Social distancing is working in America and must continue to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the Center for American Progress. Implemented along with self-quarantine, social distancing was meant to flatten the curve of the virus' spread.
However, America has another problem that rose from the pandemic: rats. The pandemic has forced them into survival mode. Some have resorted to cannibalism, rat wars, and infanticide when food is low, according to famous urban rodentologist Bobby Corrigan.
Bold for food
Rats usually scurry away in fear when they see people. Now, they are everywhere. They can be seen in New Orleans in broad daylight, rummaging for food.
Others fight each other to the death in Seattle's public parks. According to Corrigan, because they've lost their sources of food, they'll do anything to avoid starvation. This includes forming armies and conquering areas.
Corrigan said, "rats whose food sources have vanished will not just move into other colonies and cause fights over grub. They will also eat one another." Social distancing caused a lack of food because businesses have either closed or limited operations. This includes groceries and restaurants where rats have depended on food for years.
The rats may even seek out new sources of food. A German woman, who stored fruits and vegetables in a cellar, noticed their potatoes have been gnawed. This has never happened in the first place, only after social distancing was enforced in their hometown of Stuggart.
Pest control: a needed ally
With rat armies and home invasions a common thing now, hiring a pest control service is highly recommended. As an essential service, it is open for business, said Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
It is a must-have service because rats will not just eat food. They can also spread disease. While there are no confirmed cases of rats infected with COVID-19, they can bring other viruses into the house. They may even transfer the virus to the family's food they eat, speeding up its spread.
Aside from health problems, they can damage property, such as chew on wires, and leech from a family's food supply. Pest control will be able to identify problem points in the house and fix them so that the rats won't have anywhere to hide or go through.
Give the house an upgrade
Supplement pest control's efforts by using trash cans that have a tight lid and sealing doors that have a crack underneath them. These will prevent them from eating garbage and bringing the mess inside the house. Rats are resilient enough to fit through cracks that are less than an inch high.
They are also resilient enough to smell food molecules in the air, added Corrigan. "They follow those food molecules like heat-seeking missiles - and eventually you know they end up where those molecules are originating," he said.
Practice isolation not just with other humans, but also with rats. Seal all food in tight-lid containers or refrigerate them to prevent attracting rats. Observe proper housekeeping to keep them at bay.