While it would be nice to think that most rodents are, in real life, like we see them in Disney films, we know that’s not the case. They aren’t cooking our food (Ratatouille), helping us get dressed (Cinderella), investigating strange cases (The Rescuers, Great Mouse Detective), highlighting the immigrant experience (An American Tail), or helping society advance (The Secret of NIMH).

But they are multiplying faster and faster.

Rats in New York City are almost an inevitability. The rodents are practically synonymous with the idea of the Big Apple – their nests almost matching the human population one for one. Here on the Gulf Coast of Florida we’re very likely to see groups of displaced rodents as construction continues to expand our urban territory.

But rodent – and specifically rat – populations are on the rise in every corner of the globe.

Expensive Lessons

Cities like Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York are spending billions of dollars on efforts to curb or control rat populations. It’s gotten so bad, entirely eliminating the dirty rodents isn’t even on the table. NYC is enacting new garbage control laws, recruiting vigilante rat hunters, and even distributing rat birth control. That last one even popped up in a sketch during Saturday Night Live’s 50^th anniversary broadcast on Sunday.

According to scientists, the problem is not going away anytime soon either. A recent study published in the journal Science Advances found that 68% of the 16 cities they studied had increases in the numbers of Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus.

Changing urban environments and higher average temperatures across the globe seem to be the main culprits. At issue: less available land for rats and mice to inhabit without invading our homes.

A longer cycle and frequency of mating is an even larger factor. Rat nests used to drop off during winter months since they struggle to maintain their internal body temperatures during the colder months. But as winters get shorter and our cities get warmer, there’s more opportunity to reproduce – and we are left with more rats.

Bigger May Not be Better

To be sure, the changing climate is not the only issue. Researchers say the overall warmer global temperature is part of the problem, but the density of our human population is also raising temperatures in the cities. It’s also providing more resources for rats in particular, as they prefer to dig through our garbage more than mice or other rodents. Washington, D.C. in particular was cited as having one of the worst issues with mounting rodent numbers.

Another factor – like many insects, some rats are adapting to the preventative measures we try to employ. Jonathan Richardson, assistant professor of biology at the University of Richmond, told Fortune magazine, “Rather than trying to poison the rodents into oblivion, cities should make living environments more hostile to rats by eliminating easy food sources and comfortable breeding quarters.”

We see that as good news. For more than 30 years, Good News Pest Solutions has specialized in greener, more organic methods of pest control. We recommend that you clean up food after eating and store it in airtight containers. Make sure your trash is properly bagged, canned, and disposed of.

But for the ultimate protection, check out our rodent-resistant T-A-P Insulation.

Made of recycled newsprint and laced with boric acid that acts as rodent and insect repellants, T-A-P is one of the best investments you can make for your home. It’s safe for your family, insulates you from excess heat – or our Florida 50-degree chills - and even helps keep the neighborhood sound out. We’d love to discuss it with you and provide you all the details you need – just give us a call!