CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Cheektowaga homeowners have been dealing with a rat infestation. Video footage captured by Kevin Roberts shows rats of extraordinary size roaming his property.
"I would say that thing was probably bigger than a chihuahua, looking at that video," Roberts said.
Last week, I spoke with Roberts, who's taking matters into his hands after he said traditional pest control efforts have fallen short
For more than two months, he's been trying everything from bait boxes throughout his yard and digging up pathways that crisscross his property.
"As I got into the ground, you could see the pathways, so I just had to keep digging," he said.
I looked through years of town records and budget documents and found that this rat infestation issue isn't anything new. Records show the problem dates back to 2004, when town leaders noted a "significant rodent infestation."
Documents reveal the town paid for professional pest control services from 2004 until 2024, when they transitioned to using Erie County services instead. This shift in approach has left residents like Roberts feeling abandoned in their fight against the persistent population.
WATCH: Documents show rat problems in Cheektowaga date back decades
Roberts has sought help from both county and town officials. Town Supervisor Brian Nowak met with him, and county officials responded by baiting the house next door to his property. Despite these coordinated efforts between local and county authorities, the rats never left.
"If I'm seeing them on my property every night, it's only a matter of time before they start to make entry into my home. That's a worst nightmare to me," Roberts said.
The daily reality for Roberts involves constant vigilance. Each morning, he checks his bait boxes for activity, and each evening brings new sightings of rats moving freely across his property.
"I think an expert of some sort needs to come in and offer best-case solutions to the homeowners and really help try to tackle the issue that's really sort of taken over the neighborhood," Roberts said.
When I walked with Roberts down his block and talked with neighbors, the scope of the problem became clear. While nobody would speak on camera, multiple residents confirmed they have witnessed the rats throughout the neighborhood.
Roberts believes construction has stirred up the rat colony. Some municipalities, like the City of Buffalo, require pre-baiting before any construction, whereas the Town of Cheektowaga doesn't have an ordinance requiring this measure.
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