Friday, July 6, 2007

Rats Infest Playground

ABC2 News They're ugly, they're unsanitary and they are unwelcome guests at a playground in Baltimore's Waverly neighborhood. Rats have turned up at the YMCA playground, that's been built on the site of old Memorial Stadium.
It's a popular playground -- owned by the YMCA but open to the community. It will remain closed, until the YMCA can be reasonably sure the rats won’t be back.
“It kind-of bites that we can't be over there,” said 11-year-old Nathanial Small.
Workers at the YMCA spotted at least one rat on the playground Sunday. "There is a problem in the city of Baltimore with rodents,” said Greg Smith from the YMCA. “That playground being in the inner city certainly is not immune from having rodents in the area.”
The YMCA is working to find other activities for the dozens of children who use the playground ever day. On Monday an exterminator hired by the YMCA used an underground powder that's supposed to kill the rats. Since it was applied underground they say it'll be safe for kids.
The playground will be closed at least until Thursday, when the exterminator comes back to see how that treatment is working.
Eventually the YMCA may replace the wood chips covering the ground, with a rubberized material. That might keep the rats away, but some of the kids, aren't convinced. "I think once they clean it I'm not going back there again,” said 10-year-old Daja Mace. “Because it's nasty -- I think they'll probably come back again."

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