Rats

Call us for a quote on +353818001590  or Contact Us

National coverage across 26 counties, means you are never far from an expert

All our technicians are highly trained and certified pest controllers

Trustpilot Accredited - Customers rate us excellent on TrustPilot

Rise of the rats

Scurrying in the shadows and lurking under the streets, you can be sure that in any place where there are humans, there are almost certainly rats.

Known for their fierce survival instincts, brown rats prefer to build their burrows in urban sewers and the dwellings of humans, eating one-fifth of foodstuffs planted every year, but contaminating far more.

In major cities like Dublin, London and New York, some experts say they are as many rats as there are humans, while more conservative estimates put the ratio closer to one rat for every four humans.

To fully understand how the rise of the rats has happened, you must understand the staggering rate that they reproduce.

Swipe the images below to see how quickly two rats can breed in an ideal environment

Rat reproduction facts

Why don’t rats outnumber humans?

The speed that rats breed is frightening, but there are many factors that help to stop a population from spiralling out of control.

In a real world scenario, the death rate usually increases as the size of the population grows. Whenever food or space is limited, mortality is high, which partially keeps the rate of population growth in check.

The rise of the rats in numbers

Rat call-outs: 2015 vs 2016

Rentokil saw an increase in rat-related enquiries from 2015 to 2016. In both years, there was a spike of rat call-outs around May.

Which industries are most affected by rats?

Based on over 100 enquiries made to Rentokil.


  • References

    Auerbach, J. (2014). Does New York City Really Have as Many Rats as People?. Significance, Volume 11 (4), p. 22–27. (link)

    Chace, Z. and Dzotsi, E. (2016). Becoming A Badger. This American Life. (link)

    Long, J.L. (2003). Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence.