Community members dealing with pest and rodent issues joined the city’s Health Department at a “rat academy” at Restoration Plaza on Friday.  

The program is aimed to teach residents the dos and don’ts of pest control, informing tenants on common mistakes they may be making to attract more rats.  

According to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, there have been more than 8,000 rat sightings reported to 311 this year.

“We have 66 buildings with over 2000 units, and the rat pandemic is just overflowing,” said Russel Cheek of the Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association. “We want to make sure we have enough information to disseminate to our tenants.” 

Experts say that trash bins with tight-fitting lids are much better at preventing rodents from getting in than open garbage cans.