Life Finds a Way

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will stop Norway rats from finding a bite — to eat! With bitter cold and more than 55 inches of snow (and counting), winter in New York City has been memorable. More than ever, rats need to find a way — and their wayfinding signs are unmistakable. Brown droppings cast against a gritty ice pile, footprints in untouched snow, and tunnels leading under dumpsters with the unmistakable sebum trail — grease marks from protective oils on rodent fur — demonstrate that the rat will prevail and that life finds a way.

Author: Matt Frye, Community IPM Extension  Educator