Late last week, the Town of Huntington was notified by multiple sources of a major rat infestation in the Village of Huntington in the vicinity of West Carver Street and New York Avenue.
First and foremost, the Huntington Village business district is extremely important to the Town of Huntington. We will always work tirelessly with our businesses and patrons to ensure that it is a safe place for all who work or visit there.
Since learning of the infestation, the Town of Huntington Public Safety and Code Enforcement Office and Department of Waste Management have been working diligently with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services on the infestation. While it is difficult to eliminate the rodent population entirely, the Town of Huntington is committed to working with its’ partners in County Government to get the situation under control as quickly and humanely as possible.
The Senior Public Health Sanitarian of the Suffolk County Board of Health has been a strong advocate for the town and businesses regarding the infestation at the subject locations. The Suffolk County Board of Health team conducted a thorough sweep of the area, inspecting approximately 56 food service locations to identify the contributing factors of the infestation. Some establishments were asked to change their garbage collection and storage practices, requesting that they store their garbage in covered containers/pails to eliminate food sources. According to the Department of Health, approximately 20 establishments were issued violation notices. In two weeks, the SCDOH Team will return and conduct a follow-up sweep to assess any improvements and determine any further actions required to resolve the situation.
Also, since the onset of the infestation, the Town of Huntington has been in contact with all property owners in the area of infestation. Supervisor Smyth personally contacted the owners of affected properties. All property owners, including the owner of one of the subject areas, the Gunderman - Gunderman Building, which is currently vacant, have been tireless working to rectify the situation once they were advised of the infestation. All property owners have exterminators on site and they will remain until the infestation is rectified. A full resolution could take a few days but, businesses and residents should be aware that there is a full court press to remediate and exterminate the rat problem.
To help mitigate the possibility of any future infestations, the Town of Huntington, in conjunction with the Suffolk County Department of Health, will be initiating the following plan:
The Department of Environmental Waste Management - Sanitation Inspectors, and Refuse Division will be collaborating with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services during the peak seasons of rodent activity in monitoring and enforcement of violations:
1. Monitor waste placement and storage at commercial and residential properties prior to collection - focusing on all trash storage issues, whether that entails private containers or commercial dumpsters.
2. Ensure proper trash storage, all trash stored outside should be stored in rodent-proof containers and dumpsters. This means the containers should not have holes in them and the lids can be securely fastened to prevent entry into the garbage by pests.
3. Locations not complying with these guidelines will be referred to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. Violations not rectified within 24 hours will be followed by a summons.
4. The Town Animal Control will be sweeping the Town for deceased animal carcasses for proper disposal.
5. The Department of Environmental Waste Management (EWM) will send refuse inspectors to local restaurants and businesses in Huntington Village and Huntington Station at the beginning of each day to investigate refuse storage practices. When a violation is found, a “Notice to Comply” will be issued. EWM will also perform follow-up visits to ensure compliance.