Officials remove suspected source of rat infestation in Mayfair
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Residents dealing with a major rat infestation in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia should soon see some relief.
Neighbors say rodents that plagued the area last summer have returned, with the problem persisting for months.
Anne Campion Marotta, who lives on Magee Avenue, said the issue has been ongoing since January.
"It gets my anxiety level beyond what it should be," Marotta said. "My son goes out to work in the morning, and he's dodging rats as he goes down the driveway."
RELATED | Mayfair residents say rat infestation has returned, urge city for help
Another resident, Mark Mastrangelo, said he resorted to cementing part of his yard and spent hundreds of dollars on traps and poison.
"I actually have a log in my basement of how many rats I got last year - 34," Mastrangelo said. "This year I'm already up to 17."
On Thursday, state Rep. Jared Solomon told Action News that a vehicle believed to be the source of the infestation has been removed. Crews have also placed additional poison in the area.
Philadelphia's Community Life Improvement Program has fined two properties identified by the city as problem locations.
Solomon said his office has also received calls and emails about similar infestations on about 10 other blocks and that the same enforcement and remediation steps are being taken there as well.
