East Northport residents dealing with "disgusting" and "unsanitary" rat infestation

A sudden rat infestation is angering families in the Suffolk County town of East Northport.

The rodents are taking up residence in backyards on First Avenue for the first time, local residents said.

"It's disgusting, especially since we have kids. I won't let them come out. You can literally see all the holes," resident Amanda Foster said.

Foster said she didn't think twice about spending hundreds of dollars in an attempt to fix the issue, but admitted the infestation continues.

"They're pretty big, so they're eating pretty well. It's unsanitary. You don't know what they're carrying," Foster said.

Businesses along Larkfield Road have also been affected, causing neighbors to complain to the Suffolk County Health Department and point fingers.

The department said it found, "no indication of rodent activity. However, a violation was issued to the business for improper storage of food."

There are rats all across Long Island, but the health department says if there are rats in your backyard, it means there is a food source nearby. Food sources are often found within 100 feet of their burrows.

It is advising residents to not feed animals outside, to store garbage, grass seed and dog food in tightly covered containers, and to remove fallen fruit, nuts, vegetables and even dog droppings from the ground, because each could be a potential food source.

"It's frustrating that ... this is not something we inherited when I first bought the house," Foster said. "People say you can move or you bought your house near commercial property, but this was never an issue until recently."