Scientists just found city rats and house mice across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. carrying poison-resistance mutations, and the result could make urban pest control a lot harder

Urban rodents in the northeastern US are developing genetic resistance to common rat poisons, a new study reveals. Up to 84% of mice and 35% of Norway rats carry mutations that render widely used chemicals ineffective. This escalating ‘rat race’ necessitates integrated pest control strategies beyond just chemicals to protect public health and infrastructure from these increasingly resilient pests.