Rat Problem Explodes In Cheektowaga/Depew + Traps Are Sold Out

This is nothing new to Lancaster and Cheektowaga, but the hardware stores in the area are running out of rat traps.

Across the street from my apartment in Depew there would always be a pest control crew across the street that would be, what looked like, securing the basement. I kept asking the pest control crew if they were working on rat control and they told me that they COULDN'T tell me. Maybe they didn't tell me because it was a privacy concern? But, I was a neighbor and felt like I should know too, so I could prepare before a problem started or if it already started, be able to control it.

There were, in fact, rats that were becoming a problem, but this is nothing new to the towns of Cheektowaga and Lancaster. In fact, within the past few years, that's why Lancaster made the move for everyone to get the totes. In the Cheektowaga townie Facebook group, see what some of the residents said:

Dianah said:

I’m not reading all comments… but where is this because I live right across the street from wegmans behind Valu and we have bigger rats then that the biggest we had not that long ago was probably the size of a 6 month old cat. It’s nasty I just ordered more snap traps on Amazon because I’ve gone to Valu and they were out.

Debi said:

I have trapped 20 just in the month of December. I didn't bother in the last couple months, but noticed holes going into my garage again. Back at it but these are smart ones, avoiding every snap trap I have put out so far.

Sherry said

It doesn’t help when you have a neighbor that had an in ground pool that has been only covered with a wood platform for many years! I think that’s a breeding ground! I looked out my window one day into their yard and you could play whack a rat!!!! There were soooo many burrows that they were popping in and out of it was disgusting…..

How do you get rid of rats? Where do rats live? Sometimes, it's better to leave it to the experts. Here's some of the best in Western New York: