Woodside dealing with rat problem

Rats are fueling the fears of Woodside residents, who not only want to keep the nasty rodents away but need help to make them vanish.
After a number of people contacted Councilman Eric Gioia about rodent problems, the politician got together with Woodside residents to provide tips to keep the rats at bay.
“If you see rats or rodents, the first thing you should do it call 311 and report it,” Gioia told about 20 area residents who gathered on the corner of 58th St. and Roosevelt Avenue.
Other tips include sealing garbage in hard plastic or metal containers, throwing away containers where rain and other liquids collect, and plugging rat holes with wire mesh. In addition, residents and local merchants should clean garbage cans as often as possible and not leave trash out overnight.
The worst area is between 52nd St. and 61st St. on Roosevelt Avenue, according to residents. Several people blamed an apartment building turned fruit stand in the neighborhood, while others pointed fingers at people who feed pigeons in Sohncke Square on Roosevelt Avenue.
“What they are really doing is causing rat infestation,” Gioia said, handing out a flyer, which warned that people or businesses worsening the rat problem could be fined between $200 and $2,000 for each violation.
At the Hardware Depot on Roosevelt Avenue, worker Jeffrey Reyes said that he gets asked for rodent killers a few times a day.
“Mostly it is for little mice,” he said. ”We have rat killers and rat traps.”