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Citizen complaint of the day: Giant vermin

By adamg on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 4:44pm

A South Boston citizen files a 311 complaint about furry things scurrying about the area of L and East 6th streets that are the size of bunnies but aren't bunnies:

They are the size of bunnies but scurry with long tails so I know they are not.

Meanwhile, up on Beacon Hill, another concerned citizen reports "2 inch cockroaches walking" on the sidewalk on Irving Street near Revere Street. At least they aren't flying.

Neighborhoods: 
Beacon Hill
South Boston
Free tagging: 
Irving Street
East 6th Street
L Street
Cockroaches
rats
Wildlife
311


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Comments

By AmateurEntomologist on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 4:53pm.

"

At least they're not flying.

"

You probably don't know this, but cockroaches can fly. They usually don't because they're not very good at it, and can run faster than they can fly, so there's usually no point. But having a giant cockroach fly into your face (happened to me once) is quite an... eye-opener!

By JJ on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 8:25am.

Look up palmetto bugs. Probably only a matter of time until they migrate up this far north.

By Lecil on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 9:20am.

Having a good exterminator down here in Florida is an absolute must!

Discovered that the bunnies, the actual bunnies, are bigger down here too. Had a Marsh Rabbit bounce past me the other day and they're the size of a house cat!

By Don't Panic on Thu, 06/22/2023 - 12:07am.

I encountered palmetto bugs on my first day stationed in Florida. I was at an open air payphone telling my mom and girlfriend that I was finally on base and a giant flying cockaroach landed on me. They were not amused at my yelping.

By cybah on Thu, 06/22/2023 - 1:16am.

I rented this apartment that.. uh.. had a problem with Palmetto bugs. I was 20 and stupid and didn't care so whatever. I also had dealt with roaches at a previous apartment so I really didn't care.... I was 10m from my favorite bar!

But they do fly. And they like to climb walls. I didn't know that.

Well one night I got really stoned and was playing video games. I had a glass of soda I was drinking from. I picked it up and started to take a swing, and out of the corner of my eye I see a huge palmetto bug in the glass. I was milliseconds away from gulping it down before I pulled away and nearly tossed my cookies.

So gross. After that I purchased a sippy cup with a straw to prevent this from happening.

But oy. Yeah they fly. And they are everywhere down there. They can stay there. (I think we're too cold up here.. for now. for them. They get big because they don't have a hard freeze long enough to kill them!

By MisterMagooForYou on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 5:28pm.

Magoo went hunting for vermin in this very neighbor with Magoo’s new pooch, Scruffy McScruff Scruff, a rescue pooch from Tennessee. Scruffy McScruff Scruff Is a certified vermin hunter and Scruffy McScruff Scruff caught 11 vermin. Magoo told Scruffy McScruff Scruff that he’s a good pooch and Magoo gave him a treat. Magoo is going to use the caught vermin like the first peoples of this land used the bison, every part. Magoo will tan the hide and sell vermin skin trinkets to tourists in Quincy Market. Magoo will grind the vermin meat and cut Magoo’s ground beef with it to add some yum yum flavor. Magoo will use the vermin bones for toothpicks. Magoo.

By Saddlebrook7 on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 5:58pm.

I don't think they exist.

By BB from Dot on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 6:06pm.

We have plenty of opossums in Boston. Hopefully that's what they are seeing, and not rats.

By bibliotequetress on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 6:13pm.

I once saw a possum walking down the sidewalk on Newbury Street in the middle of the afternoon. Very badass.

By Warren Zevon on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 6:52pm.

I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. And his hair was perfect.

By JJ on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 8:25am.

But I'm willing to share. :) Well done.

By jmeltzer on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 11:49am.

He needed a shave.

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 6:50pm.

Possums are tick munching heroes. We love our tick munching heroes.

By EGarrick on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 8:35pm.

The evidence the opossums eat a ton of ticks has been proven to be incorrect. However, opossums just sort of mind their own business and are kind of cute too, so there's no reason to really dislike them.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877959X21001333

By Rwgfy on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 3:16pm.

Don't confuse us with facts.

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 4:50pm.

Right idea, but hardly definitive.

I'd like to see follow up studies in much more tick intensive areas, like Maine, NH, VT, MA. Virginia has ticks, but they are typically less active in the daytime due to the heat (explaining why Lyme disease incidence tapers off as you head south)

Opossums groom off ticks that jump on them, whether or not they "like" eating them. There is a difference between seeking out or hunting ticks and having them show up as free food.

By Pete Nice on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 9:09am.

Of a muskrat the other today. Checked with my trusty Snapchat AI bot and he told me that muskrats are common in the MA area although I've never seen one (I don't think). I've seen tons of possums and beavers and other like minded creatures, but I have never seen a muskrat. And those things can be odd looking. Tails like rats but they look more like fat hamsters. On second thought I could have confused beavers with muskrats but either way muskrats can be freaky looking.

By lbb on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 9:26am.

On second thought I could have confused beavers with muskrats but either way muskrats can be freaky looking.

Confused how? Which ones are common in MA? Beavers definitely are, but you'd never mistake their tails from looking like a rat's.

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 4:52pm.

They seem to be more willing to be around people and their habitat needs aren't as specialized as they are for beavers and otters.

I've seen far more of them when kayaking than their aquatic mammal cousins.

By Pete Nice on Thu, 06/22/2023 - 7:10am.

I've seen some trees on the banks of the Charles out near where I live that have been chopped down by beavers. I've only ever seen the "beavers" in the water so I can't say for 100% certain that they even were beavers, since I assume now that both beavers and muskrats look similar when they are swimming. I've confirmed that muskrats do not cut down trees however, so that is where my assumption of beavers come from.

By LeeChens on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 8:04pm.

Definitely not opossums. See giant rats regularly around Farragut and the area. Particularly on trash night. Had one run over my foot a couple months ago. Not sure if they are burrowing in the park or the sea wall but it's an issue. Used to see opossums a lot but haven't seen one in years. Skunks, rabbits abound, even a fox and a coyote once, I'm guessing coyotes have something to do with it. Not the best defense to just not move.

By Don't Panic on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 1:05am.

I agree. The rats around that area are HUGE!

By Fenway Crank on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 6:10pm.

don’t scurry

especially in the daytime

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 6:54pm.

IMAGE(https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/80349660_2682124781824923_6268747129221545984_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&cb=99be929b-59f725be&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=oHoi2J_gef0AX_OVs3N&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMGreGOJXL5iSawI14nvZorROmq31TS0isChhz3ueEnQ&oe=64B98E87)

By anon on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 7:27pm.

but the Mayor refuses to do anything about it. The City sends someone out to look around but does nothing to rid the neighborhood of the rats.

By lbb on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 9:27am.

...because we all know that prior to Mayor Wu being sworn in in November 2021 there wasn't a single rat in Boston.

By fungwah on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 9:44am.

all rat complaints go directly to her desk, where she personally makes the decision not to do anything about them on every single one.

By Lee on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 10:50pm.

I’ve seen vermin the size of humans. In fact it was human. We are the most dangerous animal on earth.

By MC Slim JB on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 1:12am.

not for everyone.

In the past few months, I've seen sizeable rats (their studied casualness toward my proximity on the sidewalk: impressive), a raccoon skittering across my street on its hind legs on a moonlit night (so tall, genuinely eerie), and a tiny bunny nibbling on the grass in my building's interior courtyard (too cute!)

Will never forget the seagull flying straight down Washington Street in the South End with a big-ass slice of pizza in its beak. Also several instances of tree-based raccoon gang-on-gang violence, soundtracked with 90 dB shrieking. The seriously obese squirrel on the Common who caught me eyeing him as he nibbled on an acorn, and pointedly turned his back to me as if to say, "Not yours, asshole."

The pheasant strutting down the sidewalk next to the new Hancock on Thanksgiving morning, certain that no one was targeting him for dinner. The skunk lounging under a car parked in front of my City Point home: that one made me jump a foot in the air. (Amazingly, no turkey encounters to report.)

Urban wildlife is a wonder: embrace it!

By redheadedjen on Wed, 06/21/2023 - 3:14pm.

I saw a bunny in the plant area in front of 197 Clarendon St this morning, hoping around.

By cybah on Thu, 06/22/2023 - 1:20am.

I recently started working in Somerville in the Inner Belt Industrial Area (off Washington Street, near the new GLX facility).

During the day not much except cars going in and out.

But at night.. its the land of bunnies. Like at least 100 or so I see every night. Outside all the office buildings feeding on the grass and plants. They are so frightened and often scamper away pretty quick.

Well walking out of that office park at midnight.. seeing things scurry into dark corners had me weirded out because over here in Chelsea, things moving around in dark corners at night is usually rats. Gross. So I am jumping away from these things thinking they are rats...

Nope just cute bunnies.