Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Using experiential knowledge to understand urban rat ecology: A survey of Canadian pest control professionals

  • Published:
Urban Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rats (Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus) are among the most prolific and widespread urban pest species in the world. However, there is relatively little contemporary data regarding the ecology of rats in urban centers, preventing the development of effective strategies for urban rat management. Practical constraints associated with field studies suggest the need for more efficient methods of data collection, one of which could involve pest control professionals, who have considerable experiential knowledge of urban rats. The objective of this study was to gather data regarding urban rat ecology through a survey of Canadian pest control professionals and to determine whether such a survey could be useful for the collection of ecological data regarding pest species. Survey results suggested that rat infestations fluctuate seasonally and that there are a variety of environmental factors that may attract rats, particularly exposed garbage, abandoned buildings, and compost. Respondents suggested that rat infestations are most frequent and/or severe in residential areas, commercial areas dealing with food, as well as in neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status. The majority of respondents believed that rats pose at least a moderate health risk to the general public and to themselves, and they also believed that although poison baiting is the cheapest and easiest method of rat control, environmental modification is the most effective way to control rat infestations in the long term. Despite issues with low response rates, these results suggest that pest control professionals may be a valuable source of data regarding urban pest species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bajomi D, Markos T, Takács L (1999) 20-year examination of the habitats of an urban Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus Berk. (Mammalia: Muridae) population. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Urban Pests, Prague, Czech Republic, pp 493–505

  • Brakes CR, Smith HR (2005) Exposure of non-target small mammals to rodneticides: short-term effects, recovery and implications for secondary poisoning. J Appl Ecol 42:118–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Channon D, Cole M, Cole L (2000) A long-term study of Rattus norvegicus in the London borough of Enfield using baiting returns as an indicator of sewer population levels. Epidemiol Infect 125:441–445

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Channon D, Channon E, Roberts T, Haines R (2006) Hotspots: are some areas of sewer networks prone to re-infestation by rats (Rattus norvegicus) year after year? Epidemiol Infect 134:41–48

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Childs JE, McLafferty SL, Sadek R, Miller GL, Khan AS, DuPree ER, Advani R, Mills JN, Glass GE (1998) Epidemiology of rodent bites and prediction of rat infestation in New York City. Am J Epidemiol 148:78–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clinton JM (1969) Rats in urban America. Public Health Rep 84:1–7

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis DE (1953) The characteristics of rat populations. Q Rev Biol 28:373–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis DE, Fales WT (1949) The distribution of rodents in Baltimore, Maryland. Am J Hyg 49:247–254

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Easterbrook JD, Shields T, Klein SL, Glass GE (2005) Norway rat population in Baltimore, Maryland, 2004. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 5:296–299

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frantz SC, Comings JP (1976) Evaluation of urban rodent infestation—an approach in Nepal. Proceedings of the 7th Vertebrate Pest Conference, Monterey, California, pp. 279–290

  • Margulis HL (1977) Rat fields, neighborhood sanitation, and rat complaints in Newark, New Jersey. Geogr Rev 67:221–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh RE (1994) Roof Rats. The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. Paper 6.

  • Masi E, Vilaça P, Razzolini MTP (2009) Environmental conditions and rodent infestation in Campo Limpo district, São Paulo municipality, Brazil. Int J Environ Health Res 19:1–16

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGuire B, Pizzuto T, Bemis WE, Getz LL (2006) General ecology of a rural population of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) based on intensive live trapping. Am Midl Nat 155:221–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meehan AP (1984) Rats and mice:their biology and control. Rentokil, East Grinstead

    Google Scholar 

  • Meerburg BG, Singleton GR, Kijlstra A (2009) Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health. Crit Rev Microbiol 35:221–270

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson EW (1917) The Rat Pest. Nat Geogr Mag 32:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Niklov Y, Valchev I, Binev R, Yordanova V (2008) Anticoagulant rodenticide intoxication in animals. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 32:237–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Omodu EA, Ati TT (2010) A survey of rats trapped in residential apartments and their ectoparasites in Makurdi, Nigeria. Res J Agric Biol Sci 6:144–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Promkerd P, Khoprasert Y, Virathavone P, Thoummabouth M, Sirisak O, Jaekel T (2008) Factors explaining the abundance of rodents in the city of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, as revealed by field and household surveys. Integr Zool 3:11–20

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sacchi R, Gentilli A, Pilon N, Bernini F (2008) GIS-modelling the distribution of Rattus norvegicus in urban areas using non toxic attractive baits. Hystrix-It J Mammal 19:13–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Singleton G (2003) Impacts of Rodents on rice production in Asia. IRRI. 30 p. IRRI Discussion Paper Series no. 45, Los Baños, Laguna, 30p

  • Sinoski K (2011) Kitchen scraps to be banned from trash across Metro. Vancouver Sun, February 19th, 2011

  • Traweger D, Slotta-Bachmayr L (2005) Introducing GIS-modelling into the management of a brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) (Mamm. Rodentia Muridae) population in an urban habitat. J Pest Sci 78:17–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Traweger D, Travnitzky R, Moser C, Walzer C, Bernatzky G (2006) Habitat preferences and distribution of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) in the city of Salzburg (Austria): implications for an urban rat management. J P Sci 79:113–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (2008) World urbanization prospects: The 2007 Revision. United Nations, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Vadell MV, Cavia R, Suárez OV (2010) Abundance, age structure and reproductive patterns of Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus in two areas of the city of Buenos Aires. Int J Pest Manag 56:327–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wundram IJ, Ruback RB (1986) Urban rats: symbol symptom and symbiosis. Hum Organ 45:212–219

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Structural Pest Management Association of BC, the Canadian Pest Management Association, Mr. Sean Rollo, and Mr. Brett Johnston for supporting this study. We would also like to thank the following companies for their participation: Bioconcept Pest Management, Komox Pest Control Ltd., JR Pest Control Ltd., The Bugman Fraser Valley, Rid-All Pest Control, Abell Pest Control, Orkin PCO Services, North Shore Pest Detective Ltd., Tri-Cities Pest Detective, ABC Pest Management Consulting Inc., Richmond Pest Management, Ridpest Service Ltd., Raptor Pest and Wildlife Control. Thomas Kerr is funded by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. Chelsea Himsworth is funded by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chelsea G. Himsworth.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Himsworth, C.G., Feng, A.Y.T., Parsons, K. et al. Using experiential knowledge to understand urban rat ecology: A survey of Canadian pest control professionals. Urban Ecosyst 16, 341–350 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-012-0261-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-012-0261-4

Keywords

Navigation