The city of Lahti has received many contacts regarding the problem. You can influence the rat situation with small actions.
According to Niemelä, it is difficult to say precisely about the number of rats because no research has been done on it in Lahti. The city has now begun to pay attention to the issue in order to keep the problem under control.
There can be several reasons for the rat problem. For example, digging in the ground can get rats moving, and mild winters don’t cut down the population like cold weather does.
One of the reasons why rats are enjoying themselves may be the corona era, when many people switched to home work. When even more people have eaten lunch at home, the trash cans have filled up faster. If the garbage emptying intervals have not been increased, easy food has been available for the rats.
Niemelä thinks that limiting the availability of rat poisons may also have taken people’s interest in fighting them.
The continuation of the rat evenings is still open
On Tuesday evening in Ahtiala, the city of Lahti tried an event for the first time, where city residents could talk with representatives of the city and Salpakierro, as well as pest controllers. It has not yet been decided whether Rottailtaa will be implemented in other districts in the future.
– If rats are running in the middle of a bright day, there are a lot of them. We have also caught them in traps.
– Let’s wait a couple of weeks for the weather to cool down properly. Then you can see it better.
In addition to observations, bite marks on apples that have fallen to the ground can indicate a rat problem. If you can see large cavities at the base of the stone footing, the situation is already bad, says Seppälä.
Rat control is the responsibility of the property owner. Today, rat poisons cannot be used outdoors without a professional license. Therefore, property owners have the option to try the traps themselves or seek the help of a pest control company.
Even small actions are important in fighting
Everyone can influence the rat situation. According to Niemelä, keeping the streets and yard clean helps a lot. It is worth checking the condition of waste bins and composters so that rats do not get access to their contents. Apples that have fallen to the ground should be picked up. They can be delivered to the sorting station free of charge.
Even feeding the birds can make the problem worse.
– If seeds get on the ground, rats can come and eat them at night. You can think about whether it’s worth starting feeding if rats have been seen, or if you could take a gap year, says Niemelä.
We want to prevent the spread of rats because, among other things, they cause damage to the structures of houses, spread diseases and dirty surfaces with excrement.
*Updated 26.10.2022 Thu 12:20: Edited the title to be sharper.*
*Updated on October 26, 2022 at 1:54 p.m. Reasons why there are now a lot of rats added to the story.*
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