Union Township residents say that they are dealing with a major rodent problem in the town.

Dozens of people say that rats have been showing up in their backyards and running through their bushes. Township officials say that they do not know where the rats are coming from.

Some of the neighbors have taken to trapping and killing the rodents themselves since they say that the town isn’t doing anything.

"It’s disgusting and if you look in the neighborhood, it's a beautiful neighborhood that we have. We don't have any kind of problems. Squirrels, things like that – but never rats,” says Union resident Liz Nyzio.

The Union Township Health Department is asking residents to report any rat sightings so that they can investigate. Residents tell News 12 New Jersey that they hope the investigation leads to answers.

“We don’t know what’s causing it…I just hope that they get to the bottom of it,” Nyzio says.

Township officials say there are some things residents can do to control rat problems, such as clean up all trash, place garbage in metal containers with tight lids and keep food scraps off of the floor. More tips can be found on the town’s website.