New research from Trent University professor Eric Guiry finds that one way to reduce habitat quality for rats is to make sure they don’t have access to high-quality and protein-rich foods.
“Rats are really interesting because they are sort of passive recorders. Unlike dogs and cats, which people directly and intentionally give food, rats are just eating what they can find, so they passively record the kinds of foods that are lying around human settlements or cities,” Guiry said.
Guiry recently conducted research to help manage the world’s growing population of the rodents.
“My main research interest is how animals relate to people, and I study that through diet. We have this chemical technique that tells us what animals ate in the past, and I’ve looked dogs, cats, rats, all kinds of animals,” Guiry said.
READ MORE: Oh rats! Peterborough pest control experts say rodents on the rise in the city
His research finds that rats are most drawn to protein-filled foods, and are most successful in cities, where they are able to access more meat.
“One of the key issues that we see in cities would be access to these high quality foods and it would be ideal if we could reduce access to those kinds of foods.”
He also says there is a growing rat population worldwide, mainly due to climate change, warmer temperatures, and more favorable habitats.
However, Peterborough pest control expert Mike Miller says so far this year he’s had half the amount of rat and mice jobs compared to this time last year.
“Part of it could be lack of some sort of food supply. The other thing is over the last three or four years, when rats started to peak in Peterborough, there was a lot more ongoing control on a lot of commercial places. Even some residential have ongoing control, so you’re not getting the build up in areas as quickly,” Miller said.
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“It doesn’t take a lot to impact an environment, but when you have thousands of rats, you start to get cumulative impacts,” Guiry said.
If you notice rats in your area, remember to keep your garbage in proper containers, keep your garage seed free, with all bird seed put away, and clear all general clutter. Make sure you don’t have things piled up behind sheds and against fences so that the creatures have fewer places to hide.