RATS: ARE WE REALLY SEEING PLAGUES OF RODENTS IN OUR CITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC?

As if COVID-19 wasn’t stressful enough, some outlets have claimed that rodents are now taking over our empty offices and cities. But is this really the case?

- HENRY NICHOLLS

Rats are on the move. While there have been restrictions on humans during lockdown, the same cannot be said for rats. There is increasing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a radical shake-up of rodent society.

Within weeks of the first lockdown in March 2020, around 50 per cent of pest controllers across the UK were reporting increased signs of rat activity when out on a job, according to a survey conducted by the British Pest Control Association (BPCA). By October, the situation had got even worse, with almost 80 per cent of BPCA members observing an increase in rat activity.

Why would this be? “Rats benefit and thrive from the things that we do,” says Natalie Bungay, the BPCA’s technical and compliance officer. Rubbish sacks stacked on the pavement or half-eaten takeaways tossed into a bin are a handout for rats. “They need about 200g of food a day and as long as they can find that they’ll be fine,” she adds. But with fewer humans on the streets, restaurants shuttered and less free food waste, many rats are having to graft harder to make ends meet. This means straying beyond the confines of their covert, largely nocturnal existence, resulting in rats turning up in places and at times of the day when they would not normally be seen.