Aggressive Rats on the Rise

The pandemic has affected many aspects of modern living, from garbage and recycling pickup to public transportation and hospitality. Add pest control to the list.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that as a result of closed restaurants and other businesses, rats may become more aggressive as they hunt for new sources of food. Environmental health and rodent control programs should be prepared for an increase in calls. The CDC recommends that facilities seal all possible entries (rats can enter a building through a half-inch opening) and make sure garbage bins are tightly closed.

Several cities have already noticed an uptick in unusual rat activity. Colonies of rats in New York City that have depended on restaurants’ nightly trash for hundreds of generations are now venturing out during daytime hours and entering buildings that have not previously seen rodent activity, the New York Times reports. In New Orleans, hordes of rats took over the streets after tourists left. Thousands of rats in Chicago have started traveling farther and during the daytime searching for food, some even moving into car engines.

Read about new methods and approaches to pest control for your facility.