Latest news with #pestmanagement
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘The whole back of my HiLux was covered in rats': what to do about Sydney's growing vermin problem?
Nathaly Haeren has seen patios in Sydney collapse because brown rats have tunnelled under and created sinkholes. She's been electrocuted in the roof of a house after they chewed through air conditioning wiring. She's even visited a hairdresser where they'd gnawed a circle through double brick. More recently, Haeren has started seeing rats standing in the street in the middle of the day, 'oblivious' and unbothered – like they just don't care. 'It's the destruction they cause that blows my mind, that scares me, because I'm competing against them,' the owner of Pesty Girls pest management says. 'Rats need to keep gnawing to keep their teeth down. Their strength is like iron. And they can flatten to the size of your thumb – they've got hinged ribs … I need to be 10 steps ahead.' Haeren says rats have become a problem 'all across Sydney'. And her requests have spiked to record levels since the pandemic. Anecdotally, numbers are high. A string of viral videos showing rat incursions into typically human spaces in recent months has instilled terror into the hearts of some Sydneysiders. In December, rodents made headlines when 'giant rats' were filmed 'brazenly' scurrying around the Westfield food court in Parramatta. A month later, at least half a dozen rats were filmed running wild in the kitchen of a late-night kebab shop on Oxford Street, deterring some from the business. But nobody really knows how many rats live in Sydney. There's no rat census and given that a rat's pregnancy lasts just three weeks and can produce a litter of more than a dozen pups, any population count is at risk of becoming quickly outdated. Haeren attributes their visible spread across the city to construction pushing them above ground and changing bin cycles allowing residential waste to sit for longer periods. New research suggests invasive rats are becoming increasingly resistant to poisons, posing challenges for councils and pest controllers. The study's author, Edith Cowan University PhD candidate Alicia Gorbould, says the finding should be a warning sign. 'Australia has been using these poisons for more than 50 years in an unchecked way, with few restrictions,' she says. 'Many countries are putting restrictions on regular pesticides, but if we continue as we are, we can also feed into that cycle of resistance. 'We need a more coordinated approach to rodent management, and that's not happening.' In 2019, the city of Sydney reported an increase in the vermin population that the council said had been encouraged by 'unprecedented' levels of construction. Sydney's first outbreak of leptospirosis, which is spread through rodent urine and killed seven dogs, was linked to the 2019 explosion in the rat population. The disease can also be fatal in humans. Rats have been associated with dozens of human diseases and parasites around the world, including indirectly spreading Lyme disease, plagues and typhus through fleas. Over the past 10 centuries, rat-borne diseases may have taken more lives than all of the wars ever fought. Since the 2019 outbreak, leptospirosis has popped up in urban areas around Sydney, the Australian Small Animal Veterinarians president, Julia Crawford, says. She and the founder of Southern Cross Vet, Sam Kovac, argue more research and surveillance are needed in order to prevent further outbreaks of the disease and deaths of beloved dogs. The harm rats can pose goes beyond our family pets. A city of Sydney spokesperson says the greatest health and safety risks posed by rats are disease transmission, food contamination via their droppings, urine and hair, and structural damage. The spokesperson says recent sightings and complaints also suggest rodents are a 'key concern' for residents in social housing estates, who shared communal bin rooms. The council spends about $240,000 a year on pest control. Alongside rat baits, it operates a 'risk-based rodent control program' on streets and at parks, manned by more than 100 staff and contractors with the assistance of 40 electronic multi-catch units in locations where rodent activity is high. The baits are rotated on a quarterly basis to prevent rats becoming resistant to their active ingredients. During severe infestations, licensed pest control contractors also carry out targeted burrow baiting. Across the state, councils and private operators are responding to concerns about increased rat populations with a mixture of methods. Shaun Bankowski has operated his pest control business, MOA Contract Shooting, throughout New South Wales since 2015. He says he has never been in higher demand to deal with rat outbreaks – from shopping centres to food manufacturing sites, chicken farms and warehouses. 'We've had sites where we've shot over 650 rats in four hours,' he says. 'The whole back of my HiLux was covered in rats – 15cm deep.' Most services use the integrated pest management method, which first eliminates the reasons why rats are drawn to the site, like clutter and food sources, then lays down traps and baits. But Bankowski says that's no longer sufficient. 'Say you've got 100 rats – 80% of them will die from the poison and the traps, but then you'll have that 20% that are immune,' he says. 'They breed up and then you've got a colony that's immune to poisons. 'I come in, get rid of as much as you can with a shoot and then drop poison on them. That usually knocks them out.' If it sounds grisly, he says, the rats die as humanely as possible. 'I can hit a 50c piece at about 120 metres,' he says. 'We always make sure that we got a clean shot, in the head or in the chest.' Urban rat numbers around the world are increasing due to climate change, urbanisation and growing human populations, forcing cities to grapple with whether to continue to fight the war on rats or concede defeat. In New York, the city's first 'rat tsar' was hired by the mayor in 2023, following a competitive application process that called for 'bloodthirsty' applicants who possessed 'killer instincts'. Not all cities have approached the issue with such murderous intent. In Paris, where there are estimated to be more rodents than people, the city authorities have transitioned from battling rats to investigating ways to peacefully coexist with them. 'No one should aim to exterminate Paris's rats and they're useful in maintaining the sewers,' the deputy mayor Anne-Claire Boux said in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. 'The point is that they should stay in the sewers.' Research published in Urban Ecology in 2022 found rat management may be a 'wicked problem for which there is no overarching solution'. Rather than engaging in a 'war on rats', it said the focus should instead be on 'improving the overall health of the community, instead of on eliminating rats'. The study found in all major rat interventions, populations had either remained at consistent levels, or reduced dramatically and then bounced back. It also noted that they didn't just spread illnesses, but something more existential. The presence of rats, the report said, added 'anxiety and fear into the tapestry of issues that people face daily'. The black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown or Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in the late 1700s and their numbers quickly exploded, taking to Australia's shores so naturally that some settlers thought they'd always been here. But while the invasive species would spread disease, damage buildings and agriculture, pillage bird nests and disrupt the environment, more than 60 native species of rat had already lived in Australia for up to 4m years, causing little to no harm at all. The most common native species in cities is the bush rat, a shy rodent that was the unintended victim of a campaign to exterminate black rats during a plague epidemic in the early 1900s that killed about 500 people in Australia, mostly in Sydney. Peter Banks, a conservation biology professor at the University of Sydney, says native rats could now be Australia's secret weapon against invasive species. He's among academics that have been running programs to reintroduce bush rats to areas around the Sydney harbour they once inhabited, to block reinvasion by black rats. Bush rats may look similar to invasive species but they don't cause disease. They don't smell. They live largely separate lives to humans, hidden in burrows during the day and opting for a diet of seeds, fruit and nectar instead of our trash. 'Once we removed [black rats], the bush rats would fill the area, and really dramatically reduce the black rat population,' Banks says. 'They're quite symmetrical competitors – but the black rat really doesn't like a fight. They occupy the empty spaces in the natural world and if there's something there to give them a hard time, they don't thrive. 'They're really used to living off us, so by restoring the bush, we can make it unfriendly for [invasive] rats.' However, he says, 'there's an argument to be had that the urban environment is their natural environment. We think about them as pests, and they can be pests for us, but we don't go trying to wipe out other species in their natural habitats.' For now, at least, the rats are home too – and they're here to stay.
CBC
10-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Toronto's proposed rat reduction plan passes 1st hurdle, could come into effect in 2026
Toronto's proposed rat response plan is one step closer to being implemented after a municipal committee unanimously approved the plan Wednesday. The new plan brought forward by city staff focuses on ways to reduce the use of rodenticides, such as eliminating food and shelter, as well as opting for the use of gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide for rat control. Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo said that the plan will need coordination across city departments in order to be effective. "Rats are pests and they require an interdivisional approach to deal with and to manage," Bravo said during the meeting for the economic and community development committee. Bravo also said climate change has allowed rat mating season to be all year, making Toronto's rat problem worse and worse. "We are talking about a single pair of rats being able to produce hundreds of offspring," she said. Additionally, the plan outlines a strengthening of municipal services to improve cleanliness in urban areas and a coordinated rat management response that prioritizes hot spots. But it does not entirely eliminate the use of rodenticides — a source of contention among some speakers at the committee. Allison Hansen, campaign director at Rodenticide Free Ontario, told the committee she lost a pet after it accidentally ingested rat poison. "Pesticides are dangerous," Hansen said, adding that they should be a "temporary and last resort." The plan will now make its way to city council for final approval later this month. If approved, it could take effect next year.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Rat response plan up for debate at Toronto City Hall
A large rat feasts on leftover food scraps outside of the Burrard SkyTrain Station in Vancouver on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns Toronto's plan to tackle its growing rat population will go before a municipal committee on Wednesday. City Manager Paul Johnson released the city's 'Rat Response Plan' last month, following a motion last year by Coun. Alejandra Bravo and Deputy Mayor Amber Morley to address what the pair described at the time as the 'increasing challenge' of large rat populations in Toronto. The plan, which is being reviewed by the Economic and Community Development Committee this morning, would launch in 2026 and include, among other things, the creation of a 'Rat Response' coordination team, responsible for supporting the improved coordination of rat management across the city. Also included is a proposed requirement for contractors to prevent and manage rat infestations at city-led construction sites when they're displaced into neighbuoring properties. Private construction sites, as well as Metrolinx-led projects, would also be advised on how to implement proper pest management and reduce the impact of rats. In a letter published last month, Coun. Paula Fletcher said she's heard from Toronto-Danforth residents near the Ontario Line construction about 'rodent infestations' in and around their homes following the project's start. 'Currently, the pest control process is largely reactive and difficult for residents to access. As the city explores a comprehensive rat management strategy, it is imperative that Metrolinx-led transit projects align with these standards and adopt a preventative approach,' she wrote at the time. The city's plan would cost up to $351,000 to hire two people to implement it, as well as $150,000 for public communication and staff training. Rat-related complaints have more than doubled The report notes that rats in Toronto are not a public health issue, as there is no evidence of disease transmission linked to rats in Toronto, and the rodents should be treated 'as a nuisance.' 'However, they can still pose health risks in food establishments and may contribute to mental health impacts for residents dealing with infestations,' the report read. According to the city, there is no reliable method to estimate the number of rats in any city, so municipalities rely on service request or complaints about rodents to inform their pest management strategy. However, from 2015 to 2024, city data shows that the number of rodent-related complaints climbed from 1,165 to 2,523. As well, a 12-year report released earlier this year found that Toronto has seen a significant increase to its rat population, ranking third among the 16 cities studied, with warming temperatures, growing urban centres, and ongoing construction projects listed as contributing factors.
CBC
09-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Toronto's proposed rat attack plan faces 1st hurdle
Social Sharing A Toronto municipal committee is set to look over a newly-proposed rat control plan on Wednesday. Last month, city manager Paul Johnson unveiled his response to the city's growing rat problem — laying out a plan that pushes disparate city departments to work together and focuses on eliminating food and shelter for the rodents, rather than on exterminating them. "Efforts to 'eliminate' rats often result in reactive, short term fixes that miss the root causes. High-quality municipal service delivery is more impactful," says the plan. which came about after councillors requested it last year amid rising complaints from residents. "We're building more and construction shakes the ground, rats are released into neighbourhoods, and we need to figure out how to get ahead of it," said Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo at the time. If the economic and community development committee gives the green light, Johnson's plan will next go to city council for a final decision, before possibly being implemented next year. Rats on the rise Toronto residents and business have always had to do battle with rat infestations — with some sharing unpleasant photo evidence along the way — but there are clear signs the problem has been growing in recent years. In 2019, there were 940 property standards-related rodent service requests to the city. After a brief dip during the pandemic, those numbers had surged to 1,600 by 2023. A study early this year also tracked a growing rat population in Toronto and 10 other cities around the world, with the authors linking the population boom to climate change and calling for a "dedicated response team" in the besieged municipalities. A key part of the city's new rat response plan is the creation of a team that coordinates between the many city divisions that deal with rats — from parks and construction to municipal licensing and standards. Johnson says that will come at an initial cost of $351,000, in order to hire two new people. He's also asking council to pony up $150,000 annually to pay for "public communication and staff training related to rat management." The city's plan would also involve advising both private developers and Metrolinx-led transit projects on how to stop rats from moving into neighbouring properties when they're displaced by construction. Looping Metrolinx into the city's approach is something Toronto—Danforth Coun. Paula Fletcher has been vocal about. She said she's been hearing complaints from her constituents about rats showing up in areas near the Ontario Line construction.
Gizmodo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
U.S. to Dump Billions of Flies From Planes to Fight ‘Man-Eater' Maggots
The U.S. The Department of Agriculture has declared war on a flesh-eating maggot that infests wildlife, livestock, household pets, and, in rare cases, people. The battle strategy? Dumping billions of sterilized flies out of planes over Mexico and Texas. Using this tried-and-true biological control technique, the USDA aims to stamp out the larvae of the New World screwworm (NWS) fly, a tropical parasite. This invasive pest's scientific name is Cochliomyia hominivorax, which literally means 'man-eater.' The flies target warm-blooded animals, laying eggs near open wounds and mucous membranes, according to the Texas Farm Bureau. When the eggs hatch, the maggots burrow deep into the host's living tissue, eating it as they grow and causing painful, potentially deadly wounds. If the NWS fly spreads throughout the U.S., it could decimate the livestock industry, kill wild animals in droves, and pose a significant risk to pet and human health. 'A thousand-pound bovine can be dead from this in two weeks,' Michael Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medicine Association, told the Associated Press. To eliminate this pest, USDA scientists are breeding adult male NWS flies and sterilizing them with radiation before releasing them from aircraft. When these flies mate with females, the eggs they produce won't hatch, thus reducing the number of maggots and causing the population to die out over time. This approach is more environmentally friendly than pesticides, and while it may sound counterintuitive, it has worked in the past. 'The United States has defeated NWS before and we will do it again,' USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said. From 1962 to 1974, the U.S. and Mexico released more than 94 billion sterile flies to eradicate the pest, according to the USDA. By 2000, the pest was contained below Panama thanks to a sterile fly facility there, though small outbreaks continued to occur in the U.S. occasionally, like the one that struck the Florida Keys in 2017. 'It's an exceptionally good technology,' Edwin Burgess, an assistant professor at the University of Florida who studies parasites in livestock, told the Associated Press. 'It's an all-time great in terms of translating science to solve some kind of large problem.' Over the past several years, NWS fly populations south of the U.S. have expanded northward, according to the American Farm Bureau. Recent detections in Mexico as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz—just 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) from the southern border—prompted U.S. officials to suspend cattle, horse, and bison imports through the border on May 11. On June 18, Rollins announced the development of an $8.5 million sterile NWS fly dispersal facility alongside an aggressive plan to prevent this pest from re-entering the U.S. The fly factory, located at Moore Air Base in south Texas, should be complete by the end of the year. It could boost domestic sterile fly production by up to 300 million flies per week, complementing current facilities already operating in Panama and Mexico. The USDA has also invested $21 million toward renovating an existing fly factory in Metapa, Mexico, which will provide an additional 60 to 100 million sterile NWS flies per week to stop the spread. On top of Panama's production, this will release at least 160 million flies in Mexico and Panama per week, the USDA states. The first weeks of this NWS fly attack strategy have already shown results. Since officials closed southern ports to livestock in May, the USDA has dispersed more than 100 million sterile NWS flies per week in Mexico, according to a statement released Monday, June 30. The agency said it has not seen a notable increase in parasitic NWS infections in Mexico or any northward movement of this pest over the past eight weeks. Based on these findings, the USDA has decided to gradually reopen select southern border ports to livestock trade beginning July 7. These are good signs that officials are regaining control of this pest. As the planet continues to warm, however, more invasive insects and parasites will creep northward from the tropics, threatening U.S. agriculture, biodiversity, and public health. As such, sterile fly breeding and distribution programs may become increasingly necessary. Burgess argues that officials should keep fly factories open even after they have neutralized the threat of NWS. 'Something we think we have complete control over—and we have declared a triumph and victory over—can always rear its ugly head again,' he said.
