Rodent control academy aims to tackle DC’s rat problem

Rodent academy hopes to get DC rat problem under control

Washington, D.C.?s Health Department is hosting a two-day rodent control academy at George Washington University, hoping to get the city?s growing rat problem under control through education and community action.

WASHINGTON - Washington, D.C.’s Health Department is hosting a two-day rodent control academy at George Washington University, hoping to get the city’s growing rat problem under control through education and community action.

Fighting rat infestations

The free workshop, taking place Wednesday and Thursday at GW’s Student Center Amphitheater, features presentations by experts from the Health Department’s Rodent and Vector Control Team. 

FOX 5’s Stephanie Ramirez says experts, officials and community members will share strategies, including management solutions, trained rodent detection dogs and enclosed trash systems, that could be used to tackle the D.C.’s rat problem.

READ MORE: DC could see surge of rats, disease-carrying pests through spring 2025: study

Education and prevention

What we know:

D.C. is routinely ranked among the nation’s "rattiest" cities, prompting efforts for prevention and long-term solutions.

Organizers of the event say fighting the rodent problem depends on public cooperation as well as city policy.

More on the academy can be found online

READ MORE: Dupont Circle apartment building facing rat infestation crisis, residents say