Homeowners and town leaders in Belmont, Massachusetts are tackling a rat problem, again.
Twice in the past five months, Joey's Park has been closed because of an infestation.
The popular children's park happens to be one of the rat problem areas in town.
“I hope they get the rats out and then open it up again soon,” Aiden Broderick, a kid who plays at the park, said back in October.
The park, right next to Winbrook Elementary School, closed temporarily back in October for a rat infestation. The problem got better, but now the rats are back.
“We had a real nice week of beautiful weather in the 70s, and it seemed like a lot of people decided to come out to the park," Wesley Chin with the Department of Health said. "There was a build up of trash.”
And trash is a food source for displaced rats.
U.S. & World
Joey's Park, Cushing Square and the Hull Beach Street area are the problem spots.
Pest control companies say trash is the problem, so get rid of the barrels.
“By removing the food source that likely means a carry in and carry out policy,” Chin said.
Some residents understand the trash is an issue but there’s more to it, especially construction.
“We took care of them. We paid for a year-and-a-half service, everything was fine," Belmont resident Heidi Seiger said. "It's two years later and we have them back on our property again."
"It’s really working together as a whole to keep Belmont pretty,” Chin said.
The next meeting for the public to be heard on this issue will be the selectmen's meeting on March 26 at 7 p.m.
