Ferndale’s volunteer Rat Patrol has turned rodent control into a block-by-block campaign, roaming neighborhoods to spot rat burrows and “burrow-bust” them with dry ice, a stick and packed dirt. Councilwoman Laura Mikulski, who helped start the group, says the quick, low-cost tactic can anesthetize and kill tunnel-dwelling rats while avoiding the lingering mess and smell of poisoned carcasses.
Volunteers follow a simple rhythm: they drop chunks of dry ice into each opening, seal the entrance and then circle back a couple of days later to see if any fresh holes pop up. Mikulski explained to reporters that the solid carbon dioxide sublimates into gas that sinks through the tunnel system and, in her words, can leave behind a little rat tomb. Those details were reported by FOX 2 Detroit.
How burrow-busting works
On patrol days, volunteers haul coolers of dry ice, scoop it into burrow openings, then push it deeper into the tunnels with a stout stick before sealing the hole with soil. The wisps of white vapor that sometimes escape can tip them off to hidden exits, letting crews treat the entire underground network instead of just one doorway. The group’s hands-on style and plans to expand neighborhood deployments were highlighted by WXYZ.
City guidance and safer alternatives
The City of Ferndale is trying to keep the focus on prevention, pointing residents to a “5 Steps to Citywide Rat Reduction” guide that urges people to remove food and shelter, seal up openings and use traps instead of broad applications of poison. The city also passed a 2020 resolution that discourages the use of anticoagulant rodenticides on municipal property because of the risk to wildlife, and its materials walk homeowners through using snap traps and improving sanitation. The step-by-step guidance is available from the City of Ferndale.
Why experts urge caution
Veterinary and laboratory experts have their own warnings about dry ice. Guidance documents note that using it as a carbon dioxide source is tricky, since the gas concentration and delivery rate cannot be precisely controlled and direct contact can cause thermal injury along with prolonged distress. Institutional policies and euthanasia guidelines instead favor regulated compressed-gas systems and explicitly label dry-ice CO2 methods as unacceptable for controlled euthanasia. Technical recommendations on those points are outlined by the NIH OACU.
Legal and safety questions remain
The dry-ice approach has been adopted by exterminators in other places, but it is not allowed in Michigan, according to reporting that also flags potential conflicts between DIY efforts and professional standards, as noted by FOX 2 Detroit. Residents who are unsure what they can legally do are urged to call local authorities or animal control rather than risk hurting themselves, their pets or their neighbors. The city also maintains reporting tools and prevention resources, including its rat-reduction guide on the municipal website, which is available from the City of Ferndale.
Where to turn
Neighbors say the Rat Patrol’s grassroots tactics have already cut down activity on some treated blocks, and the group is working to expand its outreach and build an app so homeowners can log burrows and track treatments. At the same time, officials and animal-welfare experts continue to recommend sanitation, exclusion and standard traps over homegrown CO2 fixes, and suggest contacting county animal control for large or stubborn infestations. For more on the Patrol and local resources, see coverage from WXYZ.
