The inaugural 'Urban Rat Summit' is being held in New York City with the aim of addressing the city's rodent problem, which is seen as a 'quality of life issue'.

New York City kicked off the first Urban Rat Summit on Wednesday, with Mayor Eric Adams declaring a "War on Rats" and officials and scientists from cities across the U.S. and Canada present. The two-day event is being held at Pier 57 in Manhattan, and Mayor Adams expressed excitement about sharing new strategies and best practices for rat mitigation and reduction.

Another solution to the rat problem in New York City comes from DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who plans to containerize the 14 billion pounds of trash produced annually, ending the "all-you-can-eat rat buffet." Mayor Adams calls the rodent issue a "real quality of life issue" and has been in talks with city leaders around the world who face similar concerns. Residents and lawmakers near the Bronx's "open-air drug market" demand it be shut down, calling it "hell on earth." Adams shared anecdotes of residents sharing horror stories with rats in their homes and around their families.

As board president, I recall a group of mothers presenting me with photos of rats that would enter their babies' cribs and consume the food on their faces, which negatively affected both their health and mental stability. This experience was particularly distressing, as it was not uncommon to see rats in the morning when lifting the toilet seat or in the evening when taking out the garbage. The Urban Rat Summit is taking place on Thursday, with a focus on developing a framework for urban rat mitigation challenges in various settings, including parks, sewers, construction sites, public housing, yards, and alleys, as well as trash containerization. In conclusion, I urge everyone to be energetic, share our ideas, and work together to combat what I consider to be the greatest threat, Mickey and his crew.