... about Boston

Not everybody knows that

• Boston is infested by rats. It is simply like this. Most homes are visited regularly. Among the causes, trash left outside on the sidewalk in plastic bags (instead of containers), food rests abandoned all day everywhere because most people eat outside, old not well maintained buildings, large use of wood as construction material (instead of concrete), no stray cats or other predators, people tolerant.

• BigBelly, sealed solar trash compactors are available. They take longer to fill-up, so collection is less frequent, and all over pests cannot get in.

• Abusive taxis offered at night inside closing shopping malls.

• Au Bon Pain fast food sells bakery discounted by 50% about one hour before closing (e.g. starting at 9 PM).

• Among the best hospitals (controlled by Harvard University) of the country and probably in the world: Dana Farber cancer, Children's hospital, Brigham women's

• In winter the Charles river can be walked because of the thick ice layer.

• There exist many website that offer you the best rates comparing the major and sometimes some local car rentals, so they are a good option, but need advance reservation and get cancellation fees. In Boston I find Autoeurope is among the cheapest ones.

Pests (Rat and mouse or tiger mosquito) problem in cities

Rats and mice seem an endemic problem (in Boston) as are mosquitoes (in Pisa) and so on in many cities all over the world.
Rats and tiger mosquitoes are among the 100 more infesting species.
Why the local administrations do not take care of the problem? The cost sustained individually by citizens altogether for self-protection, would probably exceed that of a hypothetical central coordinated action, which would be certainly more effective, if not also less costly.
Another solution for rodents are (stray) cats, like there are many in Rome (in the Italian version of the Disney's Aristocats O'Malley is named "Romeo er mejo der Colosseo" to remind the many cats wandering around ancient Roman ruins and the Coliseum) but they would not probably survive the winter in cold cities like Boston.
Please put your straightforward solution in the comments, if you have one.