The New York City Council has reportedly approved to beginning of a pilot program of using birth control to curb the serious rat nuisance in the city.
According to reports, under the plan, contraceptive pellets will be strategically placed in special rat-accessible traps in a small section of the “Big Apple” in 2025 with the intention that rodents will eat their way into a lower birth rate.
It’s understood that these containers will be checked every month to monitor the consumption rate of the contraceptive called “Contrapest.”
Senestech, the company that manufactures the plant-based product, claims the product should prevent rats from reproducing for 45 days per dose, significantly reducing the population humanely without endangering other animals or the environment.
The novel method is pitched as a more effective long-term solution to the city’s longstanding rat infestation than harmful rodenticides.
The ingredients is said to induce artificial menopause in females and limit sperm production in males which is expected to reduce populations by 95% over time according to Senestech’s research.