PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) — Plymouth residents are raising concerns about a significant rat problem in their neighborhood, with some taking their complaints to city council meetings seeking more aggressive action from local officials.
The issue has prompted neighbors to pool resources to hire an exterminator, who has caught 200 rats on Sunset Street since May.
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"I was watching one particular rat that seemed to make a daily appearance, and that was not too short of being toy poodle sized," Ron Crowe said.
Crowe has set up traps and trail cameras in his backyard to catch the rodents that have become a persistent problem in his neighborhood.
Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock characterizes the issue differently, describing it as a broader vermin problem rather than specifically rats.
"It's not one species; it's a multitude of species — raccoons, possum. We just have a wide arrangement of different kinds of vermin that are in the city, always have been, always will be," Sincock said.
Sincock suggests nearby construction could be responsible for the increase in rodent sightings in the northwest section of the city.
"We think probably because of the M-14 construction, where they've ripped out everything, took out all the sewers and some of the places where some of these things were living," Sincock said.
When contacted about the issue, the Michigan Department of Transportation stated they don't believe a rodent mitigation plan is necessary and haven't received complaints about rodents. MDOT encourages residents with concerns to contact their ombudsman through the department's website under Contact US.
While the city has implemented some measures, such as passing a ground-feeding ban in May after a resident reported a neighbor for feeding squirrels and attracting wildlife, and distributing informational flyers to residents, some community members feel these efforts are insufficient.
"I would like to see the city do what they're supposed to do, city government, all government. They have to take care of their population, their citizens," Crowe said.
Residents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns at an upcoming community forum scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Penn Theater in downtown, which will address prevention tips and solutions.
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