Source: news.naij.com

If you think the rat problem in New York City is bad, it’s got nothing on Tehran, the capital city of Iran.

In an effort to combat the city’s massive plague of mutant super rats, rats that are resistant to pesticides, the Tehran environmental agency has deployed ten teams of rifle equipped sharp shooters to take out the hard-to-kill rodents.

Sniper Teams Assembled To Control Rats

Pesticide resistant super rats, which have grown to be almost as big as the common house cat; have been running amuck throughout much of Europe and the Middle East. In order to better control these rats, the environmental agency of Tehran, Iran has deployed ten teams of sharp-shooting snipers; equipped with infra-red laser scopes and all.

In a couple short weeks, these snipers have managed to kill some 2,000 mutant super rats… but it’s far from enough. The city of Tehran is so over-run with the millions of super rats; city officials are now thinking of boosting the number of rat sniper teams from ten to forty.

After bagging a super rat, city officials either incinerate the dead carcasses, or cover them in lime and bury them.

These rat extermination efforts are all part of a multi-million dollar government campaign to control the problem rats.

Huge Population Of Mutant Super Rats

Tehran city workers exterminate almost one million rats a year, but these efforts are merely a drop in the bucket. Iran’s rat population easily outnumbers the sprawling capital’s 12 million inhabitants. Iran’s state-run media reports that the rat population is thought to be six times higher than the number of people living there. That’s scary!

It’s been impossible for city officials to determine how many mutant super rats are plaguing the city. Best estimates have their population at around 10 million, and growing.

The rat problem has been such a major issue for several years that a newspaper once ran a cartoon in which a rat tells a man: “Our numbers are more than yours, so you leave Tehran.”

Mutant Super Rats

These rats are natural born survivors. Years of genetic mutation have made these mutant super rats resistant to pesticides. It has also altered their appearance and allowed them to grow bigger; weighing as much as a cat in some instances. These changes usually take millions of years to evolve.

The primary reason the super mutant rats need to be exterminated, is because they transmit diseases to both humans and animals that can be life threatening. These diseases include: Hantavirus, Plague, Rat-Bite fever, Lassa fever, Hemorrhagic fever, and Leptospirosis.

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Anthony Ball

Mutant super rats is not the title of the next straight to DVD Hollywood horror flick; but rather a real problem plaguing cities in Britain and much of Europe.

A Plague Of Mutant Super Rats

Researchers claim in a recent study that a new breed of super rats are invading English cities, like Henley, and are completely resistant to pesticides because of years of genetic mutation. Authorities have adequately labeled theses rats as “mutant super rats.”

Spotting A Mutant Super Rat

Unfortunately, there are no discernable features that allow us to distinguish the super mutant rats from their brown rat non-mutant counterparts, despite the freaky picture below. The only way to tell if a rat is “super mutant,” is by testing the rat’s tails with new DNA techniques.

Controlling The Mutant Super Rats

Pest control professionals are having a difficult time controlling the disease carrying pests because the rats are immune to common poisons. As the rat’s numbers grow, pest control professionals are beginning to look for stronger pesticides to help eliminate the mutant super rats. At this time, the government’s regulatory body is worried about stronger poison’s effect on other local wildlife so no such pesticides are legally available for use in combating the rats. Until then, the millions of mutant super rats are left to run amuck.

Huge Numbers of Mutant Super Rats

Out of the 10.5 million rats in Britain, three out of every four rats carry the pesticide resistant gene. That’s almost 8 Million mutant super rats roaming the city, spreading disease. The rats are being found in both urban and rural areas of Britain.

Rats Carrying Disease

The reason the super mutant rats need to be eliminated, is because the transmit diseases to both humans and animals that can be life threatening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these diseases can include: Hantavirus, Plague, Rat-Bite fever, Lassa fever, Hemorrhagic fever, and Leptospirosis.

Rats

Rats are infamous for demolishing a property by gnawing on wood, plants and trees. They also destroy properties with their nesting habits, making their homes in trees and underground. Rat’s success as a pest is mostly due to their small size, their hardiness, their short breeding cycles, and their capability to eat a very wide variety of foods.

Rats are prominent wherever you see fresh gnawing, rat droppings, and/or rat tracks. Their nests are made from shredded paper or other material and are often found in sheltered locations. Most rats have an unpleasant, musky odor that identifies their presence. They are excellent climbers and can scale any rough vertical surface.

A Look At The Future

All this talk about mutant super rats has got me wondering… Are we really that far off from seeing walking, talking rodents like Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Sources:

www.geog.ucsb.edu
www.thesun.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.uk

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Anthony Ball

If you’ve had rodent problems before, then you are probably aware about how challenging it is to get rid of these destructive critters. Rats and mice are the most common types, but another rodent that is also known to wreak havoc to properties is the vole. Once any type of critter has set up house in your property, it becomes a battle. You need to defend your home from these creatures that damage property and possessions. More importantly, you have to get rid of these animals because they can also bring dangerous diseases.

Because you do not want to have rodents around, you should seriously consider what sort of preventive measures you can take. It is definitely better to put a stop to things before they even begin rather than suffer the consequences of negligence. So, there are several ways to deter rodents, and one factor that you can focus on is odor. This is because mouse, rats and other creatures are attracted to certain scents. Hence, you should get rid of certain smells from your home to avoid attracting pesky animals.

Smells that Mice and Rats Like

Rodents are scavengers, and so they are drawn to the smell of food. The scents of meat and meat products, as well as oils from pork or beef are particularly attractive. Because these creatures require carbohydrate-rich foods for energy, they are naturally drawn to food items such as cereals, breads, rice grains, and root crops, like potatoes and yams. Peanut butter is particularly tempting to mice, which is why it’s often used as bait. All in all, odors that are appealing to humans are also very enticing to rodents.

Should You Use Food as Bait?

The thing about rodents is that they have a very keen sense of smell. In case you want to use food as bait, this could be counterproductive as you might only be attracting more rodents into your home instead of catching them or keeping them away. So, what are your options?

1. Reduce attractive odors.

As mentioned, the smell of food attracts rats and mice. But there are many things that you can do to reduce or remove odors that entice rodents. Keeping kitchen counters and cooking stations clean is very helpful. After preparing and serving food, wipe counters with a sponge dipped in a warm and soapy solution. Rinse and then wipe again until surfaces are pretty much dirt and odor free. Then, get an antibacterial solution or maybe rubbing alcohol and use this to wipe surfaces. This will keep things sanitary and get rid of food odors too. In addition to this, always clean up after juice or food spills.

2. Keep food in secure containers.

When you are leaving food to eat later or in case there are leftovers, keep these in tightly sealed containers. Also, instead of leaving sweets or meats on tables or counters, put these inside your refrigerator.

3. Dispose of garbage properly.

Throw garbage out regularly. Don’t leave a bin filled with food scraps inside your house overnight as this will attract rodents. Put food in a plastic bag and throw this in a garbage bin that has a secure cover. It will also be best to put some space between your bin and main house so that in case the bin draws in rodents and other pests, these critters won’t find your house immediately.

Citations:

• 3n. “Jack’s rat is named Terri Schiavo”. October 15, 2005. Online image. Flickr. January 7, 2013.

Claire Lassiter is a freelance writer who has been writing about pest management since 2008. She covers issues about environmentally friendly pest control, and she writes about all sorts of pests often found in homes. She also blogs for Rove Pest Control, which is a company that provides first-rate pest control services.

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Pest Of The Week: Pocket Gophers

Pocket Gopher by Tooth and Nail (Photo credit: USFWS Pacific)

Pocket gophers have dark brown fur, large heads, powerful necks, very short tails, and very large, broad front feet with enlarged claws, which they use in combination with their teeth; to dig and push mounds of soil to the surface. They are approximately the size of a small rat, and can reach 10 inches in length. Because this rodent uses it’s two exterior, fur-lined cheek pouches to carry food materials, it has earned the name Pocket gopher. More…

This Week’s Pest Control Links Round-Up

Guide To MPMA PestWorld 2013 In Phoenix

PestWorld will be coming to Phoenix, AZ October 23-26, 2013, and over 3000 pest management professionals are expected to attend. If you are one of the 3000 PCO’s, here is you guide to the nearby restaurants, hotels, events, and activities.

America’s #1 Nuisance Pest: Ants

It’s no question that ants are a nuisance, but did you know that ant infestations are on the rise. According to a recent survey conducted by the NPMA, 100% of people polled encountered an ant situation during the year: and 54% said the problem is growing. More…

How To Avoid Food Infesting Pests

Pantry pests like beetles, and Indian meal moths will infest your flour, cereal, grain, and sugar. For a few tips on how to keep them out of your food, click here

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie… 3 Practices To Avoid Mice Infestations

Sealing your gaps and cracks, taking out your trash, and setting a few mousetraps are all strategies in to combat mice infestations. For more information, click here.

Organizing Your Attic Can Prevent Pest Problems In The New Year

Modern Pest Services suggest your New Years resolutions should be to organize your attic to keep pests out. Here’s how…

FMC Pest Wire Top Tweets

FMC Pest Wire shares with us their most popular tweets from the past few weeks, here.

Crickets Chirping

Male crickets will commonly chirp, or rub their wings together against each other. The sound is designed to keep other males away from their territory, and it also is designed to attract females to the male for mating purposes. While the sound of crickets chirping may be pleasant and appealing to female crickets, it can be entirely bothersome to our own ears. More…

What Are Indian Meal Moths?

These pesky moths are notorious for damaging your clothing by munching on a variety of fabrics from silk to wool. More…

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Anthony Ball

Coyotes Battle Chicago Rat Infestation

Chicago’s municipality has found some new employees, about 250 of them, to help keep the city clean—and without the need to dole out any expensive pensions, either.  So who makes up this new hiring push in Chicago?  Coyotes, of course.

WGN-TV aired a news story showing a video, presumably captured on someone’s phone, of a coyote running down the Loop’s State Street at around 3am.  An inquiry was made to the city’s police, asking them if they were aware of the predator or coyote problems in the city.

The police stated they had no knowledge of why the animal might be there; however, a supervisor at the Chicago Commission on Animal Care and Control, Brad Block, stated that he knew the real reason the coyote was spotted: he was working.

According to Block, this coyote and a number like it, each fitted with a GPS collar, are used to help the city lower its pest problems.  The coyotes feast on rats, mice and rabbits—veritably, the greenest pest control available as it fits right in with the ecological food chain.  Block goes on to say that these coyotes are not a problem: “He’s not a threat…He’s not going to pick up your children…His job is to deal with all of the nuisance problems, like mice, rats and rabbits” (Chicago Breaking News).

These coyotes are not a source of concern for citizens, Block affirms, they’re let loose only to control the pest population.  However, since this news story broke, there have been several other ideas put out there as to the real reason Chicagoans are seeing coyotes in their city.

Treehugger.com, the popular green blog, believes the coyotes are part of the 250 coyotes radio-tagged for the Urban Coyote Ecology and Management program, a research project run by Cook County to see how coyotes fare in large urban areas.  Coyotes, a natural part of the plains geography and ecological system, have been pushed out of the city and had to redefine their role within the dynamics of the human presence.

What’s become remarkable is that these coyotes have risen to the top of the food chain in many metropolitan areas where coyotes are present.  This means that the coyotes have become more brazen and bold, venturing outwards into the cities where years ago they would never have been found.

Is Coyote Pest Control Safe?

Many cities in the Southwest have already learned first-hand what happens when the coyotes move in to the metropolitan area.  In California and Arizona, people have taken to feeding the coyotes, giving them handouts, making them more comfortable with people and counting on people as a source of food.

Many coyotes have had to be removed from those areas as the coyotes start to take advantage of the comfort afforded to them: often times attacking and eating pets and, in very small cases, attacking children. The coyotes had become a pest.

While it isn’t certain exactly if the coyote caught on video was part of the Urban Coyote program, or if it was in fact “let loose” for the purposes of pest control, what is certain is the rising number of coyote sightings (and road-kill) in Chicago and the very real fact that they’re figuring out how to return to their indigent plains habitat and reclaim their role as top predator.

About the author: Thomas dedicates himself to environmental issues including humane bird and pest control. When he’s not reviewing companies like www.bird-x.com, you can find him training for his first marathon.

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What To Do If You Are Stung By A Wasp

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Pest Control Tips for Checking Signs of Termite Damage

Many houses are at risk of getting damaged by a variety of pests. There are many kinds of pests that are possible hazards at home. One of them is the termite. Here’s how you need to check for signs of termites on your property. More…

Can You Kill Bed Bugs on Your Own?

With the severity of bedbugs these last few years, and many of us traveling during the holiday season, the likelihood of bringing these blood-sucking pests home is high. So. What do you do if you do? More…

Pest Control Bombs Cause House Fire

Want more proof that bug bombs are a bad idea, and that pest control is better left to the professionals? A woman setting off bug bombs in her basement has burned down her own house. See the picture here.

Pest Of The Week: The Brown Rat

Brown Rat – Rattus norvegicus 1a (Photo credit: Dluogs)

The Brown rat, also known as the Common rat, Sewer rat or Wharf rat, is one of the best known; and most common of the rat species.

The Brown rat’s fur is coarse, and usually brown or dark grey; while the underside is a lighter shade of grey or brown. The length of this rodent can reach 10 inches, with the tail measuring an additional 10 inches; or roughly the same length as the body. The adult Brown rat’s average body weight, can be 12 oz (females) to 19 oz (males).

Likely originating from the plains of Asia, Northern China and Mongolia, the Brown rat was introduced to other parts of the world; sometime in the Middle Ages. Today, the Brown rat has spread to all continents; with the exception of the Arctic, Antarctica, isolated islands and Calgary AB Canada. This rodent species is considered the dominant rat in Europe and much of North America, as it is often discovered living wherever humans reside; especially in urban areas.

Brown rats that do find shelter in human habitations, will not wander about. Instead, these rodents will (most often) remain within 20 meters of their nesting area, if a suitable supply of food is readily available.

It has been said that there are as many rats in cities as people, but this notion varies from area to area; depending on climate, living conditions, etc. In New York City there is great debate over the size of the rat population, with estimates from nearly 100 million rats; to as few as 250,000. Experts suggest that NYC’s aging infrastructure, high moisture and poverty rates; will continue to contribute to the city’s rodent pest control problem.

Brown Rat (Photo credit: Nikon Ranger)

Brown rats are most often active at night, and considered excellent swimmers (surface and underwater). As well, Brown rats are great excavators, and will construct elaborate burrow systems; to provide safety and shelter. However, unlike the related Black Rat (commonly referred to as Roof rat), the Brown rat is a very poor climber.

Similar to other rodents, Brown rats may carry a number of pathogens; which can result in the spread of disease. This is something that causes major concern, in many tenants and home owners. As such, the first sign of a rodent invasion often prompts an immediate pest control response.

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Anthony Ball

Image via Flickr

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced, that it has plans to ban 20 rat and mouse control products, because they use “loose” bait. The EPA claims that the products are especially dangerous, because they are sold for use in homes where unsupervised children or pets, may come into contact with them.

“There is no question these rodenticides can cause harm in someone who misuses them, but are we prepared to ban them entirely and allow rodents, mice, and other vermin to destroy 25 percent of our food stocks; the way they do throughout the rest of the world?” asks a senior fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis.

Those who have studied the effects of the EPA’s proposed ban, say that the agency’s plan could also have a profound effect, on the public’s health and safety. They warn that the ban may force people to rely on products, from an alternate class of rodenticides, which may have no known antidote. The proposed plan could also force consumers to avoid treating their homes, unless they can afford to hire a pest control professional; to deal with a rodent invasion. Because some families do not have the addition income, that would allow them to afford an exterminator, they may have to endure a rodent outbreak; without treating it. You can imagine how this would eventually lead, to serious health concerns.

Opposition to the EPA ban says that the agency is formulating it’s decision, on a data that was relevant between 1993 and 2008. The report said that the American Association of Poison Control Centers, received 12,000 to 15,000 reports of rat and mouse poison exposures each year, regarding children under 6 years old. Improper use or lack of parental supervision, the opposition says, is not a good enough reason to ban such useful product; from the marketplace.  They fear is that the people living in poverty, will be the ones most adversely affected by the proposed ban. With professional exterminators likely being too expensive for them to hire, there is a higher propensity for them to be afflicted by rodent problems, and the most likely candidates for serious health issues.

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Image via Wikipedia

Don’t invite these pest over for Thanksgiving!

The National Pest Management Association continues to warn homeowners, that when the temperatures outside turn cooler, an estimated twenty-one million rodents will begin their search for warmth, water, food and shelter; to wait-out the long and cold winter months. Ideally, they will be looking to the cozy homes, offices, buildings and structures, across most of the United States and North America.

Pest management experts and industry professionals have identified garages and basements, as ideal targets for rats and mice, looking to invade homes and businesses. Smaller rodents like mice, require only a quarter of an inch, to enter a home, structure or dwelling. This means that determined rodents can gain entry through cracks in the foundation, air conditioner and dryer vents, pipes; or gaps in electrical wiring. In fact, some mice can even push their way through tiny openings, the size of a pencil.

Once inside a warm dwelling, it will not take long for a very serious pest control problem, to develop. Females rodent invaders can give birth to a litter of five to ten mice, every thirty days, and they breed all year-round. Furthermore, because some rats and mice are carriers of disease, like salmonella and hantavirus, the real danger comes when rodent droppings begin to collect; and must be safely removed from the home.

Using a vacuum (Shop Vac or like appliance), homeowners must collect all of the rat and/or mouse droppings they have discovered, and discard them outdoors; far away from the dwelling. Pest management officials warn that whoever will be responsible for collecting and disposing of the rodent droppings, should wear a protective mask, to avoid breathing in the associated fumes. This precautionary measure is especially important, if anyone who is coming into contact with the rodent droppings, suffers from asthma; or any other kind of related respiratory issue.

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