Resolution urges DOH to work with leading rodent-control experts so fertility management can become a more effective tool for reducing rat populations
WASHINGTON — Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1E (ANC 1E) is formally calling on DC Health to fix problems with the District’s rat birth-control pilot so the city can better determine whether fertility management can help reduce rat populations in DC neighborhoods. The Commission is also encouraging the department to develop a partnership between the Department’s Rodent and Vector Control Division and two internationally recognized rodent-control experts: Dr. Giovanna Massei and Dr. Jens Jacob.
“Residents want fewer rats in their alleys, around their homes, near their businesses, and in public spaces,” said Commissioner Josh Jacobson, Chair of ANC 1E and sponsor of the resolution that authorized the action. “DC Health is already testing fertility management as part of its rodent-control strategy. If the District is going to test rat birth control, it needs to test it in a way that gives the public a real answer about whether this tool can help reduce rat populations. Right now, the science is flawed.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser has described the District’s rodent control pilot as a strategy involving baiting, tracking powder, and fertility control. In a Jacobson’s resolution (RES- 6865), the Commission called on the City to focus on strengthening the fertility-control portion of that work so it can become a practical part of the District’s long-term rodent-control strategy.
On April 29, Jacobson convened a meeting with DC Health’s Rodent and Vector Control Team, DC Health’s Director of Government Relations, Dr. Massei, and Dr. Jacob to discuss the District’s rodent control pilot. During that meeting, Dr. Massei and Dr. Jacob raised concerns about the validity of the current fertility-management trial and offered to partner with DC Health to advise the agency on fertility management and rodent-control best practices. DC Health representatives said they would need permission from Director Bennett before moving forward with the partnership. ANC 1E is now urging the Department to approve that partnership.
“The City should take every measure to ensure the data gathered and lessons learned from a pilot project are valid before it wastes taxpayer dollars on a citywide initiative that falls flat,” Jacobson said. “The District should strengthen what it is already trying, learn from people who have studied this work around the world, and build a rodent-control strategy that gives residents better results.”
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About ANC 1E:
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1E represents the neighborhoods of Pleasant Plains, Park View, and the Howard University area. Commissioners are elected to advise the District government on decisions that affect their neighborhoods, including public safety, transportation, planning, zoning, and city services. All ANC meetings are open to the public, and residents are encouraged to participate in shaping the future of their community.
About Advisory Neighborhood Commissions:
ANCs are nonpartisan, locally elected bodies in Washington, D.C., that represent neighborhood interests to the District government. While ANCs do not have legislative power, they are given “great weight” on decisions before city agencies and the Council. Commissioners serve two-year terms and are elected by single-member districts within each ward.
ANC 1E 