North Andover Rat Problem Prompts Expanded Response

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover officials said the town is expanding its response to recent rodent activity, with the Health Department implementing a plan focused on targeted control, prevention and data collection.

The town said it has seen an increase in reports of rats in recent months and is concentrating its initial work in areas where complaints are clustered, including the center of town.

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The Health Department said it is using an Integrated Pest Management Plan rather than relying on a single treatment. The approach includes identifying where activity is occurring, looking at what conditions may be supporting it, correcting those conditions when appropriate, and bringing in professional pest management services when the evidence supports it.

Modern Pest Services will deploy 15 SmartBoxes, described by the town as non-toxic, industrial-grade digital rodent traps that monitor activity and eliminate pests through a controlled shock. Placement will be based on documented rodent activity with an initial focus on the center of town.

After about three to six months, the town said it will review monitoring data, rodent complaints and inspection findings, then decide whether to keep the boxes in place or move them to other problem areas.

The Health Department is also sending prevention letters to every property within 200 feet of a reported sighting. Those letters include steps residents and businesses can take immediately, including securing trash, removing food sources, trimming vegetation and sealing openings.

The town said the letters also explain how to report rodent activity, which it said helps broaden the information available.

Modern Pest Services may also provide a professional assessment. The town said those inspections will be used selectively in cases involving persistent activity, complex sites or areas where several properties appear to be involved, and not as a response to every complaint.

Trash remains a major food source for rats. The town said the Health Department has not identified a single event, condition or source to explain the recent increase in sightings, and noted that more reports do not necessarily mean a larger rat population.

Residents and businesses can report rodent activity through the town website, by telephone or by email. The town said the most useful reports include the location, date and time, what was seen and any nearby conditions that may be contributing.

Online reports can be filed here.