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3d ago

New York City Expands Carbon Monoxide Rat Control to 600,000 Street Tree Beds

The Adams administration says the program will bolster declining rodent complaints by targeting burrows with gas pumps in high-infestation neighborhoods.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams participates in a demonstration of a new strategy to kill rats in Brooklyn on June 22, 2025.
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Overview

  • Mayor Eric Adams announced this week an $877,000 expansion of the carbon monoxide rat-mitigation program to cover 600,000 street tree beds across all five boroughs.
  • Twelve new full-time staffers will inspect tree pits and operate carbon monoxide pumps under the supervision of exterminators and a city forester.
  • Officials describe the gas as a swift, non-toxic method safe for humans and non-target species that builds on a 2023 Upper East Side pilot.
  • PETA and Humane Long Island have condemned the tactic as cruel and cautioned that lethal measures can trigger accelerated breeding among surviving rats.
  • The initiative complements trash containerization and rat birth control trials and has coincided with a recent drop in 311 rodent-sighting complaints.