Rat plague in Kiel: This is how other cities are fighting against rodents!

Rat plague in Kiel: This is how other cities are fighting against rodents!

In recent months, a real rat problem has emerged in Kiel, especially in the Gaarden and Elmschenhagen districts. The residents are very worried because the numbers speak for themselves: over 300 rat cases were recorded in 2022, half of them in Gaarden alone. The mayor of Kiel, Ulf Kampf (SPD), has already mentioned it: Citizens must be careful not to provide the rodents with a source of food. And as if that wasn't enough, the city has also imposed fines for garbage disposal violations and even revised the rat statute. But despite all efforts, many citizens are denied hope for a solution, as the reports from kn-online.de make clear.

The problem is not an isolated case. In Germany, various cities are fighting against the growing rat population. A look at Freiburg shows that complaints about increased reports of rats have also been received here. The main cause? Wrongly disposed of garbage! Freiburg then founded a central specialist group to coordinate measures in order to take targeted action against the rodents. Successful measures include checking waste collection points, additional containers and cutting back plants near them. An exciting pilot project for video surveillance of waste collection points is also being planned.

Diverse solutions in other cities

Another example is Salzgitter, where a broad package of measures to combat rats has been put together. Here, the health department specifically checks affected buildings, and direct communication with housing associations and owners is considered to be effective. All rat sightings are reported centrally to the health department to enable a rapid response.

In the idyllic Eningen unter Achalm, things have been approached a little differently: intelligent, environmentally friendly bait boxes are used there, which are not only intended to contain the rat population, but also provide data on the number of rats. Such innovative approaches could also help Kiel, because one thing is certain: there is no miracle cure for rat infestation, as umweltbundesamt.de also states. A sustainable and intelligent concept is necessary to achieve long-term success.

Sustainability vs. chemical control

While many cities have relied on rat poison for decades, current research shows that this method is often unsustainable. Factors such as climate change, urbanization and growing city life contribute to the stability or even increase in rat populations. An international research team has found that reducing food sources for the rats is key. The UBA campaign for sustainable rat management, affectionately known as KaRMa, encourages cities to take initiatives that reduce the food supply for rats in parks and playgrounds and thus make the animals less attractive.

The measures already mentioned, such as using rat-proof garbage cans and removing wild garbage, are important steps in the right direction. Current legislation also ensures that toxins do not enter the water cycle. This is not only a problem for rats, but also for human health and the environment. Interestingly, a new, safe bait protection box called ToxProtect is being tested in various cities, which meets the requirements of the EU Biocide Regulation. It could help reduce the use of toxic substances by up to 70 percent compared to conventional methods, which promotes both health and environmental protection, as kommunaldirekt.de reports.

In summary, it is clear that many cities, including Kiel, have to pursue a variety of approaches to rat control in order to finally get the problem under control. “No food, no rats!” - this insight gets to the heart of the dilemma and makes it clear how important a joint and coordinated approach by the city administration and the population is.