In response to reports of rat sightings in the Island Trees section of Levittown, various Nassau County departments have been working together and have developed a plan to eliminate the problem and to ensure the health and safety of residents.

Reports of rat sightings have been bandied about for almost three weeks now and have increased as awareness of the situation has grown. The problem area is located in the neighborhood south of Hempstead Turnpike and east of Wantagh Avenue, where the corner lot is being excavated for a Target Shopping Center. The theory is that the excavation drove the rats out of their home, a property that has been vacant and overrun with litter up until this point.

As a result of the reported sightings, County Executive Thomas Gulotta and Legislator Dennis Dunne, who is a Levittown resident, met with the county health department and other related agencies to come up with a solution. The steps that they have decided to take will not only address the immediate problem in Levittown, but will apply on a county-wide basis to anyone who has a confirmed rat problem.

Upon receipt of notification of a rat sighting, the department of health will send an inspector to the site to confirm the presence of rats. Upon that confirmation, the county will then send a certified professional to lay specially designed rat traps on the property. The traps, explained Gulotta at a press conference held this week, are designed specifically to only trap rats and to protect other animals from accessing them. The property owners will also be provided with information describing steps that can be taken to avoid a future rat problem. The department of health will continue to monitor the property until the problem is resolved.

The traps have small openings on either side, which Gulotta described as small enough to keep domestic animals out but large enough to let rats in.The bait, located inside the trap, is a blood thinner, covered in wax. The county executive noted, "Rats will ultimately nibble on the bait and will exit through the other side...ultimately what it does is it will cause the rat to bleed to death but the rat will be leaving the trap to go back to its nest and die in the nest." Gulotta added, "Because this is covered in paraffin, a wax, most animals, except for a rat, have the ability to regurgitate it." He went on to explain that if another animal, such as a squirrel did get inside the trap and eat the bait, they would regurgitate the paraffin before they could be impacted by the blood thinner. "A rat does not have the capability to regurgitate so it will stay in the rat's system to be digested and ultimately the rat will be eliminated," added Gulotta.

The reason a professional is needed to take care of the traps is because they will lock the traps tightly and secure them at the site so they will not be accessible to children or domestic animals.

"Our residents should be able to enjoy the use of their property, free from the concern of rat infestation. While rats will usually avoid human contact, we have a responsibility to take those steps necessary to prevent potentially dangerous incidents," said Gulotta. "With the cooperative efforts of our residents this problem will be resolved."

The responsibility of residents is something that was also mentioned by Barbara Scammacca, a resident on South Lane who has had rat sightings on her property. Following the first rat sighting on her property, on May 31, and the finding of rat boroughs around her shed, Scammacca contacted the county health department. She noted that rat sightings are now being reported daily. "Apparently people didn't want to say anything. Yes, you do have rats, you have to take care of them," said Scammacca. She added, "I'm just so happy that the county is on this and they are right on top of it. Everybody has to work together. You can't just let your neighbor take care of the rats, everybody has to take care of the rats." She encouraged everyone to report any rat sightings to Legislator Dunne's office or the county health department immediately.

Some preventative steps that Gulotta and Dunne outlined to reduce the likelihood of a problem with rodents are: storing garbage in cans with tight fitting tops; removing uneaten pet foods and water sources; removing bird feeders because rats will be attracted to food that falls on the ground; keeping yards clean and free of trash; keeping any woodpiles and any other storage materials away from walls and at least 18 inches above the ground; cleaning areas behind wooden steps, especially leading into the home.

Scammacca noted since following these steps and having traps put down there have been no further rat sightings on her property. She added that eliminating the problem is especially important because of residents' concerns about children in the area.

Many parents have been concerned because of the proximity of Island Trees Middle School and High School, which are on the property adjacent to the excavation. Dunne stated that he had been in contact with Island Trees Superintendent Richard Segerdahl who said that they are constantly patrolling the area to see if there is any rat infestation. Dunne also noted that the health department inspected Island Trees Middle School and found it "unbelievably clean."

Island Trees Deputy Superintendent Peter Egan stated, "We are very pleased with the cooperation we've had from the Nassau County Health Department, who has toured both the schools, adjacent to the property and has given them a clean bill of health and a couple of minor suggestions, that we have followed through on, to prevent the possibility of any food getting to rats from dumpsters and that sort of thing."

Dunne assured residents that the county is prepared to take whatever steps may be necessary, noting, "I have spoken personally with a number of my neighbors and I understand how upsetting this experience has been. That's why the county, upon notification by a homeowner, will spring into action, visiting the location and providing useful information to our residents. We want property owners to know all steps, including the placement of traps, will be taken to eliminate these rodents from our landscape." These steps will be paid for by the county, according to Gulotta.

When questioned about the size of the rats, Dunne responded, "They vary." He joked, "The tales are getting bigger, panther-size is what we're hearing now." He added that they have heard the rats are the size of cats but that has not been confirmed. Scammacca estimated that the rats sighted on her property and the one found dead on her neighbor's property were the size of a six-month-old cat.

To report a possible rat sighting, residents in Levittown should contact Legislator Dunne's office at 571-6215. In other areas of the county, residents should direct their calls to the Nassau County Division of Environmental Health, at 571-3678.