'Significant improvement' in downtown Huntington rat infestation, officials say

Town and Suffolk County officials say there is "significant improvement" in a rat infestation discovered last month in downtown Huntington, and that the owner of a vacant property at the center of complaints is cooperating with efforts to eradicate the rodents there.

Meanwhile, the town's top sanitation official said more resources have been dedicated to the problem and that waste pickup in the village is not a factor.  

“We’re on top of this,” said John Clark, director of Environmental Waste Management for the town.

In the coming days, inspectors will revisit all establishments that had been cited with violations in the wake of the initial discovery, a county health department spokesperson said. 

The town received multiple complaints in mid-July about the infestation in the downtown area, near the intersection of West Carver Street and New York Avenue, Newsday previously reported. The rats were near the vacant Gundermann and Gundermann Insurance building at 175 W. Carver St.

On July 14, a county inspection at the building found numerous rodent burrows around the property, and a notice of violation was mailed to the property owner, according to an email to Newsday from Suffolk County Health Department spokesperson Grace Kelly-McGovern.

Four days later, the county health department inspected 56 food service vendors in the area, and several establishments were issued violation notices by the county, the email said.

On Aug. 1, health department inspectors visited establishments that were cited and found “significant improvement at most” of them, Kelly-McGovern said in an email exchange.

“Rat burrows had been filled in and not reopened, indicating a lack of rat activity,” the email said. “Garbage was stored properly at most establishments.”

The email exchange said violations were cited at nine establishments for noncompliance with the county’s sanitary code, including for opened/overflowing waste grease containers, rodent droppings and wildlife feeding.

On or about Friday, inspectors expect to revisit all establishments that had violations, according to Kelly-McGovern.

Town spokeswoman Christine Geed said the owner of the insurance building, John Paci III, “continues to be very cooperative” and is doing everything the county health department has requested.

Town officials previously said professional exterminators were hired by the building owner, who would address the problem.

Paci did not respond to a request for comment.

"We’re inspecting on a regular basis," Clark said. "We have dedicated more resources to this issue, management teams, including myself, walking out in the streets trying to figure out where these particular problem situations are occurring.”

He said there are 96 trash cans downtown, placed on sidewalks and curbs. Those receptacles are emptied seven days a week: twice Monday through Saturday and once Sunday morning.

“We’re on trash collection very aggressively,” Clark said.

The town also collects waste once a day from merchants and apartment dwellers downtown who place their trash curbside, he said.

Clark said he believes food is contributing to the infestation and the key to stemming the problem is proper garbage disposal and storage.

He said garbage is supposed to be stored in secured, sealed containers to stop birds, rodents and other animals from tearing open the bags and exposing food. 

“Rats will always look to congregate where there is a plentiful food supply,” he said. “Restaurants that store their waste must be diligent in making sure it’s stored in secured containers outside that no one can access, or in the basement of their facility.”