Oreo Cookies Are Solving New York City’s Rat Problem?
Oreo cookies could very well be the key to solving New York City's perpetual rat problem.
This article is more than 2 years old
New York City is infamous for its perpetual rat problem. The rodents run rampant through the city and are commonly spotted in the tunnels of its intricate subway system. There are an endless amount of jokes that go along with the size of rats particularly seen in the depths of New York’s metro system. And in one case, a particularly savvy rat got its 15 minutes of fame after it was filmed pulling a slice of pizza down some subway entrance steps. Despite the comedy to come out of New York’s rat troubles, it still is a very serious problem. Alas, however, the city might finally have a solution all thanks to Oreo cookies.
Yes, you read right Oreo cookies could very well be the key to curing New York City of its unending rat plague. Well, the cookies themselves technically won’t cure the problem, but they could be a key component in the overall solution. According to the New York Times, Oreo cookies are being used to lure rats into a new type of trap that is showing particular promise in exterminating the little buggers. Jim Webster, who is the director of operations for the company that leases out the traps said that “Peanut butter Oreos are the best” cookie to use to get the rats to go inside the traps.
The rat trap itself is made by an Italian company, and as rat traps go, it actually has quite a sleek and modern design. Essentially the trap is a box that has a compartment filled with the company’s proprietary liquid inside. When rats enter the trap the liquid is then released causing the rats to perish soon after. They are said to be so effective in controlling rat infestations that NYC’s new mayor-elect even touted the devices as “amazing” and threw around the idea of using city funding to install them across the five boroughs.
Anastasios Hairatidis, the owner of a high-end Egyptian restaurant in Manhattan expediently took it upon himself to acquire one of the devices as soon as he heard how well they worked. Hairatidis explained that the city’s notorious rat problem has been getting noticeably worse and that while he would normally wait some time before deciding to try out something new, in this case, he didn’t hesitate. Currently, the traps are available for lease only through a sole distributor called Rat Trap Distribution based out of Yonkers, New York.
While using Oreo cookies to lure rats into these ultra-effective traps is looking more and more like a perfect way to eliminate the city’s ongoing rat problem it isn’t sitting well with everyone. Animal rights organization PETA has insisted that the devices are torturous and that the city should explore other ways to rid itself of the problem instead of using such an inhumane method on “…small animals who are simply trying to live their lives, just like any other New Yorker.”
Whether or not the rat traps will ultimately be implemented city-wide or not is something that still remains in question. However, it is encouraging to know that the traps have served to help numerous New York City businesses and landlords to mitigate the effects of their rat problems. Without the help of the traps, those businesses and residents could have been shut down or condemned.
