Does Salem Have a Rat Problem?

At their meeting at City Hall Thursday night, City Council members will consider a request from the Board of Health to transfer $1,500 into the department's rodent control account.

The $1,500 request is in addition to the annual $1,500 rat control budget, which has already been spent curbing the local rodent population, Board of Health Clerk Heather Lyons-Paul said Wednesday afternoon.

"When we get a complaint from neighbors or hear about a rodent population that has increased we will bait the storm drains if we see evidence," Lyons-Paul said.

While local animal control officers handle calls regarding raccoons, skunks and possums - controlling the local rat population is a Board of Health issue.

The rodent population in Salem has been abnormally high over the last few years because of unseasonably warm winters, Lyons-Paul said.

Have you seen a rat near your home in Salem? Have you noticed that you've been seeing a lot more of them lately?

Let us know in the comments section below.