A change of lifestyle and events such as the mass closures of restaurants and stay-at-home orders in the country is affecting the eating habits of rats, says an article.

In March, the French Quarter in New Orleans had witnessed an enormous number of rats in the streets.

In Louisiana City, a few days after restaurants and bars closed, rats were spotted coming out of their hiding areas.

Rats Do Not Know What to Do

According to a rodent specialist named Robert Corrigan, rats are also panicking with the sudden turn of events caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Before the pandemic, a lot of rats living in the streets of cities were dependent on the food they get from tourists and easy hand-outs. When fewer humans walked the streets, the rats do not know what to do.

The rats are hungry, says Claudia Riegel with the pest control board of New Orleans.

How Changes in Human Behavior Brought by the COVID-19 Crisis Affects Rat Behavior

In different parts of the world, humans are changing behaviors due to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

In some locations, quarantine means that rats also need to employ changes to prevent hunger.

According to Doctor Corrigan, he had received a message from his acquaintances in the city who observed rats in a new area during irregular hours since these animals are nocturnal. However, some residents did not see any changes in the behavior of their rats. The rats on those places may have been feeding on household waste. There is an increasing volume of household waste as people are being asked to stay indoors for a long time.

The National Pest Technicians Association in the UK gave a warning this month that the postponement of the operations of schools, hotels, pubs, tourist attractions, restaurants, and other public areas to successfully implement social distancing will result in unintended consequences.

If there is a sufficient amount of food, pest populations could survive in empty buildings, or the pest will go outside to search for food.

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Rats as Masters of Adaptation

According to Doctor Corrigan, hungry rats can travel vast distances. They can even end up in a different neighborhood with previously no rat populations.

They are challenging animals who are experts at sniffing out food sources. Also, their sharp teeth can make holes in plastics, fabrics, and doors.

Globally, they are everywhere. They are skillful masters of adaptation, Doctor Corrigan added.

However, seeing more rats on the streets does not mean that they will overrun the city.

The Need to Control Rat Population

This is the right time to implement control techniques to control rat populations in cities, says Doctor Corrigan. Hungry rats will highly likely try to steal food from baited rat traps, he added.

Sanitation is the best pest control measure, says Corrigan. When rats cannot find a source of food, they will turn on each other (cannibalism). This will help control their population.