'It's Terrible:' Long Island Neighborhood Plagued By Rat Problem

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A Long Island neighborhood is being plagued by a rat problem.

Every day, Thomas Morritt, who lives on Lockwood Boulevard in Farmindale, finds three or four dead rats in the traps behind he had to put behind his home.

"Bag them and put them in a garbage pail," he said. "It's terrible."

He told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall an unkempt foreclosed house around the corner is to blame.

Morritt said he's afraid for his young daughter to play in the backyard.

"People work hard around here to keep their properties clean. It's definitely unfortunate," he said. "We were looking for help and we didn't get any."

He and his neighbors told Hall they have repeatedly called the Nassau County health department for help.

A spokesperson said the agency has been to the house twice recently and have not seen any rats. So department employees have been educating residents on how to keep rats out of their yards, including picking up garbage and dog waste.