Will Portland adopt rat birth control like New York, Boston? Expert weighs in

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – U.S. cities like New York and Boston are introducing birth control to help with their rat problems. But will Portland follow suit?

When used, the birth control — in liquid or pellet form — slows down the rat reproduction rate so that the time needed for trapping can keep up with their habits.

However, Chris Roberts with Multnomah County Vector Control told KOIN 6 News that the county does not perform any rodent control, though there are some pest control companies in the area that use birth control methods.

“Birth control should be used in conjunction with other trapping, or you know, if you want to consider poison, you can do that, but also changes in the environment,” Roberts said. “The birth control product is not permanent. It’s more of a contraceptive than a sterilization thing. If they stop consuming the birth control, those rats will eventually start reproducing again. It might take a few months, but they get their fertility back.”

Roberts said these birth control methods are not harmful to other animals that consume them, such as dogs and cats and squirrels.

Meanwhile, the county has seen rat complaints in Portland go down in the last five years. The city also stores its garbage in bins while New York City keeps its bags out on the street, which can attract rats.

Roberts said food and shelter — or both — are the most common reasons for a rat infestation.

“Just putting up birth control isn’t going to solve the rat problem,” Roberts said. “If a rat is going to a bird feeder, they may just ignore the bait station with the birth control. So you want to make changes in the environment as well as using control methods.”

If you find yourself with a rat problem in your neighborhood, Roberts said it’s best to contact pest control. Then it may be worth reaching out to your neighbors.

“You may be in the middle of two houses that are providing food and shelter,” Roberts said. “You want to talk to your neighbors if they’re feeding birds, ask them to take them down for 30 days. …They can call us to get advice if they’re uncomfortable talking with their neighbors, but you really want to find the person that’s drawing them to the area and kind of work it out with them.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.