City: Proper Use Of Bins Will Aid Rat Prevention
With the recent reporting of increased sightings of rats around the island, the City of Hamilton reminds City businesses that proper usage of the provided wheelie bins will assist greatly in the control and prevention of rodents in the City.
City Engineer Patrick Cooper said of the bins, “We remind businesses to ensure that their wheelie bin can close and that the lid is secured when closed. An overflowing bin, with lid open, is an open invitation for rats.
“We also ask that businesses clean their bins periodically to ensure that any grease or food debris that may have been captured inside is disposed of. We also seek to remind the businesses that the bins must be removed from the sidewalks after collection. We implore the public to be responsible and to do their part to not attract rats.”
Through the City’s Wheelie Bin program, more than 450 wheelie bins, both for refuse and recyclables, have been distributed to City businesses. Hamilton businesses are reminded that the first bins are given free of charge.
Applications for bins can be obtained by contacting dbean@cityhall.bm or calling 292-1234 ext.254. Applications and more information can also be found here on the City’s website.
Sure, but there are so many people here who simply don’t care about anyone else but themselves and are too bone idle to do things properly.
This isn’t a priority. They priorities are things like making sure government ministers get at least two salaries. Making sure we spend $2.5m a year employing friends of PLP on consulting contracts. Changing the PATI law to restrict the public’s right to know what is going on with taxpayer finances. That kind of thing. The PLP could give a rat’s a$$ about rat infestation. They don’t care.
Now let’s get down to the nitty good sir – the city trash collectors grab the bags out of the bins and throw them in the truck because lifting the bins takes too long. Ok. That’s efficient. HOWEVER
People walking by all hours of the day and night throw their leftover food, coffee, beer bottles and liquor into the bins (messy!).
Result is a bunch of loose garbage in the very dirty and now stinky bin. The loose garbage will stay there (weeks!!!!!) until the bin is over half-full with it and no longer closes with the bags in there. THEN it will get lifted into the truck.
Its no wonder we have such a rat problem, general failure of families to promote decent standards of cleanliness for decades – chicken bones and dirty food containers are thrown in the bushes, on the road side etc. constantly with no thought that they are encouraging the spread and feeding of rats. Trash put out too early or late and not retrieved etc. etc. and little effort of the civil service to encourage best practices or fine offenders
*Trash put out too early or late and not retrieved etc. etc. and little effort of the civil service to encourage best practices or fine offenders*
Word !
The rat infestation on this island is out of control, wheelie bins with lids should be mandatory of all residents throughout the whole island. People throwing trash bags on the side of the road is why we have a rat issue in Bermuda. Successive governments have repeatedly shown that they are afraid to take the tough decisions. Make wheelie bins mandatory for everyone and fit the trucks with lifts for the bins and the rat problem will subside.
Ok Goverment is going to make it law that every household have these bins.
Back in the day we had galvanized bin.
Lets go back ot the two times a week pick up for trash, we never had such a problem until we went to once a week.
Rats make Rats… control your garbage handling and you will see less critters..but the rats will still be near.
Cats? free and efficient
Like every cat is a ratter ? Far from it. Furthermore unless they ALL can pull their weight and be actual ratters (which they won’t) they’ll be digging up people’s gardens , s***ing everywhere spreading disease , fighting at all hours of the night and catching native and endemic birds , and that doesn’t include breeding like the rats themselves because people won’t have them neutered and spayed.
I think you’re living in a land of folklore .
I hate cats….but I hate rats more.
The issue is that trash is only picked up once per week + residents aren’t required to place their trash into bins so rats have a field day. Great start but this won’t but a dent into the rat problem.
One day a week trash collection , bullseye. Tropical Island, high heat and humidity, Maggots , Houseflies, Rats galore, many more now than during the Two-day Collection. I rode the bus two days ago, 50 feet in front of the moving bus on the
Road – a nice big RAT scurrying to the other side. I am sick of the rats the last two years. It seems that I see more Rats than Cats now. SAD!
I wish the Minister was sick of the rats too.I am Made to believe that everyone is just pleased with the one day Collection . I am not impressed. And yes, we do have Litterbugs who don’t care where they live , on a very pretty island that attracts many people, they just hurl there Trash anywhere , anytime. If Gov’t needs more money, Fines would surely help. Especially for late trash that sits for days. We know who is doing this!
In the real world trash is collected weekly without rat epidemics. However, the use of standardized wheelie bins is mandatory. It may be time to assign a bin to every household.