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Milford battling rat infestation among construction, demolition

Milford health officials are trying desperately to rid a problem that has plagued parts of the town for months: rats.

One woman living in town told Boston 25 News her husband has been killing rats all summer, but it’s a problem that has spanned two years in the area.

Residents all along West Street, like Craig Smith, are keeping a close eye out for any sign of rodents.

MORE: Video shows rats in Boston restaurant, inspectional services responds

Despite their best efforts to keep it clean outside of their homes, rats seem to be sticking around.

It’s not just West Street. Near the hospital, and in numerous clusters across town, there are rats or signs of their activity.

The board of health has fielded dozens of calls on the issue since spring.

Health officers say they’ve worked with landlords and tenants to alleviate the issue -- some of that has been education.

“We had a factory -- a rubber factory that’s been around since the 1900s demolished and we had other projects that (are) being done,” Milford Director of Public Health Paul Mazzuchelli said.

Even with what’s being done, there are a lot of factors. There's a new wing being built on the hospital that could be displacing rats.

He says health officials don’t “treat” private property. They look for areas conducive to rodents and try to get folks to clean it up themselves.

Though in some cases, even those who aren’t leaving food out say they find rodents daily.

Board of health officers say they’ll continue an aggressive social media campaign to educate people about cleaning their properties and may soon fine owners whose properties are habitually messy.

MORE: Rats are running amok in Waltham, residents say