Thursday, October 1, 2026
For residents of Adrienne Lane and Allen Drive in Seaford, a backyard should be a place to relax during the summer. Instead, many neighbors say they're on the lookout for rats.
Residents have reported seeing unusually large rodents roaming yards, gardens and backyard pools in recent weeks, prompting complaints to Nassau County officials and drawing television news crews to the area. While some neighbors say there has been a problem for about a year, others say the rats have only recently spread farther on Adrienne and Allen.
In response to the complaints, the Nassau County Department of Health said it has begun investigating what some are describing as an infestation.
"The Nassau County Department of Health deployed a team of sanitarians to the North Seaford area to assess the reported rodent activity, identify potential sources and document conditions contributing to the problem," the department said in a statement.
According to the department, inspectors will work directly with residents and property owners to identify conditions that attract rodents, provide guidance on eliminating food, water and shelter sources, outline corrective actions and conduct follow-up inspections as needed. The county added that it has been working with the Department of Public Works and other agencies to help eradicate the problem.
For residents, the rats have become more than just an inconvenience. One Adrienne Lane neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said that simply stepping outside has become stressful.
"Every time we go outside, we're a little nervous that a rat's going to come by," she said. "I went for a walk the other night and heard something by my rose bushes. I waited a little bit, and a rat came running out."
The resident said she first spotted a rat roughly two weeks ago, though neighbors farther north on the street have been talking about them for nearly a year.
"I didn't see any, so I thought maybe they were hanging out down there," she said. "But they're traveling."
The presence of the rodents has changed the way families use their yards during what should be the busiest time of year. "When we go in the pool, I'm afraid that a rat's going to run by," the resident said. "My neighbors say that when they're in the pool, they do see the rats."
She added that even routine activities, like watering flowers, have become unsettling since a rat first darted through her backyard.
Beyond the surprise of seeing them, residents worry about the health risks they may pose. "It's scary when you have kids,” the resident said. “Rats carry a lot of disease, so it's kind of a scary situation."
The rat activity has also disrupted family gatherings. "I used to have my daughter's friends over and they'd go in the pool at night," she said. "Now I'm afraid to have them over. There's only a short amount of time on Long Island that you can use the pool, so it's kind of messing that up and ruining the summer."
Residents describe the rats as much larger than many would expect, with one homeowner saying they approach the size of a small cat.
Many neighbors have attempted to combat the problem with bait stations and traps, but some say those efforts have had little effect. "The rat traps are not working," another resident, who also requested anonymity, said. "A lot of people have the bait, but we don't see dead rats. We see moving rats."
While residents appreciate that county officials have begun investigating, many say they are hoping for a long-term solution that identifies the source of the infestation rather than simply treating its symptoms.
"I don't know why it's so difficult to find out where they're coming from," the first resident said. "I just want them to get rid of them."
For now, the county says, inspectors will continue working with homeowners while conducting follow-up inspections and coordinating with other county agencies as efforts to eliminate the rats continue.
