Thursday night is the last night businesses can leave trash bags out on the sidewalks.

Starting Friday, March 1, those businesses will need to put their trash in trash bins with lids. The Department of Sanitation says they will immediately begin cracking down on businesses that break the rule.

“This is part of our epic war on the rats,” said DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “We know that a third of the material that’s in those black trash bags is human food, and human food is also unfortunately rat food.”

New Yorkers tell News 12 that they’re sick of the rat problem, and that certain areas in their neighborhoods have become known for the high rat population.

The full plan to go after residential trash disposal is now in the works, and DSNY says all buildings with one to nine units will also be required to place their trash in sealed containers.