Rat Mitigation Project

This project spanned three years, beginning in April of 2022 and coming to completion in April 2025.

Phase I - Rat Proofing Garden Beds

April 2022
One plot had become infested with rats, with large burrows reappearing each time the previous had been destroyed. The dirt had become full of rat nesting materials, like shredded garbage bags, and any other trash the rat could drag there. We decided to dig up all the dirt, filter it, lay wire mesh, and burry it. This way the rats wouldn't have enough room to create a burrow.

Rat burrow containing a family of three large rats.

Phase II - Excavation

May 2022
We had a large group of volunteers from an NYU club come and volunteer their time. We tasked them at clearing out a rat infested plot in the back of the garden. Given its location, it didn't recieve much sunlight and nothing had grown in it in a very long time. For this case, we decided removing the dirt would be the best course of action.

The back of the garden before the project began. The area under the bike was infested with a dozen pink infant rats and its mother.

Phase III: Applying Wire Mesh to Front Fence

June 2022
We noticed that rats would quickly squeeze under our front fence. At the recommendation of another garden, we applied a layer of wire mesh to the bottom of the fence. Rats are able to fit through chicken wire, so we were careful to buy the 1/4 inch mesh. We attached it securely to both the fence posts and concrete floor.

Phase IV: Concrete Barrier at Front Gate

July 2022
While we prevented easy access for the rats on the sides, there still remained a gap under the moving portion of the front gate. The only way to prevent rats from going underneath would be to pour a slab of concrete with a gap less than a quarter of an inch betwen it and the gate. This effort greatly reduced the number of rats we observed in our garden.

The entire front of the garden sealed from rat access.

Phase V: Concrete Barrier at Back Fence (Left Side)

July 2023
Seeing the success of the front concrete barrier, we voted to construct a similar barrier at the back of the garden, starting with the left side. With the help of six garden volunteers, we successfully poured the concrete.

Preparing for the project, we created the form and had a pallet of concrete delivered.

Phase VI: Concrete Barrier at Back Fence (Right Side)

May 2025
In 2024, our garden was mostly closed due to scaffolding placed in our garden during a repair of the neighboring building. So at the start of 2025, we were finally able to get together a team to finish the back concrete barrier.

We began excavating the area and building a form, including some rebar welded into a triangular prism

Phase VII: Applying Wire Mesh to Back Fence

June 2025
With the concrete barrier in place, we were finally able to add the quarter-inch wire mesh to the back fence like we did for the front fence.

Project Completion

April 2022 - April 2025
Through three years and seven project phases, our garden's rat population decreased significantly.