With COVID-19 came the closure of restaurants, a measure which, while necessary, has provided some frustration and inconvenience for foodies and food workers alike. However, the sudden cessation of activity through all dining establishments has led to a new scenario that is much worse than a lack of variety in dining options. Normally, rats and mice feed on the leftovers that are thrown out with the garbage at the end of every day, keeping the population of rodents peaceful and well-fed. But now, closure of these restaurants has forced the animals to become more aggressive, with more reports of rat cannibalism. The roving rat armies may soon show themselves in your community, and that is when you may turn to the options for mice control in Niagara has to offer.

Problems Caused By Roving Rats

When rats become more aggressive and hungry, they go out in search of food, which is the activity that leads to roaming colonies of rats. In areas where this has had the greatest impact, such as in New Orleans, people see rats all over just walking down the street. In May, more than 800 rodent control calls were made in the District of Columbia. While pet rats you buy at a store may be cute and cuddly companions, wild rats are not so great to be around. Their urine can worsen asthma and allergies, which can be especially dangerous with the current COVID-19 pandemic. To add, their urine can cause leptospirosis, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and so forth. By roaming and getting into food stores that they normally wouldn’t bother with, these rat hordes can transmit food-borne illnesses like salmonella as well.

Strange Happenings With Rats 

The roaming rats have had to adapt to new food sources and go out searching for new ones. Limited pickings lead to more competition. In addition to leading to more aggressive and hardier rats, this can also lead to some interesting wildlife observation opportunities. One group of rats in Queens, New York, ended up leaving the sidewalk covered in rat limbs. An observer witnessed a nest of rats turn on each other when their search for food scraps ended wanting.

Understanding How Rat Biology Plays In

In nature, any time a major change happens in the environment, populations have to adapt. When a food source is taken away, it forces a group of animals to find food in a different way and creates competition. The same thing has happened in human history: When resources are scarce, one group tries to take over another’s land, leading to a fight to the death. What appears to be happening with rats in this pandemic is that the more resilient, smarter rats move into the open where people normally wouldn’t have seen them. This is different from how it would work in typical circumstances, as only a few less social rats would generally come into view and only during the night time.

Rat cannibalism is partially to satiate desperate hunger and partially to eliminate competition. This activity is only observed with rats who are in pain, hungry, and stressed out. Strong male rats in these conditions will locate other nests, go find mothers, and kill their broods. This is something that rats will do very quickly, as they know how to adapt to their environments.

Pest Control Options

Whether it’s mice or rats, rodent populations can be problematic when they start to affect daily life. Pest control is sometimes a necessary choice when things get out of hand. Truly Nolen Canada is your springtime pest solution. We can bring a population of any kind of pest under control, not just mice and rats. Whether your needs involve rodents, spiders, ants, or something else, give us a call at (226) 241-2625.