NEW YORK - Mayor Bill de Blasio is taking on a new investment aimed at ridding the city of rats.

The city will spend $750,000 to target the rat population in eight parks and four schools.

The money will go towards new rat proof garbage cans and food storage containers, and also an exterminator.

The mayor shared the news Thursday on the Upper West Side, where residents have complained of fearless rats jumping into baby strollers. 

"Parents in particular should never have to worry about rats ending up in the same sand box as their children. That is particularly unacceptable," De Blasio said.

"We're always going to have the rats. We just don't want to see them. And we don't want them to be with children. And we don't them to be in our parks, and we don't want them to be near our schools," said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

De Blasio expects his rat control plan will roll out over the next six months.