By William Tauro

I think it’s time to complain to the Somerville Board of Aldermen about the rodent problems going on throughout the city.

We’ve been getting more reports of increased rat and mice populations getting into homes of residents, some rodents are embedding themselves into stoves and in other hidden areas which could pose a health hazard.

If any residents are seeing rats around their properties please let us know. Many of the residents have been complaining about seeing rats on their streets at night while walking their dogs. Some have also been complaining about mice, 40-50 over a month’s period with no end in sight.

They seem to feel their attempts at calling the city health department are ignored and feel patronized when they reach out to ask repeatedly, politely encouraging them to do something about the ongoing issue.

In addition, this should include making sure they pick up any dead rodents on the streets so that pets are not infected or die due to contact— as it was well documented in past posts from a distraught dog owner who lost his pet by an infected rat.

Taxpayers and tenants are justifiably upset over the city’s lack of support on the rodent issues. We have known about it for the last decade once Assembly Row was dug up and rats scattered throughout Wards 1 and 4. Now the rats and mice population has increased. When they start digging up our roads and areas close to properties for GLX bridge closings and rail work, building platforms, the problem with be exacerbated.

This issue is on the developers who have paid very little towards our city, yet continue to reap millions building luxury condos.

Is this fair to homeowners who pay thousands in taxes to put up with rats and mice invading their homes and yards, regularly?

I highly doubt the city of Cambridge subjects their residents to same health hazards.

Since their students and parents, faculty and employees benefit from real estate ventures in luxury condos, maybe the city of Somerville can adopt their own approach to how to combat the rodent problem.

Maybe it’s time the state health department should be notified as well as our distinguished representatives of how poorly taxpayers and homeowners are treated and continually ignored—including the rodent problems.

It’s clear that the city officials are not doing enough to take care of it —quite obvious developers and homeowners who are doing projects to their newly purchased homes while gutting and remodeling , are not being held accountable or paying for rodent control remedies.

Of course this issue does pose serious health concerns for families with young children and the city’s health department is not doing enough as far as residents are concerned.

So if you have a story of your own, write into our Somerville Speakup Line ant Somervillenewsweekly@yahoo.com so we can share it with other residents. Collectively, your voice will make a difference.

Effected homeowners dealing with this issue are now forced to pay for exterminators, poisonous treatments and seal up their homes at their own expense— when it should be the city paying for rodent control and putting their paid health department employees out there to bait and eliminate 24/7 —not whenever it’s convenient. It’s obviously they don’t want to pay for it— yet they never spare expense for more bike lanes, festivals blocking our streets, or anything the monied gentrifiers and Our Revolution transients demand.

Residents who call in to complain get the run around so obviously they are doing very little.

We’d like your stories so we can address it with the Somerville Board of Aldermen.