Why have many rats appeared? - briefly
Increased food waste, mild weather and insufficient sanitation provide ideal conditions for rodent breeding, while structural gaps allow easy access to buildings. These factors together trigger a rapid surge in rat numbers.
Why have many rats appeared? - in detail
The recent surge in rat numbers stems from several interrelated factors. Abundant food sources, such as improperly stored waste, overflowing garbage bins, and unsecured compost, provide continuous nourishment. Warmer temperatures extend breeding cycles, allowing more generations per year. Urban expansion creates numerous concealed pathways—cracks, utility tunnels, and vacant structures—that facilitate movement and shelter. Inadequate pest‑control measures, including gaps in routine inspections and limited use of bait stations, reduce mortality rates. Declining populations of natural predators, like owls and snakes, remove a key regulatory pressure. Seasonal rainfall can flood basements and sewers, forcing rodents to seek dry habitats closer to human dwellings.
Key contributors include:
- Improper waste management
- Elevated ambient temperatures
- Expansion of built environments with hidden entry points
- Insufficient monitoring and control programs
- Reduced predator presence
- Weather‑induced habitat displacement
Addressing the problem requires coordinated actions: securing refuse containers, sealing structural gaps, implementing regular baiting and trapping, promoting predator habitats, and monitoring climate‑related trends that influence reproductive rates.