By: Georgia Lobb
This sounds like it should be out of a science fiction novel.
Transportation Nation reports that in an attempt to get rid of subway rats, the New York MTA is trying to get the rodents to consume birth control.
The National Institute of Health has reportedly given the company Senestech a $1.1 million grant to create a recipe that will tempt the rats to consume a hormone which will induce early menopause in female rats, thus hindering their ability to reproduce.
Loretta Mayer, who works for Senestech, is working on perfecting a recipe that will work best to entice the rodents. “She’s considering lacing the bait with pepperoni oil. It will be mixed into a bright pink smoothie–not solid food–because underground rats can find food easily but are constantly searching for liquid,” says Transportation Nation.
If you’re worried about health implications, Mayer asserts “That it doesn’t affect human fertility because the compound is rapidly metabolized.”