTERS A YEAR.

THEY'RE PROLIFIC IN THEIR ABILITY TO REPRODUCE.

ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

10 YEARS AGO,

OUR EXTERMINATORS WERE NOT TRAINED AT THIS LEVEL.

THIS ONE IS NOT AS DEEP.

YOU NEED TO KNOW DOSAGE RATES,

TYPES OF BAITS TO USE, BAITING TECHNIQUES,

THE BIOLOGY OF THE ANIMAL, NEW ADVANCES IN THE FIELD.

THAT LOOKS LIKE A BURROW RIGHT THERE.

THE GOAL IS THAT YOU GO INTO ONE OF THESE AREAS.

RATS ARE REDUCED,

SO WE PROVIDE A MUCH HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT

FOR PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT. AWESOME.

Sheehan: IF YOU THINK YOU CAN SOLVE

"WE'RE BAITING, WE'LL BE BACK IN A MONTH,"

IT AIN'T HAPPENING.

OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS DO THINGS HALF-ASSED.

A LOT OF GARBAGE HERE.

YOU ARE SUPPLYING THEIR NEEDS.

WE PUT OUR GARBAGE OUT AT NIGHT,

DOESN'T GET PICKED UP TILL THE MORNING.

SO THE RATS ARE ON THE CLOCK.

10 TO 15 MINUTES AFTER THAT GARBAGE GOES OUT...

IT'S LIKE...

00 SOMEBODY CAME AND GAVE YOU FOOD...

WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE?

WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE?

Carrigan: WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHERE RATS CAN HIDE.

SO I'M GOING TO BE STOPPING

AND ALMOST READING THE CITY WITH YOU GUYS.

SO WE GOOD? YEP.

SO LET'S GO.

I CALL NEW YORK CITY RAT-TROPOLIS.

I DO SO BECAUSE IN MANY WAYS, IT'S ALSO TRASH-OPOLIS.

THOSE THINGS GO TOGETHER.

NEW YORK BEING ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED CITIES

IN THE WORLD.

THE RATS ARE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE.

FROM A DISTANCE, FROM A DISTANCE,

I WANT TO POINT OUT -- SEE ONE RIGHT THERE? RIGHT?

SO THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THE CATCH BASIN

RIGHT INTO THOSE BAGS.

THE RATS LIVE IN THE SEWER SYSTEM

THAT RUNS THIS PARTICULAR STREET,

SO WHEN WE GET OVER THERE,

WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF STAND ON THE EDGE HERE.

YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK FAR FOR FOOD AND PLACES TO HIDE.

WHERE THOSE TWO THINGS COINCIDE, YOU CAN FIND THE RATS.

THOSE BAGS ARE FULL OF ALL THE FOOD

FROM THAT PARTICULAR RESTAURANT -- PIZZA, SPAGHETTI.

THOSE BAGS ARE LOADED WITH FOOD.

Man: SEE ONE RIGHT NOW. SEE ONE RIGHT THERE?

CAN YOU SEE THAT?

OH, LOOK AT THAT.

THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THE CATCH BASIN.

RIGHT IN THAT BAG RIGHT THERE. HE'S WAY DOWN IN THE BOTTOM.

HE'S JUST HUNKERING DOWN.

OH, THERE HE GOES.

RIGHT OUT OF THE SEWER INTO THE FOOD BANK,

BACK DOWN TO THE BED,

AND NO EXPOSURE THAT THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.

THERE ARE SEVERAL RATS RIGHT NOW IN THESE BAGS

WAITING PROBABLY FOR THIS THREAT,

WHICH IS US, TO DISAPPEAR.

AND WE'RE GOING TO DISAPPEAR.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU GUYS SOMETHING OVER HERE.

Carrigan: WE'RE GOING TO WALK RIGHT ALONG HERE.

WHEN WE DO THINGS LIKE PUT OUT OUR TRASH AND LET IT SIT,

RATS ARE GIVING US STANDING OVATIONS.

OUR BEHAVIOR IS A BIG REWARD FOR THESE RATS.

LOOK. HERE'S A SIRLOIN BURGER. RICE.

THESE BASKETS ARE JUST BUFFETS.

SO MUCH FOOD.