Eight municipalities in Denmark (names of municipalities in red below) reported receiving numerous reports from residents about rats, and in Aalborg, for example, the number has doubled compared to last year.
Pest control officers are facing an exceptional number of reports concerning unwanted rats, compared to previous years.
Klaus Schulz, president of the industry association for pest control companies, told TV2: “I can’t remember us ever having a month as tough as July and August. I just want to point that out.” Schulz works in rat control for Rentokill, which handles rat control in 19 municipalities in Jutland and Zealand.
“"What's going on here?"“
Schultz added: “Everyone I speak to asks me, ‘What’s going on here?’ At this time of year, we would expect to be dealing with ants, wasps and the like, but this year we haven’t done that much. Even wasp stings haven’t been as common as usual.”
Morten Hellholm, a biologist at the pest company Mortalen, told TV2 that they had also seen significant increases in the number of reports about rats in some of the 17 municipalities where they operate, while the situation remained normal in other municipalities compared to the same period last year.
It should be noted that reporting mice does not always mean finding them on every pest control visit.
Aalborg Municipality
“It’s absolutely crazy. Normally, it’s fairly quiet during the summer, but this year it’s been completely different,” said Kirsten Dehr Jensen, an environmental specialist in the municipality of Aalborg.
Heavy rains play a role in the appearance of rats
Klaus Schultz believes that part of the explanation lies in the heavy rainfall this summer, which provides a suitable environment for rats. Another view is that the heavy rainfall has caused rats to come out of the drains.
Schultz added: “My best guess is that the heavy rains are the cause. Not the extreme cold or heat. That’s the difference from last year.”
The situation is usually calmer in the summer.
TV2 contacted a number of municipalities to check whether they had noticed the same increase in rat reports, and eight municipalities reported an increase in the number of reports.
Municipalities of Aarhus, Vejle, Aalborg, Svendborg
The municipalities of Aarhus, Vejle, Aalborg, and Svendborg reported an increase in rat sightings compared to the same time last year, with the increase being particularly noticeable in Aalborg. Kirsten Dehr Jensen, an environmental specialist in the municipality of Aalborg, told TV2: “The number of reports has doubled compared to the same period last year… It’s absolutely crazy. Normally things are quiet in the summer, but this year it hasn’t been.”
“"I've never worked this fast before."”
Randers Municipality
In the municipality of Randers, which was contacted by TV2 Østjylland, an increase in cases was also observed. Celia Wihlast-Stuxton, a rat control specialist, told TV2 Østjylland: “We usually deal with 30-40 cases per week per rat extermination worker, but now I have more than 100 cases per week. I have never worked this fast as I have this summer.”
Skanderbor, Samsø and Odder municipalities
The municipalities of Skanderborg, Samsø and Odder also reported to TV2 Østjylland that they had seen an increase in the number of rat cases compared to the same time last year.
Municipalities of Roskilde and København
On the other hand, the municipalities of Roskilde and København told TV2 that there had been no increase in the number of reports compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the municipalities of Syddjurs and Favrskov reported receiving fewer reports than usual, according to TV2 Østjylland.
