Human activity has made rats one of the most prolific mammals on the planet. Our waste, buildings, and ships provide food, shelter, and transport. In the United States alone, rats cost the country approximately $27 billion each year in damage to infrastructure, crops, and contaminated food supplies. Additionally, rats carry and spread over 50 zoonotic pathogens and parasites, impacting public health around the world.
Now, climate change is adding to the problem. According to a new study recently published in the journal Science Advances, urban rat populations are exploding as global temperatures rise. The researchers found that Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, New York City, and Amsterdam had the greatest population increases. In fact, over the past decade, rats increased by a whopping 390% in Washington DC, 300% in San Francisco, 186% in Toronto, and 162% in New York City. The study, which examined data from 16 cities globally, found that 11 of them showed significant increases in rat numbers.
Only Tokyo, Louisville, and New Orleans bucked the trend with declining rat numbers.
According to the researchers, the best pest management strategies involve making the urban environment less rat-friendly as opposed to removing rodents that are already there. An example would be putting trash in containers instead of bags on the street.
There aren’t many perks to the changing climate – unless, of course, you’re a rat.
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Web Links
Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population
‘Perfect rat storm’: urban rodent numbers soar as the climate heats, study finds
Photo, posted September 25, 2018, courtesy of Tim Felce via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
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