Warren Spending $125,000 To Bait Rats From I-696 Construction

Warren, MI – The city is spending $125,000 to bait rats fleeing I696 construction. According to Mayor Jim Fouts, 128 bait boxes trap locations and individual traps have been set up along the eastbound and westbound fence lines on I-696 by a rat contractor. The bait boxes are checked every two weeks at a cost of $30 for each check.

“The average bait consumed by rats is 41.5% from one inspection to the next one,” said Fouts. “If we didn’t have this baiting program, the rats would be in our neighborhoods.” Fouts said “the city is affected the most from this construction because the city boarders the I-696 for six miles east and west. The bait box program began last April and will continue until I-696 construction is completed.

The heavy pounding and excavation causes rats to seek shelter, food and water elsewhere, said the mayor.

“Fortunately, we anticipated this program and the city council appropriated the needed funds,” said Fouts, who initiated the citywide bait box program five years ago” who said the rat baiting budget is $275,000 for the 2017-2018 budget year.

Fouts said the new 90-gallon rubbish containers distributed to all Warren residents this month will reduce the rat population in the city because of less garbage from overflowing containers on city streets.