A pest control company will install high-tech rodent traps in the town of Brookline to reduce the number of rats in the area in the coming weeks, officials said.
New England exterminator Modern Pest will install 45 Anticimex SMART boxes — above-ground devices that detect, trap and kill rats — in locations with high rodent activity, according to a statement from the Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Department of Public Works.
When a rodent enters the trap, it becomes electrically charged and kept in a plastic bag before releasing it to catch more, according to Anticimex’s website. The traps contain sensors that detect movement and body heat.
In addition, five “SMART Pipe” systems are to be installed in the sewerage system, which will have similar functions, the statement said.
“While this technology is relatively new in the United States, it has been proven globally with over 350,000 units deployed worldwide,” Modern Pest President David Lock said in the statement.
In addition to capturing and killing rodents, the city’s boxes will provide real-time data on populations of these animals, the statement said.
“This data will help the city better allocate resources, including solid waste enforcement, restaurant inspections and additional pest control treatments,” the statement said.
Other Massachusetts cities, such as Somerville, Peabody, Cambridge, Arlington, Quincy and Lowell, as well as Portland and Old Town in Maine, have undergone this “SMART” rodent initiative, according to Modern Pest.
The traps are also non-toxic and pose no risk to humans, other animals or the environment, the website says.
Bailey Allen can be reached at bailey.allen@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @baileyaallen.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/XEJMC7PTY5G3RPB4XX5AUY6Q3I.jpg "Different rodents that purport to ‘predict’ climate")
