The Tail End? Wilmette’s rat numbers way down from 2024

Good news for Wilmette residents (bad news for the rodents): The rat problem that affected the community one year ago is scurrying away.

Sara Phyfer, assistant to the Wilmette village manager, said that as of August the Village has conducted approximately 170 rat inspections in 2025, and about half resulted in the property needing remediation services.

It’s a drastic improvement, officials said.

In 2024, between late July and early September, the Village received requests for rat help from more than 500 residents, The Record previously reported. Phyfer said the Village had conducted approximately 400 inspections by mid-August last year.

“We’re still getting sighting reports and inspection requests, but it is a considerable reduction in volume compared to last year,” Phyfer said.

Having undergone what Village Manager Mike Braiman called “the worst rat problem in recent town history,” last summer, the Village, which does not provide pest-control services on private property, implemented and streamlined processes for rodent mitigation to help mitigate the problem.

East Wilmette resident Rebecca Stewart, who told The Record in 2024 about fighting off a rat infestation, said she was nervous heading into the warmer months this year. When she noticed holes resurfacing on her property this spring, she said she set out traps as a precaution, but has not caught any rats. This summer, she is feeling “way better,” she said.

“That was just a really unsettling time to try to fight that and understand it and learn how to get ahead of it,” Stewart said. “We were glad when we set out traps this year and only caught a few chipmunks. That was much more welcomed.”

Phyfer said the Village has modified how it is tracking the issue since 2024.

Instead of tallying emails and phone calls, the Village now monitors reports through an inspection request form on its website. Inspections come at no cost to residents and, if signs of rodent behavior are found, the village will offset costs for the installation of bait stations, application of chemical treatment, and five weekly visits for the removal of dead rats and replacement of products.

Following last summer’s problems, Phyfer said the Village has been more “proactive” in its approach to rat mitigation. This year, it launched the remediation program in the spring, rather than in August.

The Village has also informed residents about steps they can take to prevent rat infestations.

“We’ve done a big public education push about the types of things that attract threats to your property,” Phyfer said. “So I think that’s really helped to reduce the rat population and definitely make it a lot more manageable for everyone.”

The Village has spread information about combatting rat activity both on its website and in newsletters. Rats are attracted to food and water sources, so controlling their availability is important to mitigation.

Residents should be vigilant about removing pet waste, water sources, exposed wood, birdfeeders and exposed garbage as well as other items listed on the village’s website. 

Common signs of rat activity include gnaw marks, rodent droppings, underground burrows and dark streaks along walls or on patches of grass. Phyfer said the Village encourages residents to submit an inspection request even if they are unsure if what they’re seeing is rat activity.

If an inspection result finds rat activity, Phyfer said residents should inform their neighbors as well.

Residents can contact Phyfer at phyfers@wilmette.com or Ted Blumenthal at blumenthalt@wilmette.com with further questions.

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