No More Rats??!!.. Task Force Wins War

Once upon a time, rats were omnipresent in the nooks and crannies of Harvard. Fear struck the hearts of students in the houses and in the Yard. Even dining service workers flinched from time to time.

But two years ago, the Rat Task Force took command--15 soldiers, dedicated to wiping out the university rat population once and for all.

And, at least by their account, it looks like they may have succeeded.

At Harvard, 1989 was the Year of the Rat--the peak of the rodent invasion. The unwelcome visitors appeared everywhere from classrooms in the Yard to dumpsters behind kitchens, according to Entymology Officer of Environmental Health and Safety Gary D. Alpert.

Alpert says the rats posed a problem not only to the weak-of-stomach, but also to the sanitation workers who would often fend off rodent attacks during their daily rounds.

Things looked grim. Alpert's office was flooded with student complaints. The Crimson even ran a photo of a student displaying a live, captured rat. Director of Facilities Management Thomas E. Vautin and Director of Physical Operations Michael N. Lichten realized that the time had come for the University to get a Pied Piper.

The Rat Task Force was born.

Vautin and Lichten gathered the 15 representatives from various University groups such as Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities Maintenance, Building Operations, and the College Dining Halls. The band of ratbusters worked on the rodent problem for the next 21 months, implementing reforms such as rat-proof garbage cans in the Yard and self-contained compactor units that are impermeable to rodents.

And with the help of Ultra Fast exterminators, the Rat Force trapped the rats in the steam tunnels and sealed the pipes, holes and foundations of the dining service buildings.

And now, Alpert says, things have vastly improved. "Rats have stopped coming up through the toilets or chewing their way into buildings," he says.

"There is minimal activity at the present time," confirms Ultra Fast exterminator Robert Cormier. "Only one rat a month has been reported."

Alpert says the Harvard campus is now virtually rat-free--except for one place. His office, the Environmental Health and Safety Building, is still heavily infested with rodents.

Rats in Cambridge

But Harvard appears to be Cambridge's only solace from rodent turmoil. The rest of the city, as close as Harvard Square, remains a haven for the pesky and potentially dangerous little rodents.

The problem, according to Cambridge Health Department officials, is biological.

"A female rat gives birth to 22 rats, five of which are female," says one Cambridge rat official who asks to remain anonymous. "The cycle is hard to break."

Cambridge dining establishments are often especially troubled. According to Alpert, rats can be found in the dumpsters behind the restaurants.

"Harvard Square is bad," says K. H. Yoon, owner of Shilla's restaurant on John F. Kennedy street. "All restaurants have mice," he adds.

15 'soldiers' hope that 1991 won't be the Year of the Rat.