A small community along the Jersey Shore has seen an increase in rat populations, according to officials and residents.
In a statement to residents last week, the borough of Beachwood said it is aware of the recent rat complaints and is “working aggressively” to address the problem.
The borough also asked residents to help by eliminating conditions that attract rodents by keeping trash containers securely closed, removing outdoor food sources, cleaning up debris and overgrowth, properly storing firewood and sealing openings around houses.
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Beachwood Mayor William J. Cairns could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
A user on Google Maps has created the Beachwood Rat Sightings Tracker, where residents can create pins on a map of the borough indicating where they have spotted the rodents. As of Wednesday evening, the map showed rat sightings in more than 30 locations.
The borough is less than 3 square miles in size and has a population of some 11,000.
Michael Zepol, a Beachwood resident, said he has seen several rats going through trash within the borough while driving to work.
“Rats are nasty and they have no place in Beachwood,” Zepol told NJ.com. “They better move out of town or I might have to.”
Zepol suggested that some potential causes might be bird feeders, bulk trash and development projects in the area.
Several residents in social media comments said the problem may be due to some residents owning chickens, which is not allowed in the borough.
Others have stated that chicken coops do not directly lead to rat infestations.
B.J. Madure, a resident of Lacey Township, said she and others in her community have owned chickens for years and have never had a rat problem. Lacey Township is about 10 miles south of Beachwood.
“I’m a chicken owner for over five years and we don’t have rats in Lacey,” Madure said. “Ironically, Beachwood and Pine Beach don’t allow chickens and they have problems.”
Pine Beach is another small borough that borders Beachwood. Several residents of the neighboring borough, as well as the Bayville section of Berkeley Township, have also said in social media posts that they have seen an influx of rats.