Word is out that there's a plague of rats in the city. Not that it's anything new. Rats fall in and out of vogue in Boston media all the time.

Around this time last year, the Globe did a story on a rat invasion in the Back Bay. For the record, the Back Bay did not handle it well.

In the latest story, David Abel at the Globe reports that rat complaints are up: "In fiscal 2007, city residents lodged 1,675 complaints about rats, 38 percent more than the year before and 23 percent above fiscal 2005, according to the city's Inspectional Services Department." Rats are starting mating season, and some people still haven't picked up on the fact that their garbage pails need to be sealed shut.

We'll always have to cope with rats. Without them, we wouldn't get any visits from the "Inside Edition" Rat Patrol.

If you need some advice, the CDC has tips on finding and blocking holes so rats can't pay you a visit, and the state has other prevention tips.

Image of Zappa's Hot Rats cover from Amazon.