Brussels considers recruiting ferrets to tackle rat population

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is facing a growing problem with rats. Over the past ten years, the number of brown rats in the city has almost doubled. This increase is believed to be caused by warmer winters, which make it easier for rats to survive and reproduce, and the rising popularity of compost bins, which provide more food for the rodents. The city council is now looking for new ways to control the rat population and keep the city clean. One interesting idea they are considering is using ferrets to help catch the rats.

Ferrets are natural predators of rats, and their presence alone can scare rats away. The council is thinking about hiring a professional rat catcher who would use trained ferrets to hunt down the rats and chase them into traps. According to a spokesperson for Anas Ben Adelmoumen, the councillor in charge of public cleanliness, ferrets are able to drive rats out of their hiding places and bring them closer to traps, making it easier to catch them. Ferrets have already been used in some parts of Brussels, such as the district of Etterbeek, with good results. In these areas, rats that escape the traps are usually frightened by the scent of the ferrets, which helps keep the area free of rodents for several months.

The city has set up a special rat task force to deal with the problem. Since January, this team has carried out more than 600 interventions in people's homes. The council is encouraging residents to contact them as soon as they notice signs of a rat infestation. To improve their efforts, the council has increased its budget by 20 percent, bringing the total to 65,000 euros. They have also invested in smart traps to help capture the rats more effectively. A decision on whether to use ferrets across the whole city is expected in the coming months, as Brussels continues to search for the best way to tackle its rat problem.