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The Ratpocalypse is Here | COVID-19 & Growing Rat Populations – Automatic Trap Company

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The Ratpocalypse is Here – Why Rat Populations Are Booming During The COVID-19 Pandemic

May 19, 2020n7 min read

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Warning: Some images included in this article may not be appropriate for all readers.

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The recent COVID-19 pandemic has emptied city streets all over the world. Packed urban-centers jammed with cars and foot trafficxc2xa0are now empty, quiet, and devoid of humans. One population this is impacting is the urban rat. While food sources from scraps and trash depositsxc2xa0continue to deplete, rats have turned desperate andxc2xa0emboldened as thexc2xa0oddsxc2xa0of survival stack up against them. Hungry, cannibalistic, and panicked, rats continue to search for their next meal. While the apocalypse may not be right around the corner, according to many experts, a Ratpocalypsexc2xa0could be!

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It’s the perfect storm for the year of the rat. The temporary closure/scaleback of countless restaurants and businesses have depletedxc2xa0rat foodxc2xa0sources.xc2xa0Many rodentsxc2xa0rely on scraps, trash and leftovers in urban areas as a means of survival.

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According to experts, therexc2xa0is now a significantly larger prevalence of rodents in major U.S. cities than therexc2xa0was at the beginning of the novel Coronavirus pandemic. This has been reflected in numerousxc2xa0outlets and cities reporting a spike in rat activity.

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Ratpocalypse Reports Increasing From Major Publications Around The World

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Publications across the globe, have continued to report on the increase in rat activity:xc2xa0

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Hungry Rats Search For Food

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One example of a growing Ratpocalypse comes from mid/latexc2xa0March 2020,xc2xa0from the famed New Orleans’ French Quarter. The district boasted huge new swarms of rodent visitors who were perusing its historic streets. The YouTube videos and news reports quickly went viral.

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Shortly after the COVID-19xc2xa0pandemic forced restaurants and bars to close down in the historic center of Louisiana, thexc2xa0rats came out to play.xc2xa0Rats were spotted in packs like gangs, per some rodentologists.

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For commensal rodents like the rat who depend on humanxc2xa0litter and trashxc2xa0(whether it is in New York, Washington D.C., or Seattle), it was time to come up with another plan to feed themselves.xc2xa0

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French Quarter

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Because the pandemic induced a dearth in trash, rats are now even willing to risk coming out by day to find viable food sources.

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Some are turning increasingly toxc2xa0residential areas to feed on household trash, which is more plentiful than ever with most cooking at home. The combination of food scarcity and desperation has caused some to speculate on a rat population boom or at least a visibility boom. In short, the Ratpocalypse could be coming to your doorstep in search of a food source.

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The British-based National Pest Technicians Associationxc2xa0warned earlier in April that closing down pubs, hotels, restaurants, schools, tourist hangouts, and similar public places in order to maintain social distancing rulesxc2xa0will have unintended consequences for rat populations. Larger populations could quickly spring up in now-empty buildings and grow bolder because there are no people around (granted they find a viable food source).xc2xa0

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Across major cities of the United States, therexc2xa0has beenxc2xa0an increasexc2xa0in sightings of rodents in the last month. Seattle, Chicago, New York, and New Orleans have especially seen rising complaints regardingxc2xa0rat populations while under lockdown. The Baltimore Sun has reported some Baltimore exterminators have seen calls regarding rat infestations double.

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Canada has also seen its share of increased rat activity. Thexc2xa0CBC reports some exterminators in Toronto have seen a 20% increase in rat infestations. An article from CTV says increased calls are also coming in from Halifax, Winnipeg, Montreal, Regina, and Vancouver. The trend is disturbingly similar in other parts of the world too.xc2xa0

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Rat Wars On City Streets;xc2xa0Cannibalism Among Rodents Becomes More Common

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Another by-productxc2xa0of food scarcity has cause stressed rat coloniesxc2xa0to increasingly turn to cannibalism to feed themselves. Rodents will first kill one of their own. Next, they then clean the meat off of the unfortunate victims down to the bone in no time.xc2xa0This grisly behavior in New York is becoming all too common. Some experts warn this continued cannibalism could lead to a breed of more agressive, smarter rats.

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Expert rodentologist Bobby Corrigan shared the graphic image below in a Tweet on 4/16/20:

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Ratsxc2xa0Are Grand Masters of Adaptationxc2xa0

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Ratsxc2xa0are formidable animals that have becomexc2xa0greatly successful by locating reliable sources of food using their sensitive noses. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved no different, they are easily able to reduce such barriers as plastics, doors, and fabrics in minutes. The pests are everywhere in the world because they are so adept at adapting to different conditions and circumstances.xc2xa0

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rat

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The lockdown presents the perfect opportunity for rats to claim back city streets as municipalities struggle to engage with pest control professionals or develop control rodent control plans to deal with the boom of unwanted infestations. New Orleans has been doing precisely that while the French Quarter is closed down. They hope to control the city’s thriving and growing rat population this way.xc2xa0

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Ratsxc2xa0Are Most Unwelcome House Guestsxc2xa0

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Hungry, angry, wanderingxc2xa0rats can threaten the well-being of homes and their human and pet occupants. Besides potentially causing considerable damage as they enter and move about a house, they are also quite capable of spreading dangerous diseases to the home occupants. Unchecked, the rodentsxc2xa0could end up in a child’s bedroom or living in a nursing home or even a hospital ward. The bad news is thatxc2xa0rats are historically connected with around 55 individual pathogens. Fortunately, so far no vermin have been positively linked as direct carriers of the coronavirus, although research still continues.xc2xa0

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A specific danger in a home or business is that these rodents are able to easily gnaw through electrical wiring and wood, which can lead to house fires. Besides these more unlikely but still possible dangers, you do not want to let the rodents become overly familiar with your kitchens or to share your dinner meals with them now that times are hard for the pests. Car & Driver also warns of costly damage rats can do to your car by chewing engine wires.xc2xa0

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Keeping Rodents Out of Your House During the Coronavirus Pandemic and Lockdownxc2xa0

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An effective means of keeping the rodents from your own house is to deliberately seal up all areas that allow for the pesky creatures to enter the structure. This includes holes and cracks that exist near the pipes, utilities, or even foundation. From the inside of your home, you should eliminate all hiding places for them that you possibly can. Also, make an effort to clean up and eliminate any food source that rats could return to such as trash, pet food, unpackaged food.xc2xa0

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We also recommend the use of effective and automatic trapsxc2xa0that can allow you constant control without having to reset them daily. Our brand new Home Trapping Kit is the perfect addition to any home or business looking to protect against an ensuing invasion. The kit comes with a portable trap stand to move your A24 automatic trap around easily and our Quick Start Guide walks you through set up and the best places to set up your trap.xc2xa0

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Weathering The Ratpocalypsexc2xa0

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Traditionally, rat problems are human problems. Wherever we go, this opportunistic pest follows. That’s because of the abundance of food that all species of rats have come to depend on from us. With the food scarcity reaching new levels across the globe for all types of rats, expect to hear and see more from thesexc2xa0adaptable creatures.xc2xa0

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