New York City rats are getting bigger



Besides New York City attracted millions of immigrants and everyone else who was in a search of a better life to inhabit it, the city also attracted a plethora of uninvited guests. Guess who? Rats and mice. A city as big as New York is just has to have an ongoing rat infestation.

The rats have inhabited New York City ever since the city was founded. Thousands and thousands New Yorkers complain about rat problem in their apartments and office buildings. However, one odd thing about rats in New York is that they are becoming bigger and bigger every year. New Yorkers reported rats bigger than a fist in their homes. In this article, we will explore whether this is true and did New York City rats become bigger.

Matthew Combs’ Study
One doctoral student of the Fordham University, called Matthew Combs, had actually studied rats that invade New York. The purpose of Matthew’s study wasn’t to find out did the rats in New York City become bigger, but how do they colonize.

However, Matthew found out that New York City rats indeed range in size. Although you may now think that most of the rats Matthew studied were big as a cat, they actually weren’t. The biggest rat Matthew caught and studied was a one and a half pound rat. However, that is quite large to be honest. Combs’ study concluded that the size of rats in New York City is a little bit above-average, but nothing to worry about.

No Need to Panic
Matthew Combs, the man who studied New York City rats, points out that there is no need to panic about the size of New York City rats. The average size of a New York City rat is, as he concluded, a half-pound.

However, you can still find some rats nearly two pounds in size. What about that? Well, Matthew claims that rats in NYC can grow to that size, but that is quite rare. He also points out that there is no genetic mutation going on in rats that will turn them into monsters.

Bigger Rats Aren’t Dangerous
If you see a huge rat, don’t panic, it isn’t more dangerous than its smaller relatives. This is what Matthew Combs also said. If you want to avoid huge rats, avoid coming close to New York City dumpsters and other places filled with dirt and garbage.

Also, keep in mind that there is a chance you will encounter a big rat in your building only if your apartment building in NYC is near dumpsters.

Go back to the Noises in the Attic home page.

New York City rats are getting bigger