In the wake of the Baltimore brouhaha, Grayce McCormick writes for the Washington Examiner about the human role in rat infestation.

Are there more rats in Washington, D.C., or Baltimore?

Experts say there’s no way to know.

As rats in East Coast cities have found their way into the news, residents and politicians have debated the rodents’ prevalence. …

… Rats don’t follow walls, they’re not bigger or more brazen than in years past, they’re not becoming immune to poisons, and cities can’t poison their way out of a rat problem.

Humans, [urban rodentologist Bobby] Corrigan said, are the real problem.

“Sanitation is rat control,” said Corrigan. “If you do not want rats, do not give them food. The public thinks just put out some bait in my yard and take care of this, please. They don’t want to hear a lecture on, you know, you could use a better trash can.”

Nesbitt echoed this idea. “Get rid of the things they don’t want to eat, then we have less things for them to do,” she said.

“You can’t just hire 300 exterminators, give them buckets of bait and say get out there and kill a bunch of rats,” said Corrigan. “We’ve been doing that for 250 years in America.”