City Rats on the Rise: How Urban Life Fuels the Rodent Takeover

Rats are taking over cities around the world, and people are starting to notice. John Gladwin, who lives in Croydon with his five children, had a shocking experience when he found rats inside his home. He first saw a bag of soil under his kitchen sink torn apart, and soon after, he noticed a strong, musty smell. He realized that rats had invaded his flat. He could hear them moving around in the cupboards and behind the bath panel, and sometimes he even heard them fighting and squealing. John was worried about his children's health and used peppermint oil and rat poison to try to get rid of the rats. Although they have not returned, the experience left him feeling anxious and embarrassed. He did not want to admit that his family was living in a rat-infested home.

The pest control company Cleankill, which works across southern England, has seen a big increase in calls about rats. Its founder, Clive Bury, says there has been a 20 percent rise in rat activity in the last two years. The British Pest Control Association reports that more than half of its member companies have seen more rat callouts over the past five years. Counting rats is difficult because they live in drains, sewers, and burrows, and come out mostly at night. Estimates of the rat population in the UK range from 10 million to 120 million. More than half a million rat infestations were reported to UK councils between 2023 and mid-2024. The problem is not limited to the UK; cities like Washington DC, San Francisco, New York, Amsterdam, and Toronto are also seeing more rats. Rats can spread diseases such as leptospirosis and hantavirus, and they can damage food supplies by eating and contaminating produce.

There are several reasons why rats are becoming more common. People are eating more fast food, and some councils are collecting rubbish less often, which gives rats more opportunities to find food. Construction work can disturb the sewer network, making it easier for rats to move around. Scientists believe that rising temperatures are also helping rat populations grow. A study found that cities with bigger temperature increases had larger increases in rat activity. Rats breed quickly, with females having up to six litters a year, each with as many as 12 pups. Warmer winters mean more rats survive and breed. Cities are growing, and more people are living close together, which creates more places for rats to hide and find food. Rats are cautious and do not eat new food right away, which makes it hard to poison them. Some experts are looking for new ways to control rats, such as using rat-proof bins and teaching people how to keep their neighborhoods clean. In New York, residents must use rat-proof bins, and there are teams that educate people about rat prevention. The best way to control rats is to keep cities clean and make sure rubbish is properly stored. If rats cannot find food, they will not stay. The challenge is to act quickly before the problem gets even worse.