Albany Park residents are taking a hands‑on approach to the neighborhood’s long‑standing rat problem. After hearing about a non‑toxic rat birth‑control program, volunteer Lark Digges‑Elliot and a small group gathered at the North River Commission office to learn how to maintain the new bait boxes.
How the program works
The initiative, the third in Chicago after Lincoln Park and the Wicker Park‑Bucktown area, uses 40 bait boxes equipped with entrances designed specifically for rats. Inside each box are plant‑based sausages made with cottonseed oil that gradually reduce fertility in both male and female rats.
Volunteers receive keys to the boxes and replace the bait weekly. The boxes are placed in alleyways along busy commercial corridors on Kimball and Lawrence avenues and near the Kimball Brown Line station. Volunteers wear matching “rat reduction crew” shirts while inserting the sausage‑filled metal spikes.
Community support and safety concerns
Edgewater resident Pat Guizzetti joined the effort after learning that traditional rodenticide can poison the food chain and kill birds of prey. Two years ago, a family of great horned owls died in Lincoln Park from rodenticide exposure, a tragedy confirmed by the Willowbrook Wildlife Center.
SenesTech, the Arizona‑based company behind the contraceptive, says the bait does not travel up the food chain, offering a humane alternative to poison.
Early results and volunteer response
Data from SenesTech shows the program reduced rodent‑related 311 calls by 36 % in Wicker Park during its first year. Sensor readings in August 2025 detected rat activity at 74 % of locations, dropping to 13 % a year later.
North River Commission economic development specialist Farah El‑Nahal explained that the commission lacked budget to hire a vendor, so it turned to volunteers. An information session in late September attracted a large crowd, and the program now has 16 active volunteers.
“We all share the same goal—to reduce the rat population without harming them,” El‑Nahal said. “We’re very grateful for our volunteers; without them we couldn’t have launched this program.”
How to get involved
Residents interested in joining can call the North River Commission at 773‑478‑0202.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
